Above: Carter-Hoff man chose Metamation’s MetaCAM Enterprise software to automate its TRUMPF TruMatic 7000 punch and laser operations

Innovative software system helps fabricator optimize and automate punch and laser machines

July 2022- In 1947, Carter Hoffmann turned his garage into a small welding and stainless steel fabrication shop. The company grew quickly in Mundelein, Illinois, northwest of Chicago, aft er Hoff man invented and sold the first banquet cart to hotels like the Hyatt and the Palmer House. Heated transport carts, mobile refrigerators and utility equipment soon followed. Today, Carter-Hoff mann specializes in heated and refrigerated equipment for holding, transporting, cooking and serving food.

“Right now, our largest market is probably fast food,” says Karl Hartung, production engineering manager for Carter-Hoffman. “Drive-through ordering has surged during the last two years.”

Like the fast-paced food service industry, Carter-Hoff man’s machines run at an equally brisk pace. The company produces parts that range from tiny fasteners to large components for drink tables from 24-gauge up to 12-gauge stainless steel and aluminum.

HIGH VOLUME

To handle capacity, the OEM installed a TRUMPF TruMatic 600 punch and laser combination machine in 2000. In 2007, it added a TRUMPF TruPunch 2020 followed by a TruMatic 7000 punch and laser machine in 2014. The TruMatic 7000 combines the advantages of punch and laser processing for high-volume demands while ensuring part quality, productivity and flexibility. That same year, Carter-Hoff man began looking at alternative software packages.

“We needed a better nesting system to optimize the TruMatic 7000’s features,” says Hartung. “Although our operations are high volume, our production runs are small. It’s onesie and twosie orders, yet we run two shifts. The TruMatic 7000 runs lights out 24/7. We needed software that could support that requirement yet give us a truly automated operation, especially regarding nesting. We run upwards of 200 nests per shift, and each one is different. Right now we’re running 234 different nests in a 24-hour period. That’s 2,095 parts.”

“We wanted to be able to program nests to all three TruMatic machines with just one person,” he continues. “Other software products we looked at took too much time to create the nests and would have required several people to program, nest and manage projects. Metamation’s MetaCAM Enterprise system had the power and speed to pull in orders, create nests, program parts and run reports. I couldn’t find another software product like Enterprise. In addition to automated nest and tooling changes, Metamation’s software made tapping, punching, laser cutting, engraving, forming and deburring seamless and more flexible.”

The company first installed Enterprise on the TruMatic 7000 before adding it to the TruMatic 600 and TruPunch 2020. Enterprise connects all three machines. The TruPunch has a 4-ft. by 8-ft. table and is able to perform forming and nibbling operations with a compact footprint. Carter- Hoffmann primarily runs 60-in. by 120-in. sheets on the TruMatic 600 and 7000 and the TruPunch.

FLEXIBILITY

“The learning curve for the software was short,” says Hartung “We were up and running in a couple of days, and then it took about two weeks to perfect integrating the software with the machines. Metamation provided great support too.”

The fabricator’s first step is to create 3D designs in SolidWorks. A .DXF file of the flat part is pulled from SolidWorks into Metamation’s MetaCAM Enterprise, which automatically tools the part. Daily orders are uploaded from a spreadsheet created by Carter-Hoffmann’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) system and sent to Enterprise which creates nests for the company’s punch lasers and punch. The nests are sent to the machines’ controls where they can be viewed, edited and printed by the operator. The Enterprise shop-floor menu shows operators and managers where parts are in the process and which parts are complete.

“I really like the software’s flexibility,” says Hartung. “There isn’t just one way to nest or program a part. We have a lot of options including making changes manually and collecting intel on the fly. I particularly like the software’s Undo feature. If you are programming a part or making changes and you don’t like the results, you can undo it.” Metamation’s Enterprise software can also handle legacy parts. “We have some really old parts that are hand-drawn, scanned or drawn in old 2D CAD systems,” he adds. “We can pull those drawings into MetaCAM, and the program will heal any gaps, correct the geometry or flag an issue.”

Carter-Hoffmann has built its reputation on its ability to provide high-quality products. Dimensions have to be exact and cosmetic requirements adhered to,” says Hartung. “Fabrication works closely with assembly. Often, the parts we make today, we are building tomorrow.” FFJ