Sheet metal fab shop uses nesting software for material optimization

BMP Metals, Brampton, Ont., chose JETCAM Expert to better manage low-volume, high-cost part production

In 1984 Robert and Lorraine Bedard founded BMP Metals, a sheet metal fabrication shop located in Brampton, Ont. In its early days, the company focused on high-volume, low-cost projects. However, over the past 30 years BMP has added new equipment, expanded capabilities, and increased its shop footprint, transitioning to low-volume, high-cost assemblies.

With a combined space of 160,000 sq. ft., the company’s campus comprises two buildings, a range of equipment, and more than 220 employees. And although BMP has branched out from sheet metal fabrication and now offers general machining and additive manufacturing, which are growing segments of its business, sheet metal fab remains the company’s sweet spot. The company works with standard sheet metals like 6061 and MIC-6® aluminum, as well as various types of steel and copper. However, it steers clear of the exotics, focusing primarily on commonly requested materials.

"We are lucky to have a highly skilled workforce," said Jeff Estrela, IT manager at BMP Metals Inc. "Over the last couple of years, BMP has really increased in complexity of assemblies it takes on, so the skill set of our employees has grown with that. We also now include welding, machining, and an in-house paint shop, so that expands our reach."

Estrela, who has been with the company for 22 years, said the biggest shift has been that more customers are offloading their manufacturing. Instead of producing just small subcomponents, BMP now takes on large assemblies, doing almost anything a customer brings in. With this shift, the company has found new ways to streamline production, and one way is by maximizing its production software.

The Role of Software

"We’ve had JETCAM Expert since day one," said Estrela. "We’ve had a number of other software options over the past 20 years, but it’s by far one of the best for what we need."

He added that over the years as BMP added new machines, they often tested the software suggested by the OEM, but many options were limited to that single piece of equipment. For BMP, the Expert software can be used across multiple machines effectively. From a user standpoint, Estrela noted that having one interface and software option is much easier to maintain.

The company currently uses the software across its four sheet metal punching machines but is looking to integrate it with its two lasers. To do this, BMP is working with JETCAM’s Canadian distributor, NestOne Solutions, to help make this a reality. Estrela said that the software should be functional within the next month or two. Right now the two companies are working together to work out any kinks in the software and tweak it to BMP’s needs.

Estrela noted that one of the benefits of the software is the support the company receives from NestOne Solutions. He added that service is especially important in a changing manufacturing environment, and the ability to talk through challenges and adapt the software to fit new conditions is part of the reason that the company has stuck with JETCAM all these years. The system itself is fairly user-friendly, and the company has recently added two additional seats of the software, topping them up to three in total. Estrela said that the company recently had two of its employees trained on the software and they are up and running now. Usually the interface is easy enough for most people to pick up right away.

Nesting

"The nesting module is big for us," said Estrela. "For the most part, we have multiple work orders that come in and can use the same sheet metal material. It just makes sense to optimize the sheet as much as possible, and the nesting module allows us to do just that. We also don’t have to deal with a lot of scrap."

Minimizing scrap was a huge help for BMP. With the nesting module, the company can optimize its sheet, enabling 80 to 90 per cent utilization. And with 20 to 30 active projects at any given time, nesting helps maximize productivity.

With a combined space of 160,000 sq. ft., BMP’s campus comprises two buildings, a range of equipment, and more than 220 employees.

For example, a shearing operator would look at all the orders coming in and if he had, say, a 48-in. by 96-in., 22-gauge sheet, he was required to optimize the sheet to fit the project. Before the operator started to cut parts, the sheets needed to be sheared to fit a certain project size. But with the nesting module, BMP operators have to shear only once or can standardize on the blanks. Now an operator can skip this unnecessary shearing step and go straight to producing parts on a larger sheet.

"Once you standardize on one type of sheet or multiple, you don’t have to shear, cut, or order specific sheet sizes for a specific job," said Estrela. "It cuts down on labour needed to transfer materials. For us, it just simplifies things, and that’s really the way manufacturing is going these days."

One of the other features that BMP finds helpful, especially with constant work load changes, is the software’s ability to switch machines on-the-fly. A customer might submit an order or need something rushed, and the operator can simply pick a program for any given machine and produce a part with maximum flexibility.

Estrela also noted that having a common cutting line is one area where nesting maximizes machine efficiency. The nesting module also increases machine efficiency through tool turret standardization. Operators don’t have to constantly change out tools for every job. Instead, the software decreases the number of tools needed so operators are not required to carry hundreds of tools and swap them out for every job or change modes when the job changes. Instead, the standardized turret includes all tools needed to process the sheet.

Connectivity

Using the nesting module also enhances work flow efficiencies. BMP has integrated nesting into its MRP/ERP system from MIE Solutions. The nests can be taken from the MRP system and imported into the JETCAM program. When process engineers are working on producing work order nests, they can take notes and information from the MRP system and maximize the data to create work flow efficiencies.

"Eventually we will get to the point where our programmer will just program in the geometry with JETCAM producing the actual sheets," said Estrela.

The company also is focusing on internally automating a lot of its processes, including robotic bending and welding. Having a system that can be connected into the MRP system offers benefits when it comes to energy management, material handling, and quoting capabilities.

"We use an advanced production schedule that’s run through our MRP system," said Estrela. "We can basically optimize the jobs and fit customers in to best suit our manufacturing process and their schedule. If a customer needs a rushed project, this system helps determine feasibility through the dashboard. Nowadays the software allows for a lot of dashboard information to be readily available. I’ve noticed that in manufacturing a big trend is the visibility boards. It’s really helped us."

In the past year the company has focused on growing its capabilities. It recently added two LVD press brakes and incorporated fused deposition modelling and Stratasys 3D printing technology, but it has plans to venture into metal 3D printing. The company also became ISO 9001:2015-certified. All these features help BMP Metals provide quality assemblies to its customers and compete globally as a one-stop fab shop.

Associate Editor Lindsay Luminoso can be reached at lluminoso@canadianfabweld.com.