Optimised efficiency
BM Aluminium has completed a LogiKal software customisation project for AluFoldDirect, which has optimised the efficiency of its entire CNC machining set up.
The Blackburn-based fabricator invested in a new Emmegi Quadra L2 cutting and machining centre in 2019 and wanted to ensure that it was using its software as effectively as possible to get maximum payback.
BM Aluminium carried out a review of how AluFoldDirect was using LogiKal across all of its machining centres, and recommended changes to the software to reduce the amount of manual work still being carried out.
Daniel Hodges, BM Aluminium’s CNC implementation manager, said: “When we looked at how AluFoldDirect was switching between profiles and products on all of its machines, including the new Quadra, it was still doing lots of the necessary fabrication changes by hand. We have customised LogiKal now so that it has much more of a ‘push button’ set up, with all of the changes taking place automatically within LogiKal.
“The work we have done takes into account the capabilities of the various CNC machines on the factory floor, but means that the Quadra L2 in particular is delivering even higher volume outputs because it can be programmed within LogiKal to process different profiles even in the same loading and machining operation.”
John Feeney, AluFoldDirect’s commercial operations manager, said: “We fabricate exclusively in Aluk but we produce a vast range of different products in lots of their profiles, so the time saved by not having to amend our machine settings anymore is quite considerable. I think we’ll not only see payback on the customisation but also better payback on the machines themselves.”
