Software for production planning User Guide -Version 3.00
Summary SUMMARY... 1 INTRODUCTION... 3 General...3 The keyboard...3 Structure of a window...4 Units of measurement and program limits...4 OPERATION... 5 Installation...5 Program start...5 Configurations and stores...5 Programming a new job...6 Opening of existing job...6 Optimizing production list cutting plans...6 EASYCABINET TOOLBAR... 7 CONFIGURATION OF EASYCABINET... 9 International settings...10 General configuration...11 Optimizer data filter...12 Other filters...13 Settings of the calculation rules...14 ARCHIVE MANAGEMENT... 15 The materials for sawing workbook...16 of programming table fields... 16 The materials for edge-banding workbook...17 of programming table fields... 17 The machining times workbook...18 of programming table fields... 18 THE EASYCABINET WORKBOOK.... 19 Programming Sheet...20 of programming table fields... 21 Sawing sheet...22 of programming table fields... 23 Edge-banding sheet...24 of programming table fields... 25 Drilling-milling Sheet...26 of programming table fields... 27 Cost Summary Sheet...28 of programming table fields... 28 Summary Report Sheet...29 PIECES LIST MANAGEMENT... 31 Manual editing of pieces list...32 Pieces list...33 Import from text file...34 Import from Cabinet...36 of programming table fields... 37 Cabinet management...38 1
RELEASE... 40 GLOSSARY... 41 HARDWARE CONFIGURATION... 42 2
Introduction General EasyCabinet is a software utility conceived and developed for the Microsoft Excel environment for the purpose of programming a list of panels to be produced (job) on an Excel workbook, starting from data contained in several user work sheets (source sheets), preparing the optimized cutting plans for the panel saw and supplying the operator with estimate reports in terms of times, costs, output and requirements for the sawing, edge-banding and drilling areas. EasyCabinet is a software system to be used solely with optimizer for cutting plans software packages branded OTTIMO/PERFECT CUT. It is advisable to read the glossary section for terms not in common use. The keyboard In addition to the normal alphanumeric keys used to introduce data, there are others for carrying out particular functions: <Enter> <Tab> <Shift><Tab> <Arrows> <Space> 1. as confirmation in the windows with the relative option 2.as confirmation in the text boxes this shifts the active status to the next object this shifts the active status to the previous control in the text or numerical fields, these move the cursor among the various characters on a selected button, it presses it 3
Structure of a window The windows are divided into three main parts: Title bar This is to be found in the top part of the window and indicates the currently active function. Body This is to be found in the central part of the window and contains one or more data insertion fields: lists, tables, etc... ToolBars These are generally to be found in the top part of the window and contain the buttons that activate the useable functions. Units of measurement and program limits The units of measurement used are: Size values (length, width, thickness, etc..) Millimeters/Inches decimals. Refer to the OTTIMO-PERFECT CUT manual for the limitations, the main ones being as follows: Size values min 0 max 6,500 mm. Quantity min 0 (-1) max 32,767 Number of characters for panel and material codes: max 12 alphanumeric characters. Number of characters for panel and material descriptions: max 25 alphanumeric characters. Number of characters for panel and material colour codes: max 8 alphanumeric characters. 4
Operation The main operations for installation and correct use of the EasyCabinet software system are explained in this section. Installation Installation procedure (CD-ROM): 1) Ensure that the Ottimo/Perfect Cut program has been installed. 2) Switch off the computer. 3) Insert the hardware key into the parallel port of the PC. 4) Start the PC. 5) Insert the installation CD into the relative reader. 6) Wait for the end of the installation procedure. CAUTION. - The hardware key may only be inserted or removed with the PC switched off - Make sure that the Xls files are associated with the Microsoft Excel program Program start After having installed Ottimo/Perfect Cut and EasyCabinet (=> procedure) just select the icon from the Windows Start menu to start-up the program; the Microsoft Excel program will then be executed with the application. Configurations and stores. Prior to programming and optimizing the jobs, the following should be carried out: Configuration of the work environment (workbooks, options, parameters, costs, calculation methods); Configuration of the filter parameters towards the EasyCabinet pre-formatted workbook with regard to the architecture of its data sheets (the architecture of the latter should be homogeneous); Insertion of data in the archive of the sheets of material for sawing; Insertion of data in the edges archive; Insertion of data in the drilling times archive; 5
Programming a new job The user programs a new EasyCabinet job by pressing the relative button in the EasyCabinet ToolBar. An empty EasyCabinet workbook is opened to which the user may assign a name and a description. The user then opens his own workbooks (source work workbooks) to take data from them of the pieces that make up the list, selects the lines to be exported and copies them into a temporary buffer by means of a button on the ToolBar. When the user has loaded all the data related to the pieces that make up the job, he can compile loaded panels with the data and access the EasyCabinet workbook by means of a button (which displays the EasyCabinet workbook) and save it with another button. Data updating, optimization, editing, analysis and other operations may then be carried out on the compiled EasyCabinet workbook. Opening of existing job. The user may reopen an existing list contained in an EasyCabinet workbook saved in the archive using the relative button on the toolbar. Once open the workbook may be edited, re-optimized, consulted, analyzed, etc. in respect of its components. Optimizing production list cutting plans. After having compiled an EasyCabinet workbook with new data the user generally needs to optimize the cutting plans and then send the programs or schedules to the panel saw control and obtain statistical data, requirements and production data from the cutting optimizer. The operation is carried out by pressing the relative button on the EasyCabinet toolbar or a button of the Sawing work sheet of the EasyCabinet workbook. Data on the sheet are exported in cutting optimizer Multi-job format. With regard to the mode of operation set in configuration, the cutting plans of the list are optimized automatically or not and the cutting programs sent to the panel saw. Upon closure of the optimizer, the control passes once again to EasyCabinet, the calling EasyCabinet workbook is reactivated and the Sawing, Edge-banding, Drilling, Costs Summary, Summary Report sheets are updated with the return data from the optimizer and those calculated in accordance with the set configurations and archives. 6
EasyCabinet Toolbar Upon starting the program, not only the Excel toolbars and menus are displayed but also the EasyCabinet toolbar, which appears as follows: Available functions in the tool bar Icon This opens a new EasyCabinet workbook This opens an existing EasyCabinet workbook This saves the active EasyCabinet workbook Function description This imports data from a text file into a temporary buffer This exports the data of the selected lines of the active user source data sheet into a temporary buffer; totally empty lines of the sheet are not exported. To select an interval of lines of the calculation sheet, use the mouse to position on the left-hand side of the actual sheet (line indices) and move vertically keeping the <SHIFT> key pressed; to select several intervals, use the<ctrl> key (refer to Microsoft Excel guide). This operation may be carried out several times, also opening different source data workbooks This complies the EasyCabinet workbook with the exported data in the temporary buffer: all the data are compiled except those that will be calculated at the end of optimization This deletes the contents of the temporary buffer; all the data imported or exported with the relative buttons 4 and 5 will be eliminated This opens the EasyCabinet configuration pages; This opens the workbook with the materials store for sawing This opens the workbook with the materials store for edge-banding This opens the workbook with the execution times of the drilling programs This updates the Materials and Edge-banding stores with the used quantities This launches the cutting optimizer with the data of the active EasyCabinet job according to the method selected in configuration. To avoid having several optimizer instances open at the same time, close the actual optimizer (see the relative guide) before pressing the button again. When the cutting optimizer has been closed, EasyClut Plus processes and displays the results of the optimization, automatically compiling the data related to requirements, costs and the reports of all the machining This displays (if it exists) the BitMap associated with the piece of the selected job line. The BitMaps must be resident in the folder indicated in configuration This processes any changes made to the sheet and carries them onto the following sheets This imports data from cabinets into a temporary buffer (with EasyCabinet option only) Opens a new Cabinet WorkBook (with easy cabinet option only) Opens an existing Cabinet WorkBook (with EasyCabinet option only) This closes the active EasyCabinet WorkBook 7
Configuration of EasyCabinet Selecting button on menu bar, it appears a window showing five folders : International settings General Configuration Optimizer data filter Other filters Settings of the calculation rules The configuration is closed upon pressing the button Undo and any changes that have been made are not saved. Upon pressing the OK button, the inserted data are checked, the configuration is closed and any changes that have been made are saved. 9
International settings This allows the language and the unit of measurement to be selected. 10
General configuration This allows the work folders and the cutting optimizer launch mode to be set. Cabinet workbook path: Data workbook path: Piece BitMap file path: Import path: Path materials archive Path edges archive Path drilling times archive Optimizer path: Program export path: this indicates the path where EasyCabinet will search for the cabinets file this indicates the path where EasyCabinet will search for the data workbooks this indicates the path where EasyCabinet will search for the piece design files this indicates the path where EasyCabinet will search for the file for import text file this indicates the path where EasyCabinet will search for the materials file this indicates the path where EasyCabinet will search for the edges file this indicates the path where EasyCabinet will search for the drilling times file this indicates the path where EasyCabinet will search for the cutting optimizer this indicates the path where the programs for the panel saw will be exported from the cutting optimizer 11
Optimizer data filter This allows corresponding values between user source work sheet data and EasyCabinet workbook data to be set and which will be sent to the cutting optimizer. Code Length Width Thickness Color Requests Grain Surplus this indicates the column of the source workbook where the panel code (required) is stored this indicates the column where the description of the panels (required) is stored this indicates the column where the panel length (required) is stored this indicates the column where the panel width (required) is stored this indicates the column where the panel thickness (required) is stored this indicates the column where the panel color (required) is stored this indicates the column where the requested quantity of panels (required) is stored this indicates the column where the panel grain (not required) is stored this indicates the column where the panel surplus (not required) is stored Label fields (a max. of 40 supplementary label fields are managed): The operator may insert one mnemonic label for each supplementary field (in the column after the field index), which will also be shown in the programming sheet. Nth field column Optimizer launch mode: this indicates the column of the source workbook where the nth external field to be printed on the piece label is stored. One of the three modes with which the cutting optimizer is to be used is selected the first mode is interactive, starting from the list exported onto the optimizer and following step-by-step the optimization of the cutting plans. the second mode presents the optimization results directly in OTTIMO/PERFECT CUT; the operator may intervene manually and therefore export the programs to the panel saw the third mode is all batch; the optimizer is opened and closed again at the end of sending cutting programs to the panel saw. 12
Other filters This allows other corresponding values between the user source work sheet data and the EasyCabinet workbook data to be set. Edge codes: Nth edge Drilling code: Column BitMap code: Column this indicates the column of the source workbook where the nth panel edge code is stored (not required) this indicates the column of the source workbook where the panel drilling code is stored (not required). If no correspondence is found between the code and the codes in the EasyCabinet archive, the calculated machining time will be null. this indicates the column of the source workbook where the name of the BitMap associated with the panel is stored (not required). The file should reside in the workbook indicated in the General configuration page. N.B. for correct processing, the panel edge code must have a corresponding code in the EasyCabinet edge archive. The edges related to the pieces are numbered as shown in the page BitMap. 13
Settings of the calculation rules This allows the rules for calculating EasyCabinet requirements and estimates to be set. Sawing: Machine hourly cost Subtract edge thickness from the measurements to be cut Only use the EasyCabinet store Edge-banding: Excess edge-bands per side Gap between panels Efficiency factor Machine hourly cost Drill-milling: Machine hourly cost This indicates the hourly cost of the machine. If this is selected, the thickness of the relative associated edges will be taken away from the measurements of the panels to be sawn. If this is selected, any store saved on the cutting optimizer is deleted before each processing and replaced with the EasyCabinet one, otherwise both materials stores will be used. This indicates the extra amount of edge to be used in relation to the measurement of the side to be edge-banded (e.g. if 5 mm is set and a 320 mm side must be edge-banded, 325 mm of edge will be used). This is the quantity added to the measurement of the side to be edge-banded to calculate the edge-banding time. Factor by which the processed machine time is divided. This indicates the hourly cost of the machine. This indicates the hourly cost of the machine 14
Archive management Selecting buttons,, is possible access to folders materials for sawing workbook materials for edge-banding workbook machining times workbook The data workbooks are accessed by means of the three corresponding buttons on the EasyCabinet Toolbar, described earlier in the guide. 15
The materials for sawing workbook The workbook manages the archive of the materials for sawing. The user may add several work sheets to rationalize the archive, provided they all have the same sheet structure as shown below. of programming table fields Column Name Code Length Width Thickness Color Grain Price per sq.m. Quantity Off-Cut Code assigned to the material (Max 12 characters). The codes must be unique. of the material (not required Max 25 characters) Length of the material (grain side) Width of the material Thickness of the material Color of the material (Max 8 characters) If this is set at 0 the material has no grain, if set at 1 the material has grain This indicates the unit price, in currency, per square meter of the material Number of material sheets in stock (-1 = unlimited stock) Type of material: 0 for materials, 1 for the off-cuts 16
The materials for edge-banding workbook The workbook manages the archive of the materials (edges) for edge-banding. The user may add several work sheets to rationalize the archive, provided they all have the same sheet structure as shown below. of programming table fields Column Name Code Thickness Height Color Price linear meter Edge-banding speed Quantity Code assigned to the edge. The codes must be unique. of the material (not required) Thickness of the edge in mm Height of the edge in mm Color of the edge This indicates the unit price per meter of the material Average edge-banding speed given in meters per minute Meters of material in stock 17
The machining times workbook The workbook manages the archive of the machining times of the machining center. The user may add several work sheets to rationalize the archive, provided they all have the same sheet structure as shown below. of programming table fields Column Name Drilling code Execution time Machining code associated with the panel Average machining time given in seconds 18
The EasyCabinet workbook. The workbook is pre-formatted and consists of 6 work sheets: Programming Sheet Sawing sheet Edge-banding sheet Drilling-milling Cost Summary Sheet Cost Summary Sheet Production data and panel dimensional data may only be managed (editing, insertion and deletion) on the programming page; only data related to estimates or obtained quantities may be edited on the other sheets. 19
Programming Sheet This is the sheet that manages and contains the data related to the panels to be produced. The operator may if necessary change the imported panel data or add new panels and therefore update the contents of the workbook using the relative button on the EasyCabinet toolbar. The data are automatically updated in the other work sheets. Upon pressing the button a window is displayed that allows the job code and description to be edited. Programming sheet: standard panel data (codes, descriptions, quantities, measurements, colors, edges) 20
Programming sheet: supplementary data for printing labels (title of the columns programmable in config.) of programming table fields Column Name Code Length Width Thickness Color Quantity Surplus Grain Edge 1..4 Drilling code Field 1..40 Bitmap code Piece code Piece description Piece length Piece width Piece thickness Piece color Required quantity Max amount to overproduce per shape Piece grain Code used to edge-banding 1..4 sides Code of drilling executed Extended data for panels labels Code of bitmap associated with piece 21
Sawing sheet The sheet contains the data related to the sawing cycle. The calculated data related to the cycle are shown in blue whenever the job has already been optimized. The Optimize button exports the data in the display page in MLC format to the cutting optimizer and executes a session of the same according to the mode set in configuration and having as subject-matter the data of the exported job. The data of the sheet are updated with those imported from Ottimo upon closing the cutting optimizer. N.B. The optimizer explodes the list (multi-job) of panels into homogeneous sub-lists (jobs) according to color and thickness, having an equal code to the multi-job and extension represented by a three-figure progressive number. 22
of programming table fields Column Name Code Length Width Thickness Color Delta X Delta Y Request Obtained Sq. meters Unit cost Total cost Piece code Piece description Piece length Piece width Piece thickness Piece color Surplus material in X direction related to panel dimension. If negative, value is displayed in red color. Surplus material in Y direction related to panel dimension. If negative, value is displayed in red color. Amount of pieces requested before optimization Quantity optimized by the cutting optimizer per panel and total Square meters obtained per panel and totals Sawing cost per single panel Sawing cost related to the quantity of panels to be produced 23
Edge-banding sheet The sheet contains the data related to the edge-banding cycle. If a cell related to the edge codes is empty, it means that the panel is not edge-banded on that side (the same applies if a code is not present in the archive). The calculation module determines the estimated costs related to the edge-banding cycle taking the necessary data from the edges archive according to the inserted codes. The cost is given by the sum of machine cost (calculated according to the inserted edge surplus per side, the configured machining speed, the machine efficiency and the unit cost) and material cost (inserted material unit cost per meter of used material). 24
of programming table fields Column Name Code Length Width Thickness Color Quantity Edge 1..4 Linear Meters Unit cost Total cost Piece code Piece description Piece length Piece width Piece thickness Piece color Required quantity Code used to edge-banding 1..4 sides Meters of edge used per panel and totals Cost of edge-banding per single panel Cost of edge-banding related to the quantity of panels to be produced 25
Drilling-milling Sheet The sheet contains the data related to the drilling cycle. The drilling cycle times for each piece are calculated by taking the machining times from the workbook according to the panel machining code. If the drilling code has not been assigned or there are no data associated with it in the drilling times workbook, the relative calculations are not carried out and the time is null. The unit and total costs are obtained by multiplying the execution time by the machine hourly cost. 26
of programming table fields Column Name Code Length Width Thickness Color Quantity Times. Unit cost Total cost Piece code Piece description Piece length Piece width Piece thickness Piece color Required quantity Execution times according to the quantity of panels to be produced Drilling cost per single panel Drilling cost related to the quantity of panels to be produced 27
Cost Summary Sheet This sheet shows the total estimates of the single machining operations and the overall summary of the whole machining process. The data are automatically calculated and updated upon opening and with the update button. of programming table fields Column Name Code Quantity Sawing Edge-banding Drill-milling Assemblies cost Piece code Piece description Required quantity Total cost of the piece calculated inside sawing sheet Total cost of the piece calculated inside edge-banding sheet Total cost of the piece calculated inside drill-milling sheet Assembled cost of unit cost and total cost 28
Summary Report Sheet This sheet presents the production statistics for the three machining cycles. Two tables are shown for sawing, containing respectively: the general production statistics for each sub-list and summary statistics of the job with the materials used and the store remainder. Two tables are shown for edge-banding, containing respectively: the general production statistics for each sub-list and summary statistics of the job with the materials used and the estimated store remainder. The machined panels and the machining times for each sub-list are shown for drilling. The data are automatically calculated and updated upon closing the optimizer or with the update button. The summaries are the result of the sum by columns of the single sections. 29
Pieces list management Insertion of pieces into programming WorkBook of EasyCabinet can be performed as follow: manual editing of WorkBook pieces list import from text file import from cabinet 31
Manual editing of pieces list Pieces in programming page can be manually inserted one by one. To insert or modify fields Thickness, Color, Edge code and Boring code is possible to employ filtered lists: Thickness Colors Edge codes Drilling codes This tool allows direct insertion into selected cell of value choosen into the list; insertion is performed only if selected column belong to choosen kind of list. On end editing is necessary to update EasyCabinet WorkBook ( using button) in order to take effect changes made. 32
Pieces list Pieces can be inserted into programming page by means of a list, i.e. a defined pieces list: Configuration page is visualized by the button; this window allow to set columns indexes on which are contained data to read from electronic sheet. Included section are Optimization fields, Edge code, Boring code, Bitmap code ; Image below shows an example on how to perform the association. When column association is performed is possible the selection of the data rows to import. Subsequently may be saved and sent panel s data using toolbar buttons and. 33
Import from text file This function allows data related to a list of panels to be imported from standard text files. After the Import from text file function is selected, a window that allows the selection of the file to import is displaied. Button Undo stops this operation, button Open shows a second window in order to configure the corrispondences between the columns of the selected file and the optimizer fields. 34
The window is divided into two groups: 1) Field indexes: the group consists of a Name column, which indicates the name of the field to be imported, and a Column column, which indicates its position (column number) in the nth line inside the file to be imported. The group is divided into three sections separated by a horizontal line: Standard panel fields, Edge-banding and Drilling fields, Supplementary label fields. 2) Fields separator: this indicates the separator character of the fields of the text file to be imported. See the sections Optimizer data filter and Other filters in the chapter EasyCabinet configuration for the description and format of the importable fields. The configuration is closed upon pressing the button Undo and any changes that have been made are not saved. Upon pressing the OK button, the following control on the validity of the field column index is carried out: - The indices related to the fields ( Code, Length, Width, Thickness, Color, Quantity ) are required in the Standard panel fields section; - The indices cannot be repeated 35
Import from Cabinet This tool allows filling of the Cabinet list from the Cabinet archive, of a simple inventory of suite (parametric kind or not). Select this tool pushing specific button on EasyCabinet tool bar: the window will look as shown below. Available functions in the tool bar Icon Explode list of cabinet and transfer cutting list of pieces to active EasyCabinet workbook. Display cabinet selection window. One or more cabinets will be introduced in correspondence of the specified inserting point. Print cabinet list Remove selected cabinet from list. Remove selected cabinet from list and insert them into clipboard. Insert selected cabinets into clipboard. Insert into specified point clipboard s content. Show selected cabinet preview. Close window. 36
Status bar functionality Show and allows the modify of the selected cell Info cell select ( Column and Row ) Table description: of programming table fields Column name Cabinet name Full name of cabinet to import. Quantity Value that will be multiplied to the required quantity of cabinet s panel. In the case of empty field, EasyCabinet will consider quantity 1. Code DX DY DZ User defined columns Cabinet code ( see Cabine management) Cabinet description ( see Cabine management) Cabinet length ( see Cabine management) Cabinet width ( see Cabine management) Cabinet depth ( see Cabine management) The user defined columns contain values (variables) that can be modified in order to obtain customised cabinets (see Cabine management) 37
Cabinet management Cabinets are preformatted workbooks that represent a furniture defined by a piece list useful for its composition. An example of how to program a Cabinet Workbook is shown below: EasyCabinet allows a new cabinet creation by use button. button, or allows opening of an existing cabinet by use 38
The Cabinet Workbook can be divided in three sections: Header Code Length Dx Height Depth Dz Cabinet code Cabinet description Cabinet length Cabinet height Cabinet depth Show a window useful for variables management. See example below. Image Cabinet Image Cabinet image: double click over object to visualize a window that allows cabinet s image insertion. List List Data of cabinet s pieces (use Excel sintax for formulas). Variables management window: Defined variables can be inserted as replacement of the values contained in programming list. For example: Cell list edit Assumed value 39
Release Version Version 3.00 Operating Systems Windows 98, ME, NT 4, 2000, XP. Microsoft Office Version Office 2000, XP, 2003 40
Glossary B APPLICATION BAR: this is displayed in the lower part of the screen. It contains information on the programs and workbooks in use. BUTTON: graphic element normally characterized by a drawing or by text. Its size may vary. F FILE: name of reference of a data file. WINDOW: graphic element containing information, drawings, data writing fields. M MLC: multi-job program P PC: Personal Computer. This is the electronic equipment designed for data management. T FUNCTION KEYS: these are the keys distinguished by the letters that go from F1 to F10 assigned to fast access of predefined functions in the current program. 41
Hardware Configuration Required hardware: - PC PENTIUM II or over - Video card 800x600 256 colors (1024x768 65,000 recommended colors). - Hardware key. - Mouse. Required software: - Windows 98, ME, NT 4, 2000, XP. - Microsoft Office 2000, XP, 2003 - Ottimo or Perfect Cut version TOP Rel. 6.45 or next 42