DON’T UNDERSTAND THE BENEFITS OF NESTED BASED MANUFACTURING?

Many people in the manufacturing industry have heard the term, Nested Based Manufacturing or NBM, but aren’t quite sure what it is or how they could benefit from it.

If your business manufactures products from flat panel components, then NBM could revolutionise your operation.  This includes organisations in the woodworking industry, cabinet makers, furniture makers, store fitout companies, boat builders and the engineering component sector.

Very simply, NBM is a single automated process whereby various flat panel shapes can be produced from a single sheet.  The groups of components are ‘nested’ together on the sheets of material.   

A kitchen manufacturer can cut a door ready for vinyl wrapping in less than 60 seconds.  If your company makes doors, you could halve your production costs.    

To illustrate how NBM works in simple terms, let’s take an example of the manufacture of MDF vinyl or two-pack sprayed doors.  Historically, these would have had to be cut using a panel or beam saw, then the rough shapes would have been placed individually into a point-to-point machine to be cut.  Modern technology using cnc machining (or computer numerical control) enables the designs to be made on computer, which then sends the cutting instructions to the router.  Because the CNC router does all the work, there is no need for a panel saw process.  One work station handles the full sheet of material, all sizing, cutting, drilling and profiling.

NBM offers flexibility and versatility – and there are many cabinetmakers, kitchen manufacturers etc around the world who are reaping the benefits of the economies of scale that the system offers.

Working out whether an investment in a cnc machine would be beneficial to your business isn’t a one-step process, but it is advisable to start by examining just how many different processes you currently go through to produce a finished product.   Also, if you answer ‘yes’ to any of these questions, the technology may be right for you :

·         Do you need to increase your staff complement?

·         Do you need to improve productivity?

·         Do you ever have to say ‘no’ to a customer’s request?

·         Do you want to reduce your costs?

·         Are you wanting to increase the size of your business but don’t know how to manage the costs?

CNC machines come in a variety of sizes to handle a variety of different materials.  They are able to handle a number of different materials, which could be wood, aluminium, plastics, MDF and acrylics.

The benefits are many, including :

·         Much less handling of materials is involved

·         Automation means less labour and improved productivity

·         Less floor space

·         Improved accuracy

·         Reduced machine time

·         Less wastage, therefore savings on materials

·         Flexibility and versatility

·         Quality is consistent

Not all users of the new technology were convinced from the beginning.  Some manufacturers were hesitant about the level of computer skills that they thought would be required, others were nervous about the apparent complexity of the process, others were concerned about the level of training required.  Customer feedback, however, reveals that any doubts have been quickly allayed – and they are delighted with their investment in cnc woodworking which has significantly transformed their businesses.  People have been surprised by the ease of operation and the speed with which they were able to master the technology.  It is advisable however, to purchase any cnc router and woodworking equipment from a reputable dealer who will be able to offer ongoing technical support and training to ensure that the customers get the full value from their investment.