Press Release
For immediate release
20th March 2009
JETCAM launches composite material life management software
Tracking composite location, consumption and life, with integrated nesting
JETCAM International s.a.r.l. today announced the launch of its Material Life Management (MLM) software for composite materials.
The software, a part of JETCAM’s Application Server system, provides complete tracking of material life, from delivery of the initial roll(s), to cutting plies, followed by kitting and lay up of the plies to become the final part.
(click image to view/download hi-res screenshot)
JETCAM MLM not only resolves all of these problems but also provides real-time information to managers and operators such as time that a particular material has been out of the freezer, material stock levels, material left on each roll, material location and expiry date, etc. The possibility for error is virtually eradicated as once input, the information is carried through the system electronically, and is being constantly updated to reflect the real remaining life of the material. It is also environmentally friendly as it drastically reduces paper usage.
Entering information is much faster than existing manual methods due to minimal human interaction requirement, using simplified input methods such as touch screens or barcode readers. Material is booked in and out of storage within seconds, providing full life traceability from roll to ply to finished part.
MLM utilises JETCAM’s Application Server, a relational and highly customisable database structure which has several modules spanning all areas of composite manufacturing. MLM can be used in conjunction with any other Application Server modules to deliver an overall manufacturing management solution.
Martin Bailey, Genera Manager for JETCAM International s.a.r.l. commented; “MLM creates an extremely fast return on investment not only by minimising time spent logging the required information but also in drastically reducing the scrapping of material that is expired or where the true expiry date is unknown.”
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The problem with pre-preg composite material life
Pre-preg material is impregnated with a resin, and as such has to be kept refrigerated. When kept at around -18c it may have a shelf life of a year or more, but at room temperature its life can be counted in a couple of hundred hours. Traditionally, companies have used paper to track rolls as they leave and re-enter the freezer, and then more paper as rolls become kits. This is time-consuming, prone to error and does not provide fast or accurate traceability.