Imagine an advanced system where cabinet design and manufacturing are seamlessly integrated for optimum efficiency and quality control throughout your production process? A system capable of automating all your machines; to truly explore the full potential of your equipment. ALPHACAM is most likely the solution you are looking for.
The Right Tool for The Job
The majority of cabinet makers use CNC machinery to process their components, and most use some form of software to develop part lists from computer generated 3D models of cabinets, usually from whole kitchen designs. Some CAD programs have limited capabilities to convert those parts into machine code, usually in a nested cutting pattern, but the norm is to use some form of post-processing software to develop that code. CAM software, short for Computer Aided Machining software, is your most powerful tool to get the most from your expensive CNC machine investment.
ALPHACAM, part of Hexagon Production Software is a multi-axis manufacturing program with the ability to complete simple 2D drawings through to complex 3D models. ALPHACAM is easy to use, is flexible, and empowers cabinet makers to produce complex, high-quality work. ALPHACAM is a globally recognised CAD CAM solution for wood, stone and composites. Blake McCrossen is National Brand Manager for ALPHACAM Australia. Blake founded ALPHACAM Australia with the vision to advance machining capabilities and automation within the wood, stone, and composites industries.
Blake said, “With over 40 years of combined expertise in wood machining, engineering, CAD/CAM, and IT, our team brings a diverse skill set that enables us to achieve virtually any outcome for our clients. While the industry has largely focused on process-based operations, we are uniquely positioned to drive autonomy in areas that were previously unattainable for many businesses. As a dedicated provider of Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) solutions, we specialize in ensuring seamless integration between any CAD design and CNC machines. We place particular emphasis on automating processes for 3, 4, and 5-axis CNC machines, offering significant improvements in efficiency and precision.”
The benefits of CAM software are numerous and too important to ignore. CAM systems optimize your manufacturing process. It reduces lead times and improves production speed and this means significant cost savings. CAM systems eliminate human error, improve quality, reduce waste, improves the safety of your people and provide much greater flexibility. CAM systems also significantly reduce the time it takes your customers design to become a reality. Whatever you have spent on your machine, unless it’s driven correctly, you may not be getting the full potential from your investment.
Focus on Automation
In modern manufacturing where the cost of production is critical, automation is key and ALPHACAM has this covered. Your software investment in a typical cabinet shop is around 2.5% of your manufacturing setup but delivers ten times more than that to your bottom line. In your factory you could have a board store, a nesting machine, possibly a 5-axis machine for complex shapes, an edge bander and maybe even a drilling and dowel insertion machine. It could take you four hours to set up all these machines to process a job, but ALPHACAM can take any CAD program file and achieve all this in less than ten minutes! Really! Blake said, “ALPHACAM incorporates automation many cabinet makers have yet to see, even on 5-axis machines, something not common in Australia.”
ALPHACAM software comes in a range of integrated modules, so you get precisely what you really need. An ALPHACAM solution provider will advise you on your needs, based on your present and any future manufacturing requirements. The minimum requirements for your hardware (computer) are clearly communicated. For most cabinet makers, three modules will improve your production to new levels. These are a core module to import the CAD file and produce the machine code; a nesting module to optimize the sheet layout, and an automation module to batch process the files, and produce reports, labels and barcodes. Blake and his team are focused on a customised approach to their customers, an approach that supplies exactly what you need.
Focus on Your Business
There is a saying in the video game industry that goes, “Minutes to learn, a lifetime to master.” While this is not completely true of any manufacturing software, the heart of the saying is that it’s quickly learnt, and as you use it, you discover ever-more ways it can help your business. Mastering any software requires time and practice but remember, you don’t need mastery, that will come with time. What you need is competence and with ALPHACAM, this can be achieved within a few weeks. Blake tells us that feedback he gets from customers like Stonnington Group, SCF Interiors, and Riviera Yachts is that ALPHACAM is one of the easiest software programs to learn.
When you get your new CNC machine, the sales team will eventually move on when they believe you have the skills to use it by yourself. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that for most manufacturers in any trade, the machine will only ever be used to about 15% of its capabilities. ALPHACAM has the power to unlock more of your potential manufacturing power. ALPHACAM is integral to High-Speed Machining, a recent innovation in the wood and cabinet trades, offering precise control over feed rates and cutting speeds. It allows for seamless integration and synchronization of various machining processes on a single machine and offers comprehensive control over the simultaneous movement of five axes machines.
If your dream is to maximise the efficiency of your machines, improve quality, eliminate errors and waste, improve safety and reduce your time to market, then a recognised, high-performing CAM system is what you are looking for. ALPHACAM is the world’s most widely used CAM software for the cabinet industry. In the age of automation and smart factories, a stand-alone program for a single machine is not the answer you are looking for. Modern manufacturing links customer requirements through design to efficient manufacturing through every stage and machine in your factory. And for that, you need the right tool for the job.
