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Metcam's "Quick Turn Prototyping" services well received.

To meet our customers rapid prototyping needs, Metcam has developed a system called QTP (Quick-Turn Prototyping).  This same system can be easily coupled with a design review team to identify ways to improve manufacturability. 

In order to understand the uniqueness of Metcam’s QTP, it is first necessary to review a “typical” process for processing a workorder.

This system is too sequential, and leads to many opportunities for wasted time:

·        Time to estimate

·        Time to quote, wait for order, enter order

·        Time to create and release workorder

·        Time to program – calculation of bend deductions, based on bend radii, etc.

·        Time to check programming calculations by QC

·        Time to setup pressbrake, reversing bend radius deduction calculations and assumptions

To streamline this process, Metcam changed the flow of tasks involved and introduced state-of-the-art software to eliminate the bending and tooling calculations, checks, and recalculations.

·        Modify flow to allow estimating activities to occur while part is fabricated

·        Reduce doc control and inventory activities until first production run

·        Generate “generic” workorder manually, and note modifications required during actual processing of the part on a DCR (Document Change Request) form

·        Agreement with customer re: purchase order and pricing

·        Allow CAD software to determine best tooling and pressbrake setup, eliminating the need to manually calculate flat and recalculate at setup

With these modifications, the flow now appears as follows.  There are fewer steps and two simultaneous flows of activity.

Metcam’s QTP process has cut prototype development time by more than 60 percent.  In some cases, Metcam is delivering prototype parts within days of receiving prototype prints.