Question about time

Gary Puckett · Post by **Gary Puckett** » Mon, Mar 02 2009, 10:50AM

Is there any way that eCab can figure out the time it takes to cut out a job? it would have to break it down to a per sheet time study. For instance lets say it takes 5 sheets of plywood to do this job, the program then tells you it will take ( on average) 15 min. to cut out sheet 1, 25 min. to cut out sheet 2 and so on. This time would just reflect machine time not loading and unloading.

Any Thoughts

Gary

Brad McIntosh · Post by **Brad McIntosh** » Mon, Mar 02 2009, 6:18PM

Gary,

CNC Automation has a product that can evaluate the time it takes you to run a nested job on a Thermwood router. It is the perfect companion to the THM Desktop Edition that you can license from Thermwood.

The utility is called Cut-Time and it has pre-packaged parameter definitions for a range of Thermwood 3 axis machines. It accounts for acceleration/deceleration factors, tangency, radius speed adjustments and tool change times. It will even take into account your estimate of your average sheet and flip-part change time. The resulting report will give you an overall time for the job, as well as a breakdown for each sheet. (** If you don't want sheet and flip-part times to be accounted for - just set them to ZERO!

)

Additionally, you can get a report of the total linear cutting distance and avg/max velocity for each tool, which can be useful for estimating tooling requirements/costs in larger jobs.

Oh... and Cut-Time understands metric units!

We have several customers that have already found that, coupled with the THM Desktop Edition in the office, Cut-Time can really assist in production time costing and job scheduling.

If you would like to evaluate Cut-Time, contact me and I will send you a download link. (Please provide your name and that of your company, address, phone number, etc. with your request.)

To purchase a license for the THM Desktop Edition, contact Brent East @ Thermwood Corporation.

NOTE: Cut-Time will not accurately process code generated by Profile Modeler or any other 3D surface or relief machining application at this time. We are working on that...

Gary Puckett · Post by **Gary Puckett** » Mon, Mar 02 2009, 6:53PM

Brad,

Thanks for all that info. Unfortunately I don't own a Thermwood

I was just making a statement that if when you finished designing your job the program would give you an estimated run time for machining, that estimating the labor for that job might make it easier. You would at least have a ball park figure.

Gary

DanEpps · Post by **DanEpps** » Tue, Mar 03 2009, 7:45AM

How could knowing how long it takes to machine a job possibly help you to create a labor estimate?

I think most production sharing shops (machine owners jump in here) charge by the sheet and add-on for flip ops, etc. If you know how many sheets and how many additional charges your design takes, you know how much the cost will be. Your production sharing shop should be able to provide you with a "menu" of charges for their services.

Now, back to the labor estimate. If you are outsourcing machining of parts, cannot accounted for as labor. It is, instead, accounted for as services (if you supply the materials). If you do not supply the materials, it must be accounted for as "purchased goods for further processing and resale."

Gary Puckett · Post by **Gary Puckett** » Tue, Mar 03 2009, 8:25AM

Dan ,

Guess I'm not thinking straight, just thought if the program told you the job had 6 hours of run time then cutting the job out by hand might take you 18 hours thats saying you are 3 times slower than the machine.

Gary

DanEpps · Post by **DanEpps** » Tue, Mar 03 2009, 9:20AM

Bear in mind that most, if not all, jobs are nested on the CNC controller prior to cutting so anything you would get from eCabinets would not be accurate in that regard.

What you have to do is start timing when you start and finish each operation. Once you have enough samples to smooth out any abnormal circumstances, you will know how long each operation averages.

Before you start doing your own time study, make a list of every operation you have in completing a job. Do not forget sales and design time. When you have that list completed, start recording start and stop times. After you record several jobs you will have a starting point for your averages. You will continue to tweak these averages as you record the times for more and more jobs.

Post by **Dean Fehribach** » Tue, Mar 03 2009, 4:22PM

Every machine is different and that's what makes CNC Automation's Cut-Time so valuable if one has a machine. Machining time can vary based on accelerations, as Brad noted, and tooling used because this in part determines top speed of the machining operation. Different machines may also have different indexing speeds and accelerations. The equations for accurately accounting for cut time are quite complex when all aspects of the machine, tooling, and personal preference come into play. This brings up another point, the top speed of a machine in no way determines how fast a machine can cut a job.

Thom Davies · Post by **Thom Davies** » Tue, Mar 03 2009, 4:29PM

Hey Brad

Im Keen to fine out how much cut time costs and a link please

Brad McIntosh · Post by **Brad McIntosh** » Tue, Mar 03 2009, 5:28PM

Thom,

I sent you some further information in a private message.

Stephen Tinkler · Post by **Stephen Tinkler** » Wed, Mar 04 2009, 8:15AM

Gary

ecads and a Thermwood router are the future of furniture manufacture world wide,it not only just cut sheets it opens new doors!
So the faster you board the technology express the better you will be placed in your market.

Stephen

Gary Puckett · Post by **Gary Puckett** » Wed, Mar 04 2009, 9:31AM

Stephen,

I would love to have a Thermwood, I would also like a cnc lathe if there is such a thing, but money is the big issue it's all about money.

Gary

Stephen Tinkler · Post by **Stephen Tinkler** » Wed, Mar 04 2009, 10:32AM

Hi Gary

I have had a look at your wed site and what i have seen is if you have made all of that by hand you must be some guy,I can honestly say if you found some a way
to investing in aThermwood you will not know your self, We have had a Thermwood for two and a half years in the UK and if had we not invested when we did we just would not be
in businsess today,It is hard at first and is hard now but looking long term ahead dispite the global downturn i am pleased we took that step over the cliff!.

ps give Gordon Brown my best regards

Stephen

Gary Puckett · Post by **Gary Puckett** » Wed, Mar 04 2009, 10:36AM

Stephen,

Thank you and yes it was all done by hand. All the carvings were bought, I wish I had the talent to do that.

Who is Gordon?

Gary

Stephen Tinkler · Post by **Stephen Tinkler** » Wed, Mar 04 2009, 10:48AM

Gary
Apart from the Queen he is our Commander in Chief.
Stephen

Brad McIntosh · Post by **Brad McIntosh** » Wed, Mar 04 2009, 12:30PM

Gordon Brown is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and is on a visit to the United States to meet with the new President. I believe he is addressing the US Congress today (Wednesday).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Brown

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