PEP. vs. Whitney OEM Nesting Software

The P.E.P. Cad Converter loads the Cad file into memory and then analyzes each geometry to determine whether the geometry is part of an internal cutout or the outside boundary of the part. Having determined which geometry are to be connected, the software then checks all the part geometry for errors as defined in the conversion parameter table.

The conversion parameter fields shown below come set with default parameter settings that in most cases never need to be altered. In cases where an engineer places geometry to be cut on a specific layer, as in the case of Whitney’s customer, parameter #9 and #10 can be used to filter out un-necessary text and geometry allowing the files to be converted automatically. As circled, parameter #9 in the picture below was set to yes and the pop up window edited to include By*. This change was required because the valid geometry that engineering wanted cut was located on a layer that started with By. Adding By* to the list of acceptable layer names allowed P.E.P. to convert all 10 Cad files automatically.

Although all 10 DXF files were converted automatically, the software still found and fixed all of the errors shown in columns 1 – 20 ( i.e. File name, Geos, Ellps, PlyLn, Spline, Lyrs, Polys, etc. ).

Columns 1-14 saved to the DXF log (Errors Found & Fixed by the P.E.P. Cad Converter Automatically)

Columns 15-20 ( far right columns) are also saved to the DXF log

Automatically Without Any Operator Intervention. The Processing Of All 24 Steps ( 124 Sheets ) Took Less Than 6 Minutes.

1. Verified the drawing material inside the drawing was the same material type select to be nested on.
2. Verified that the drawing being nested was the most current revision of the drawing.
3. Loaded the machine parameters for controlling cutting direction, zones, clamps, cut conditions, etc.
4. Analyzed each part to determine whether it can be common or combine cut on one or more geometry.
5. Nested the 3,166 parts on 124 sheets as shown on the following pages and in the report.
6. Analyzed parts checking for parts that can be common cut.
7. Created a common cut “cutter path” for all parts that can be common cut. Parts that can be common cut are nested at the kerf distance, otherwise the parts were nested at .125 spacing between parts.
8. Sequenced the nested parts on all 124 sheets, a total of 3,166 parts.
9. Assigned all the lead-ins to the inside cutouts and the outside cutter path of each part using CPT crash avoidance logic ( a total of 2,079 MANDATORY head raises output ).
10. Radiused each line line intersection having a line length greater than .03″ with a .015″ radius
11. Blended each line arc intersection having a geometry length greater than .03″ with a .015″ radius
12. Checked for cutouts that fit the micro tab range and micro tabbed parts where required.
13. Vertically sliced the 1st sheet at 30″ between parts and at the right edge on the last sheet.
14. Double checked the cutter path for possible head crashes at the time of exiting and saving the nest, specifically done for those customers running in the interactive mode.
15. Verified that every required part was nested.
16. Verified that every cutout and every part had a lead-in.
17. Compared the finished cutter path of each part “in the nest” to the original master drawing
18. Documented the nesting time and results in the nest log.
19. Post processed the nest for the Whitney laser.
20. Calculated the total cost of the Job.
21. Print / plotted the finished nest
22. Printed a finished report with the total job cost, including two feed rate comparisons (-20, -40 ipm.).
23. Printed labels for each part.
24. Updated the WIP database allocating work orders and part quantities.

The Nest Log below tracks the total processing time. The processing time is the total time required to perform the 24 steps discussed above.

As mentioned in step 8 and 9, the software automatically sequenced the nested parts on all 124 sheets and then assigned lead-ins to the inside cutouts and the outside cutter path of each part using CPT crash avoidance logic. Of the 23,482 rapids, only 2,079 required a MANDATORY head raise be output.

As seen in fig 1 and 2, the CPT ( crash protection technology ) sequenced and assigned the lead-ins so that the laser would not have to raise the head, nor would it dive into a previously cut cutout.

Fig. #1	Fig. #2

As mentioned in step 10 and 11, the software automatically radiuses intersections. In this case, the software found and radiused 4,149 intersections on the 3,166 parts. As shown in the relief cut below, the original drawing did not have a radius in either 90 degree intersect. Not radiusing the intersection of a relief will in most cases require the laser operator to slow the entire nest down, lose the cut or distort the accuracy of the intersection.

Before	After Corner Radius

As mentioned in step 20, the software reports real time Job Costing numbers that are far more accurate than products that estimate the job.

The P.E.P. Timing information used to calculate the Job Cost.

The labels output from the P.E.P. software