The era of Industry 4.0 is upon us, and companies are facing strong demand to increase their productivity by realizing smart factories and intelligent manufacturing. With the advantages of solutions including, but not limited to industrial automation, and machine automation technologies, hardware-software machine integration – it’s finally safe to say the development of Industry 4.0 is cutting a trail in construction.
What is Machine Integration to Fabrication?
One of the main ways manufacturers and fabricators are moving toward Industry 4.0 is by continually improving their processes. However, understanding complex production procedures down to the minute is not easy. It requires the continual collection of data and two-way communication between the shop production software and the fabrication machines in use.
The goals in production management are to increase throughput and quality while you decrease cost and waste. Automatically collecting data directly from your equipment and using the information in real-time to drive decisions is the primary way for contractors to meet these objectives. Real-time insights help you make smarter, faster decisions about your business, which can boost the efficiency and profitability of your entire operation.
This article features market-leading pipe-cutting and welding machines that seamlessly integrate with MSUITE in the fabrication shop. These integrations are helping construction firms achieve real-time production and material logistics direct from the shop floor.
MSUITE-PypeServer-Cutting Machine integrations enable fabricators to do much more.
The PypeServer integration with MSUITE eliminates machine programming and automates real-time production and material logistics direct from the floor to help contractors save money, increase productivity and efficiency, and reduce risks in the shop. Some capabilities include eliminating manual processes, enabling 2-way data transfer between MSUITE’s FabPro and PypeServer for superior manufacturability, and optimizing end-to-end processes.
TigerStop |A global leader in stop gauge and material positioning software, TigerStop and SawGear branded products easily integrate with existing equipment to increase efficiency, material yield, and profitability of metal, wood, or plastic manufacturers.
Fortune 500 to small shop manufacturing segments, including metalworking, fabrication, furniture, cabinetry, aerospace, mechanical plumbing, HVAC, curtain wall, and fenestration, can retire obsolete tape measures using TigerStop technology.
ABOUT THE MACHINE INTEGRATION
The MSUITE-to-TigerStop integration means staff in the shop no longer are required to create and manage CSV files, use paper, and eliminate multiple manual steps to maximize efficiencies of the cutting process, reducing wasted materials scrap and time. “At the start, the MSUITE-to-TigerStop integration saved our firm $4000,” said Ray McDonald, GM and Fabrication Coordinator, Gallo Mechanical.
RazorGage has been a market leader in saw systems and automatic positioners since 2001. Its automatic saw measuring systems, programmable saw stops, and optimizing saw systems provide superior accuracy and cutting efficiency. RazorGage programmable saw systems are powered by intuitive, user-friendly software and controllers. Options range from our 7- Android and Windows touch screen tablets to full-floor standing Tower PCs with hi-resolution touchscreens and solid-state Windows 10 Pro OS.
Technical Services manufactures the RazorGage Product Line, developing specialized custom machinery for over 40 years. Their expertise in speeding and improving the manufacturing processes of automotive components, recreational vehicles, appliances, windows, doors, cabinets, water testing products has brought innovation to the RazorGage product line as leading automatic saw systems and positioners in their price range.
ABOUT THE MACHINE INTEGRATION
The MSUITE RazorGage integration connects model data to shop floor cutting stations to automate the cut list creation and optimization/nesting processes. As a result, staff no longer need to create and manage CSV files.
The MSUITE-to-RazorGage integration eliminates multiple manual steps to maximize efficiencies of the cutting process, reducing waste on materials scrap and time.
Vernon Tool (Owned by Lincoln Electric) is the manufacturing Leader in Industrial Pipe Cutting and CNC Pipe Profiling Pipe cutting technology, rapidly advancing since the days of hand-held torches and wraparound paper templates. Vernon’s single cutting machine can now supply enough pipe to satisfy 5 to 10 fit-up and welding stations.
Their technology emphasizes a centralized, efficient cutting operation governs all downstream processes. As a result, safety, speed, and quality are benchmarks of profitable pipe fabrication, the same qualities that describe Vernon pipe cutting machines.
While many basic cutting and material handling concepts are still valid today, Vernon incorporates the newest technology in its machines. Innovations such as network-operating systems, programmable logic controls, and machine-mounted microprocessors have reduced costs, improved cut accuracy, and decreased redundant data entry.
With eight hundred installations worldwide since 1948, Vernon Tool is committed to improving pipe fabrication operations.
ABOUT THE MACHINE INTEGRATION
The MSUITE-to-Vernon integration via PypeServer takes shops to the next-level enabling Model data to Machine with other enhanced features including improving Nesting processes with multi-Spool cut optimization, real-time traceability – Machine tracking, productivity, and status tracking. Shops achieve superior manufacturability and optimize end-to-end processes.
Watts | Innovative technologies, intelligent software, robust construction, and modern design are the four cornerstones of Watts machine manufacturing activities in the USA and Germany. Watts produces 3D profile cutting machines for round pipes, tanks, dished-ends, square and rectangular pipes, steel beams, and automated welding solutions for the most demanding requirements in the metalworking industry.
Watts machines and software solutions are used in all thermal cutting and welding segments and represent the most crucial stage of a modern production process. The high quality of workmanship and staff’s many years of experience assure integrated solutions for complex cutting and welding tasks – worldwide.
ABOUT THE MACHINE INTEGRATION
The MSUITE-to-Watts integration automates real-time production and material logistics direct from the floor. Eliminating machine programming helps contractors save money, increase efficiency and productivity, and reduce risks in the shop. The MSUITE-to-Watts integration facilitates superior manufacturability and optimizes end-to-end processes by eliminating manual processes.
HGG offers 3D profiling machines and services that supply production automation to the heavy steel industry, saving on fitting and welding. HGG 3D Profiling enhances workflows, complicated designs, and welding connections with precision and reduces material waste. HGG technology helps users draw, construct, and complete their projects to help firms grow their businesses.
Users can execute complicated Profiling in steel pipes, beams, box sections, and other profiles regardless of size and specifications to eliminate grinding and reduce fitting and welding time to produce clean, exact cuts. HGG profiling machines are used by leading construction, shipbuilding, offshore companies, and the process piping industry.
HGG 3D Profiling subcontracting services handle roughly 250 tons of material per week. With customers from more than 60 countries, they offer a global sales and customer support partner network.
ABOUT THE MACHINE INTEGRATION
The MSUITE-to-HGG integration helps contractors save money, increase productivity and efficiency, and reduce risks in the shop. The integration eliminates machine programming and automates real-time production and material logistics direct from the floor by removing manual processes and enabling 2-way data transfer between MSUITE and HGG for superior manufacturability and end-to-end process optimization.
Novarc’s technology accelerates the modernization of pipe fabrication shops, increasing their capacity and maintaining quality requirements and specialize in designing and commercializing cobots and AI systems for robotic welding applications. Novarc’s dedicated team of engineers and scientists are solving challenging industrial automation problems, such as introducing Novarc’s Spool Welding Robot (SWR), the first-of-its-kind in a pipe welding application.
Conclusion
Machine integration to fabrication is helping contractors across the industry increase throughput and quality while decreasing cost and waste. Automatically collecting data directly from equipment and using the information in real-time is driving better decisions to improve safety, efficiency, and profits. Industry 4.0 is upon us.
