The aerospace composite industry demands the highest quality and accuracy to meet the required safety standards for finished components, while operating in a fiercely competitive environment.

A reliable, highly efficient and automated nesting system is essential to minimize errors, maximize material utilization, increase existing machine production capacity and keep programming time and operator interaction to a minimum. JETCAM Expert delivers this on all counts, with an award-winning system specifically tailored for efficient composite materials cutting and routing.

With a high volume of  composite parts that require programming and nesting, the ability to automatically batch process components and individual ply geometry files directly from the CAD system, followed by efficient nesting of all material orders, is crucial for aerospace companies. Such full automation can now be achieved using JETCAM's Remote Control Processing (RCP) functionality. This allows for the instructions to the system to be provided automatically instead of from operator keyboard/mouse entries. One of the options for this, for composites parts, is through the use of Pre-Programmed Input (PPI).

When in automatic mode, the system will extract the required manufacturing information from the PPI data supplied by the CAD system with each CAD file, process the part and store it in the component database ready for nesting at some future date. JETCAM's Order and Material Management software can be used to remotely manage component processing and nesting of orders. 

Integration to legacy data systems
Another approach is for the factory production control system (or any other external software) to control the JETCAM system directly. It issues commands that instruct JETCAM which components to process and nest, using which material and for which machines. Such operation is fully automatic and bi-directional where JETCAM Expert returns comprehensive reports and creates a log file for each request processed. Of course, a full manual 'override' capability is provided for all automatic system functions.

Using the SEKT (Stored Expert Knowledge Technology) database the user has a comprehensive list of options with which to customise the system to suit each particular machine tool, material and method of working.

Trek Bicycle Corp., founded in 1976 and based in Wisconsin, is a world-leading manufacturer of bikes.  They have 3 Gerber DCS 2500 CNC Knife Cutters. They evaluated the market, finalizing on two systems, however JETCAM delivered the combined mix of automation and desired interaction.  Ben Fisher, Product Manufacturing Engineer said; "Prior to purchasing JETCAM, static nests were being generated manually.  These static nests could take several hours to create and were often inefficient depending on the creator and the part shape.  We were looking for an opportunity to decrease our nesting time, maximize our material yield and possible generate dynamic nests for daily production.  Based on sample nests of common parts we were able to justify the cost with less than one year payback.  Also NestONE allowed us to fully evaluate the software to ensure it met our needs.  Five engineers were trained, with the full installation taking just one week.  Users could batch process nests to determine optimal kit quantities, and provide the ability to import files from DXF or CATIA generated XML files into JETCAM.  "The support we received from NestONE before the sale made us much more comfortable purchasing the system.  They have a great support team and we receive quick and helpful responses." Case Study

Main Features and Options for Composite

• Drive all brands of ply-cutters including AGFM, Gerber, Lectra, Eastman, Zund, Humantec, and many more
• Single or Multiple-Ply Cutting
• Ability to add an Oversize Condition to the periphery of the Ply
• Continuation of cut on conveyorised machines for plies that extend beyond the current cutting area.
• Sophisticated Order Management
• Part structure and ply management
• Material roll Management - what has been used and what is left on the roll
• Automatic processing of flat pattern data from CAD systems
• Direct Interface (batch import) with Vistagy Fiber-SIM and Dassault Catia Composite Workbench 
• Highest Material Usage Efficiency using JETCAM's new High Performance Free Form Nesting module
• Automatic Batch Nesting of Orders using RCP
• Automatic Input and Processing of IGES & DXF Files using RCP
• Management of legacy data
• Management of Static Nests
• Identification of Plies - Labelling attachments, Pen Markers and indexable Inkjet heads are supported, allowing components to be marked for easy ply identification
• Auto Fitting and Scaling text to be marked or printed.
• Remote control for full hands-off automation and unattended running


For Additional JETCAM Composite Information