SigmaNEWs March 2013
SigmaTEK Academy
Registration Now Open!
SigmaTEK Academy 2013 will be held May 14-15.
What Is It?
The Academy is a two-day event where SigmaTEK partners with several machine companies and hosts discussions about the latest manufacturing technology and developments. This is an opportunity to learn about available technology, exchange ideas, and chat with some of the industry’s leaders. We are enthusiastic about our industry and our wish is to convey immediate and relevant information to you, the attendee, so you can begin to put these tips, techniques, best practices and tools to work.
Who Should Attend?
You! The Academy is relevant to:
- Shop-floor fabricators, manufacturers, and managers
- Cutting, punching, and bending manufacturers
- Those involved in manufacturing/production and related processes
- Those responsible for costing, quoting, or data integration
Schedule
- Day 1
(Laser, Punch, and Press Brake) - Day 2
(Waterjet and Plasma)
Both days will include breakout sessions with opportunities to speak with our applications engineers.
Fee
There is no charge to attend.
What Do Others Think of the Academy?
“I wrote down more useful information in a day here than I have at Fabtech and all other events combined.”
“Very informative overall. Very professional. I will send my project managers to future events.”
“Overall the event was well-planned and staffed. As a prospective customer, I appreciated the flexibility of attending what days/sessions I felt relevant and the time/freedom to sit down with an applications engineer.”
But don’t take their word for it, find out for yourself!
Register for SigmaTEK Academy 2013 today!
Become a Version 10 Beta Site
SigmaTEK is looking for sites to test SigmaNEST Version 10. For more information contact SigmaNEST Product Manager, James Lindsey at 513-674-0005 or jiml@sigmanest.com
Check out the new Version 10 Welcome Screen!
Services Group Update
Joe Kluener – Project Manager
Last August, SigmaTEK added a new consultant to our services group. Joe Kluener serves as Project Manager for customers who are implementing SigmaNEST products such as SimTrans™, Color Offload™, and Load Manager™. He works with these particular customers from start to finish, acts as their primary contact within SigmaTEK, completes onsite installation if necessary, and maintains direct contact for their first month of operation with the software.
Joe received Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Cincinnati and has a background in research and development. He was drawn to SigmaTEK because of the environmental conscience of the company. By reducing the amount of power it takes for cutting and reducing the amount of scrap materials, SigmaTEK contributes to the overall wellness of the environment, something Joe hopes to see more of in the future.
In the next year, Joe plans on becoming fully integrated with SigmaNEST and the various products within. He is excited to see new ideas for the company’s future endeavors.
SigmaNEST European Users Conference
SigmaTEK Europe will be hosting a SigmaNEST Users Conference on Wednesday, March 27, 2013. The conference is designed to give users an opportunity to network with peers from all over UK, learn about new product features, and see first-hand how SigmaTEK can take you to a new level in manufacturing.
The conference is a one-day event. It will be held at:
The Arden Hotel
Coventry Road
Bickenhill
Solihull
B92 0EH
Presentations will be given by Applications Engineer Mark Cooper and General Manager Chris Cooper in addition to SigmaTEK President and CEO, Ben TerreBlanche. Covered topics include SigmaNEST Version 10, SigmaMRP, a Help Desk Clinic, and more. This is a great opportunity to see what’s new in SigmaNEST Version 10, make new business connections, and learn best-practices for nesting, material optimization, and automation.
The registration deadline is fast approaching, so sign up today! Contact Chris Cooper at chris.cooper@sigmanest.com to register or to find out more information.
Powered by the industry’s newest and most advanced nesting engine, SigmaNEST V10 is the world’s most powerful nesting system.
- Dynamic New Nesting Engine
- Improved User Experience
- Inventory & Work Order Management
- Enhanced Machine Compatibility
- Expanded Interoperability
We look forward to seeing you on March 27th!
SigmaTEK Systems Celebrates its 20th Year
This year marks the 20th anniversary of SigmaTEK Systems, LLC. Founded in 1993, the company has grown to become the world’s leading provider of CAD/CAM Nesting Software and associated Manufacturing Business Automation solutions. With a global network of development, sales, support, and third-party representation, SigmaTEK is the recognized industry leader both in terms of technology and size. Its growing community of customers ranges from Fortune 500 to mid- and small-size manufacturers.
Founder, President, and CEO, Ben TerreBlanche comments:
“We have an extremely competent and passionate team of people in SigmaTEK. I consider myself honored and privileged to have come along for the ride. We enter our third decade with pride and excitement. We are certainly proud of how far we have come but we are even more enthused by the opportunities and challenges ahead. As we work to further solidify our reputation and leadership position we pledge to aggressively pursue the development and practical application of next generation tools and technologies that will drive manufacturing to new levels of efficiency and productivity. Our passion is unmatched and we will continue to pursue those companies and individuals who share this vision.”
Remnant Tracking
Since the advent of Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP) systems, material remnants once destined for the scrap bin have been making their way back into production just like any other sheet stock. Now CAD/CAM Nesting and MRP systems are coming together to take the process to a whole new level. A single central database model combining Nesting and MRP gives clear and accurate visibility as to exactly what is on the floor. This database provides immediate access not only to weight, but also to available sheet stock and remnants.
Nesting
Your nesting program has always housed the best way to catalog material and track remnants due to the storage and reuse of true scrap geometry. However, while this inventory was tracked within your nesting program, it was cataloged separately within an inventory control system. Fortunately, there have been releases of single source software that relates remnants from a nesting program into an inventory control program. This software helps create a leaner environment in which the programmer can see all of the inventory from remnants to full sheet stock. He can then create the program which yields the biggest return and the best nest, then automatically deduct sheets from stock. This recall step prompts accounting to order new sheet stock, or gain true costs of production.
MRP
Remnants are stored for future job runs as they are created. When a job is scheduled, MRP software takes part shapes into consideration and checks the nest layout against cataloged remnant type, shape, and thickness. If a suitable remnant match is found, a nest is created to fit the remnant.
SigmaMRP™ was specifically developed for the fabrication industry to simplify and accelerate remnant tracking. Simply updating the program’s last cut will deduct the sheet stock out on the floor, resulting in more accurate costs and a more reliable re-ordering process. Planning is also made easier with remnants included in the stock, allowing manufacturers to order for all posted jobs.
SigmaMRP™ allows your company to load all work orders for a given time period, view all stock from remnants to full sheet, and run an automated nesting cycle to come up with the best program. This could be a mix of parts by due date and thickness, and a mix of sheet stock and remnants ensuring the quickest, most efficient, and lowest cost programs.
Using a nesting engine to determine the best layout offers an ability to analyze different sheets to determine the best sheet to use. This single integrated solution allows manufacturers to run the nesting engine through an entire inventory, resulting in maximum material usage and huge dollar savings.
Want to learn more?
I want to see a webinar.
Send me more information.
Tech Tip: Level Mapping Overview
Level Mapping allows you to customize parts to different clients. Instead of manually erasing every attribute you do not want to appear on your nest, you can filter out these attributes and save that filter to a specific customer. The next time that customer sends you a part, or multiple parts, you can filter out the unwanted information in just a few clicks. Watch the video to learn how to apply the Level Mapping feature.
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Events 
Webinar: SigmaMRP/SolidWorks Integration
Date: March 12, 2013
Time: 2:00pm EST
Learn how SolidWorks integrates into SigmaMRP by attending our webinar.
This webinar will demonstrate basic SigmaMRP functionality and how SolidWorks files are imported, fabricated, and managed. Attendees will see features such as SolidWorks Import, Unfolding and Nesting, Reporting, Remnant Tracking, and Process Automation. Manufacturers who receive or may receive SolidWorks files or are SigmaNEST users without an MRP system will benefit from this webinar.
SigmaMRP is tightly integrated with SigmaNEST™ CAD/CAM nesting software for quoting, work orders, and inventory control. It facilitates the specification, quoting, and scheduling of manufacturing jobs; tracks inventory; automatically generates all necessary documents for planning and manufacturing; and maintains a history of all communications. SigmaMRP also offers a number of powerful specialized modules, including Shop Floor Data Collection and Marketing Campaign Planning and Analysis.
Please send me more information on SigmaMRP
Be sure to check back each month to learn about future webinars and events.
4 Questions 4:
James Lindsey
1. What is your role at SigmaTEK? What does that involve?
James: As Product Manager, I’m involved in many different aspects of the software such as release management, product specifications, quality, and documentation. The biggest part of my job is to ensure that SigmaTEK stays out front of our competitors with features that drive machines better and faster while improving the productivity of the user, regardless of what product they use from SigmaTEK.
2. What can you tell us about your team?
James: My team is responsible for all the SigmaTEK products. I have seven great team members, all with different roles:
Jacob Diefenbacher – Multimedia Production Editor
Cory Cahill, and Shweta Erande – Product Documentation
Mary Gruenwald – Product Specifications
Quincy Brown – Senior Applications Engineer, special projects
Keith Brown – MRP Product Manager
Mike Schreiber – Production Quality Engineer
3. What can you tell us about SigmaNEST V10?
James: Version 10 will have many new features and enhancements, but the biggest item that everyone is excited about is the new nesting engine we have been developing for over 3 years now. Features for the nesting engine include speed improvements, better yield, Smart Select (not the same as auto Select, builds nesting algorithms based on parts on the fly), and pattern nesting.
4. What would you like to see for SigmaNEST in 2013?
James: For my team, 2012 was about improving software quality; I think we have done a good job with that. We will still continue to work on this, but in 2013 I really hope to improve the user experience with all the new documentation changes we are making. We will continue working to make the software easier to use and add new features that all users will want.
Whose NEWs
SigmaTEK welcomes its newest team members:
Craig Everman…
Craig Everman joins SigmaTEK as an IT Applications Developer. He will be taking on various projects in our IT department with focus on our customer portal, “SigmaTEK Connect.” Craig graduated from Thomas More College with a degree in Computer Information Systems. He also holds an associate’s degree in Mathematics. During his time at Thomas More, Craig worked the college’s IT Helpdesk. He is looking forward to the opportunity to learn and gain experience with SigmaTEK.
Mary Gruenwald…
Mary Gruenwald is our new Systems Analyst. She will be working with SigmaNEST Product Manager James Lindsey on specifications for product changes and documentation. Mary has an IT degree from Miami University and an engineering background in pharmaceutical manufacturing. She is looking forward to applying her skills to the fabrication industry and is excited to be part of a company with such an international presence.
Nareen Karnati…
Nareen Karnati joins our team as a Software Developer. He will be designing/coding applications, maintaining and modifying existing applications, performing maintenance programming, and working on object-oriented programming. Nareen holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering. His background includes research in controls and robotics, electrosurgical research, and several published peer-reviewed papers. Nareen is excited to learn more about CAD/CAM software through SigmaTEK.
Kartika Phadke…
Kartika Phadke also joins our team as a Software Developer. She will be working on the functionalities and applications of SigmaNEST, modifying and adding new tools to provide faster, easier, and improved workflow for users. Kartika has a bachelor’s in Electronics and Telecommunication and is currently finishing her master’s in Computer Science at the University of Cincinnati. She has also worked for three years in a CAD/CAM software solutions company as a Software Engineer. She is especially interested in SigmaTEK’s global presence and has high hopes for her future at SigmaTEK.
Keep the Best Nest!
Is your SigmaNEST subscription expired or about to expire? Don’t miss out. With a quick phone call you can protect your software investment by ensuring new releases and fast support.
Your SigmaNEST subscription service also includes:
- Telephone and e-mail user-level technical support, including “virtual” live support
- Access to SigmaTEK’s customer portal “SigmaTEK Connect”
- Priority technical support
- Favorable pricing on SigmaNEST add-on modules
Renew Today!
Call (425) 861-1100
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Pacific Standard Time)
