TFC #32: Streamline Your Manufacturing Process with Parametric and Reusable Objects

Are you tired of spending valuable time re-engineering cabinets every time you start a new project? In this article, we'll explore a game-changing technique that will revolutionize your manufacturing software workflow. Discover how creating parametric reusable objects can save you time, increase precision, and make training new hires a breeze, or at least a little bit easier. 😁

I know it can be tempting to just pull the Standard Base out of the library in Cabinet Vision and totally re-engineer the cabinet every time, but there is a lot of value in spending the time to create customizable and reusable objects in your library.

For example, let’s say you want to build a floating shelf in Cabinet Vision. It is easily possible to pull a cabinet out and manually add parts each time you want to build a shelf, but it’s not very efficient and it’s hard to quickly add the customization you need.

Instead, we could spend a little time creating a reusable floating shelf that uses formulas to resize and we can add certain options to it such as triggering finished ends, adding cleats, drilling for the shelf brackets, or adding a dado for strip lights.

Now we can simply pull that reusable floating shelf out of the library and set a few attributes to true and we are good to go.

I posted a video on YouTube about building parametric and reusable objects. This video gives a good foundation for getting started with parametric cabinets in Cabinet Vision.

Here are three reasons why you should be creating helpful reusable objects in your manufacturing software.

Time savings

Design and engineering in your manufacturing can be very time-consuming.

Sometimes we get so busy with our work that we don’t have time to stop long enough to think about all the steps that could be eliminated.

Specifically in our manufacturing software, how many things are you doing that require 10 or more steps every single time you do it?

Sure, it takes a little time to create a reusable object in your catalog, but think of all the time you have been wasting and will continue to waste by doing it manually.

Better precision and accuracy

With every human interaction, we increase the chance of making a mistake.

If it takes 10 or more steps to accomplish something in your manufacturing software, how easy is it to forget a step, or mistype a number?

Reusable objects cut down on mistakes and errors by reducing the amount of human interaction required to accomplish a task.

Easier training

It’s easy to take a little pride in the fact that nobody else could do what you are doing with your manufacturing software.

However, this becomes a big problem when you hire a new engineer and are trying to train him how to use your manufacturing software.

Things that seem simple to you, may seem totally overwhelming to a new hire.

All they hear you saying is, “Okay, this one is easy, if you want to make this modification on a certain cabinet, you need to do this, do this, do this, do this, and then do that, and do this, and so on” ……….

Instead, you could say, if you want to make this modification, set this option to true.

Done.

Conclusion

Take the first step towards optimizing your manufacturing software by creating a list of tasks that require multiple steps.

Identify the top 5 most important ones and start working on making them more efficient.

By investing a little time upfront to create reusable objects, you'll save valuable time in the long run and reduce the chances of errors.

Empower your team to join in this process and schedule a meeting to discuss their findings. Together, you can streamline your workflow and improve precision.

Don't wait any longer - start your journey towards a more efficient manufacturing process today!

I’d love to hear what you find.

Hope you enjoy the article and video, have a great weekend!
Myron

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