The Evolution of CADCAM and Nesting Software

Before the era of computers, programming machines for sheet or roll-based manufacturing was a manual, time-consuming process. Engineers and technicians relied on hand-drawn drawings and physical templates to plan and execute their cuts. Technology has transformed the industry, drastically reducing the time and cost to manufacture parts. Here’s a brief breakdown of how CADCAM and nesting has evolved.

Pre-Computer Era

In the days before computerisation, manufacturers used several methods to program their cutting machines:

1. Manual programming: Operators would manually input coordinates and cutting instructions into the machine's control panel. This was extremely time-consuming and error-prone
2. Paper tape: Some early NC (Numerical Control) machines used punched paper tape, often referred to as ticker tape to store and read instructions. This was later replaced with RS232 ‘drip-feeding’ of programs, due to the limited memory in the CNC controller’s memory.
3. Physical templates: For repeated parts, wooden or metal templates were created and traced onto the material. While more accurate than type in coordinates, it was still a lengthy process.

In the 1980's and 1990's NC or Ticker Tape was the common way to get programs into a CNC. Image Source: WikiMedia

These methods were labour-intensive, prone to errors, and provided limited flexibility for design changes, let alone being able to effectively and efficiently plan production by mixing orders together on a nest. This was largely in the days before ERP systems could more effectively plan production scheduling.

The Dawn of CADCAM

The introduction of Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) in the 1960s and 1970s marked a significant turning point. Early CAD systems allowed engineers to create 2D drawings on computers, while CAM software began to automate the process of generating machine instructions.

The process of transferring NC code often created further problems. The small amount of memory on the control often limited the complexity of the program. If a problem occurred halfway through dripfeeding a program this could result in a scrapped nest. As controllers moved away from bespoke systems to Windows PCs, this problem disappeared, as the controller hard drive could be shared across the network, allowing NC files to be saved directly to the controller.

The Rise of Nesting Software

As CADCAM technology evolved, manufacturers recognised the need for more efficient material utilisation, through better nest pattern generation and the ability to mix orders. This led to the development of dedicated nesting software, which optimises the placement of parts on raw material sheets to minimise waste, alongside the ability to more intelligently nest parts from different customers/orders on the same material.

CADCAM systems needed to be able to support not only the different cutting technologies (e.g. punch, laser, combination, plasma, etc.) but also different brands of CNC/controller, most of which had proprietary NC code output.

Integration

Once nesting systems were able to automate the nesting and NC code generation process to a satisfactory level, and alongside the increased usage of other data systems such as 3D CAD, ERP and MES, data exchange became a larger priority. This would consist of taking 2D 'unfolded' data from a 3D system to then apply tooling for nesting, or receiving order data from ERP for required parts. Once nested, information such as part costing could then be fed back to ERP.

A brief history of JETCAM

The company was originally founded in Sydney, Australia, by Ivan Stern and Bill King, back in 1986. They had wanted to get some sheet metal components manufactured but after visiting a local subcontractor were stunned at how basic the design and NC code generation tools were. They wanted to develop something that was as automated as possible yet still allowed the user to interact at every stage. JETCAM Expert was born!

As business grew, the decision was made to relocate to Europe, with the company moving to Germany in 1991. Business accelerated rapidly at this point, after the signing of a couple of OEMs and the development of JETCAM’s Right Angle Shear technology.

A news article from a Dutch magazine from the early 1990's

In 1993 JETCAM released its Free Form Automatic Nesting algorithm, delivering true-shape nesting in seconds. A couple of years later, the company relocated again, this time to Monaco, where the administration offices still reside today.

Each year saw new developments released however it was 2002 that saw two significant features – RCP and HPN. RCP, or Remote Control Processing, effectively turns JETCAM Expert into a ‘black box’, waiting for instructions from external applications such as ERP to perform common tasks such as CAD import or Nesting. HPN, or High Performance Nesting, was JETCAM’s first time-based nesting algorithm. This allowed the user to set a maximum time period that the nester would be allowed to run for, continuing to try different patterns for greater efficiency. These two functions, in conjunction with JETCAM Orders Controller, which provided an easy to create connection to ERP, allowed JETCAM to enter the composite manufacturing market, with Bombardier Aerospace (now Spirit Aerosystems) becoming our first composite customer.

Development in the core product continued, with new features such as intelligent lead ins, heat avoidance and common cutting appearing in subsequent releases. It was requests from the composite market that subsequently led to the development of CrossTrack. While composite users were delighted with the material savings made with JETCAM’s nesting, other external issues often prevented them from taking full advantage of dynamic Just In Time nesting. In 2010 CrossTrack for Composites was launched, extending the software’s reach onto the shop floor, tracking material location, consumption and, most importantly, expiry – from raw material delivery, through to composite part completion and curing at the autoclave. In 2013 it won the Innovation In Manufacturing at the prestigious Composites UK awards.

JETCAM continued to extend its connectivity to both software systems such as ERP/MES and hardware systems on the shop floor, partnering with shop floor automation companies to deliver complete line automation, with Line Commander launching in 2014. The same year saw Automatic Sheet Processing (ASP) launch, providing punching users with fully automatic tooling on the nest, in addition to auto-tooling of individual parts. Many other features for different cutting technologies followed, such as JETCut automatic fly cutting, heat avoidance and automatic skeleton destruction.

JETCut automatic fly cutting, applied fully automatically during auto-tooling, drastically reduces runtime of CNC laser cutting while also extending the life and reliability of the machine itself

Today, JETCAM has customers in over 80 countries around the world, ranging from small sheet metal subcontractors through to multi-nationals such as Bell Helicopter, Rocket Lab, Corning and Franke Foodservice. With over 500 postprocessors for CNCs covering punch, laser, plasma, combination, oxy-fuel, waterjet, router and knife cutting, JETCAM can drive almost every CNC machine available. CrossTrack now serves both the composite and sheet metal industries, providing connectivity to a diverse range of systems. As a truly ‘global’ company, many of our staff work remotely, reducing our carbon footprint and also allowing us to work more easily with customers and partners across time zones.

As one of the oldest companies in the CADCAM and nesting arena, we’ve seen our fair share of changes over nearly 40 years. We can’t wait to be a part of the industry’s next 40 years!