Rifa drives three cutting technologies with JETCAM

German building product manufacturer is achieving significant savings by using JETCAM to drive a Ridder Waricut waterjet, Tecnology Italiana punch press and SCM Practix router.

Rietberger Fassadentechnik (Rifa), based in Rietberg, Germany, specialises in manufacturing metal fronts for buildings The company also provides sheet manufacturing subcontract services for different materials such as glass and carbon

At company start-up in 2000, Rifa purchased its first punch press machine and a JETCAM Expert programming system, supplied as standard by the machine tool vendor.

Mr Laukoetter, director at Rifa, said: "After only a very short training session of two days it was very easy for us to program parts and generate accurate NC code with JETCAM".

Rifa said that the real efficiencies of JETCAM Expert became apparent after it had bought a Ridder Waterjet cutter for cutting thicker metals, composite materials and plastics.

Local JETCAM reseller, Blechwelt, supplied a post-processor.

After only one day Rifa had generated an NC code and the machine was running.

Programming of the waterjet also benefited from automatically applied technologies within JETCAM.

For example, feedrate is automatically reduced when approaching a corner and increased when starting from a corner to ensure optimal cutting quality on every edge.

In 2007 Rifa purchased a SCM Pratix 15 Router to extend their machining capacities and increase prospective business.

JETCAM Expert supports many high level routing functions, drastically reduces the programming time for complex operations, and is used by many companies serving the aerospace industry, said Jetcam.

* Routing module – features on the routing module include the following.

* Automatic auxiliary milling of ‘sharp’ angles in corners with small cutters.

* The ability to cut pockets and set up 3D micro joints.

* Numerous other routing-specific functions ensure that programming time is kept to a minimum.

All of these features can be intelligently applied automatically, said Jetcam.

At Rifa, two users now program the machines using JETCAM.

Parts can be programmed and tooling information applied for all three machines, ensuring that they are immediately available to be nested, regardless of the technology used to cut them.

Laukoetter said: "With JETCAM we are not only able to program the machines quickly and easily, but because we can apply tooling information for all machines on each part we can move jobs to another machine with a mouse click.

We can also easily compare the costs and runtimes of running jobs on the different machines production.

This saves enormous money and time.

Also online support is excellent – Blechwelt dials into our computer so that every question can be solved within the shortest time possible".

Laukoetter concluded: "Since the foundation of the company Rifa has trusted in the JETCAM product and the expert knowledge of JETCAM reseller Blechwelt GMBH.

As a result of this we have enjoyed considerable company growth".

Benefits achieved are as follows.

* Extremely easy to use, requiring just two days of training.

* Modular system, allowing functionality to be easily added as the company grows.

* JETCAM applies the correct cutting technology to the nest depending on the machine in use.

* Run time and cost estimation information can be easily extracted.

* Single CAM system driving punch, routing and waterjet technologies.

* Parts can be moved between machines quickly.

* Excellent local dealer support.

* Software, help files and support in local language.

** About Jetcam International – Jetcam International has been developing and distributing its JETCAM Expert range of CAD/CAM software since 1986.

In use in over 70 countries worldwide, JETCAM Expert software supports virtually every CNC punching, laser, plasma-arc, routing, waterjet and flatbed cutting machine available today, allowing users to program any combination of CNC machines with a single CAM system.