With this system, there's never any doubt where a project should be routed next. For each operation in the plant, the shop also uses a time-tracking system called DataMinder. Employees must log in to the system before beginning a new cutting, edging, drilling, handling, or assembly project. This system provides valuable feedback, giving the shop an accurate time per part per cutting figure to compare the cost of a phase of an actual run to the estimate. To keep material flowing smoothly and quickly through the plant, the shop installed a series of roller conveyors and lifts.
Most plants do nothing with material handling.
Run with it Pattern Systems' Drill-Mate software interfaces with the Biesse Rover machining center to produce boring instructions for the parts. All of this is completed in the front office. The shop has been pleased with its Pattern Systems software, especially Drill-Mate. It's the one thing that sets Pattern Systems apart from all the other packages out there. Timothy says Drill,Mate handles the problems it encounters with nonstandard case dimensions, something other packages can't always do.