8/3/2019 09040

1/2

TECHAPPLlCATION

Pu,hed by the EPRl Center for Materials Fabrication Vol. 1,No. 14, 1987The ChaWongo: Cornputorhe a Duct-MakingOperationA the heartof R. W. Mead's heat and air duct manu-facturing operation is a computer-controlled plasmacutter that lays out and cuts sheet metal into ductwork fittings faster than Mead's field crews can install them.Vlee President of Construction Mark Mead was ableo

.

amnputerize his entire operation when this plasma cutterW nto production in986.And by computerizing thed i r e&ration, Mead has improved efficiency andproductivity manyfold.Mead's shopwas having trouble keeping the field crewssupplied with cut materials. Therefore, Mark Mead sought asolution that wouldm Increase output from the shop floor

Reduce part handlingBe more responsiveo workload

m Streamline Mead's entire operation.demand

The OldWayMead manufactures and installsheat and air conditioning ducts forcommercial, industrial andresidentialbuildings.WhenMead r.,,...yr ...- yreceivesa equest romageneral by hand, a slow andcontractor,oneof ts field engineers wasteful pr0ce88.goes to the buildingo confirm themeasurements and sketch out the duct work.Before its new system was installed, an engineer wouldtake the field sketches, design the system and create partdrawings. After the dimensions were confirmed in the field,the part drawingsw l d be sketched onto the 'sheet metaland the parts cut with handools such as electricallypowered sheers, slitters and snips. This was slow, difficult

work with danger from burrs and sharp edges.n an effortomaximize material usage, usable piecesf scrap would besorted into piles and scavenged when smaller piecesneededto be cut.The cut parts would then e assembled and shippedothe job site where field crews would install the duct work.Sometimes, because of errorsn part layout and design, afitting did not come together properly and a new part wasneeded. This slowed down installation.The Now Way

Today, field data is entered into Mead's CAD/CAM system.The part drawing is created electronically by adding dimen-sions to apart,shapestored in thecomputer's memory,husfreeing hedesigner rom ediouscalculationsandeliminat-

m e Pon 1 o t 2 t a ~ e s t o c u t ~ r t ato exact speclflcrtion.The parts layout is vetyefflclent, significantlymducing thescrap mto.ing human errors. All the parts for the day's cuttings areentered before cutting begins, and the system specifies whsize sheets are needed.The computer-controlled plasma cutter then cleanly cutsthe parts o within a pencil line of exact specifications, muchmore rapidly and accurately than is possible with handools.And the plasma cutter can make longitudinal and transverscuts with equal ease. The computer-generated layout isoefficient that the scrap material now resembles ribbons andwires and is discarded. n addition, labels are generated thaare affixed to the parts for identification by part number, sizand application, as well as for sorting and tracking of costestimates.Without a way for the computero control the cutting, mostof the benefits of the CAD system woulde lost.The plasmacutter is rugged and simpleo operate, making it well-suitedfor the shop-floor environment. Lasers coulde usedo cut

8/3/2019 09040

2/2

The benefits from the plasma cutter and computerizedoperation are many:lrbardNckncy.Previously, 3 or 4 workers generatedwork for 30 nstallers. Now 2 workers in the shop generatework for up to 50 in the field. And no worker spends timesortingthrough pilesfor usable scrapcontrolledcutter to nest parts has resulted n a decreasenscrepraRefrom about20% o 10%.Ysry adm@m.The capabilityof the computer-U w#luc#on.The plasma cutter can workff 2Irrbles.while it is cutting aheet of metal on onee canbe set up and the cutter can e in

been increased from5 to 20 fittingsas high as 25 0 fittings per day for 1lasma cutter hasabdished humanhave almost totally beenliminated.

ivity has greatly increased. Thisddedess strengthens Mead'spoabon in the-Now producr H rm The plasmaaJw hrs ncreased the gaugef metal that can 4e cut fromh han 1h inch to 14 inch.hductknIkrtM(tty.ow Mead handles at e a s t 4 or 5pbs at one time.R w a uconbd.Since a job's price depends on hewight d the metal installed, Mead used to weighhe partshand.Now the computer calculates theight d thep b

-Y

bough more energy s usedwith the

wbatDwIrAwco8t?M r " system cost about$100,000 imtalled.Anahma# sy&m and nstallation added another30,000.t4m#kw3umrdm e dditional expenses o make itsfloorraphmnt t was unawareof when it purchased the

periodwas about a year. t took 3 workers a.* Ir,91;#mMeand install the system. Training took*w . n m &mtkht,-op.ntkn

bbmjw x h s are wrsatile and can workn the shop cut-Ung out and etKicating partsor in the field. ow becauseof

Vice Presidentof Construction MarkW. Mead,President Robert W. Mead, and Vice President otService Richard M. Mead computerized theiroperation to improve productivity.R. W. Mead& Co., Fraser, MichiganPresident-Robert W. MeadApproximately 70 employeesR.W. Mead is a complete heating, ventilating, andair conditioning contracting companyCompany philosophy:To be the best in the industry.