Software future of sheet metal working

In the region around Ypres, they still speak of "taint Dewilde. Almost eighty years later, Dewilde Engineering still distinguishes itself with top-of-the-line mechanical repairs and constructions. In order to guarantee flexibility and responsiveness, the company invests heavily in its own machinery. At the beginning of this year, the sheet metal working department received a makeover. A new LVD bending bench and laser cutting machine, combined with the overarching CADMAN software, took Dewilde Engineering's sheet metal work to the next level.

The doors of Smidse Dewilde opened as early as 1937. When it came to fine mechanics or more complex repairs, they knew where to turn. A reputation that is upheld to this day. Some 40% of Dewilde Engineering's turnover still comes from industrial repairs. "Responsiveness and flexibility are the building blocks of our DNA," opens Patrick Heughebaert who has been in charge of the company since '97. "We continue to invest in people, machines and our way of working, so that we can help our customers get out of trouble as well and as quickly as possible." A mentality that also extends to the other activities within the company: machine building and robotics. The company has already realized several robotics projects in the food sector, including systems for sorting lasagnes, grouping noodles and pickling pralines. "Engineering projects may run over a long period of time, but when something goes wrong at the customer's site, we are happy to demonstrate that same responsiveness and flexibility."

In-house machinery for flexibility

For that reason, Dewilde has been working with its own sheet metal working machines since the 1990s. Says Heughebaert, "We invested in an LVD bending bench and shears that allowed us to keep most of the work in-house. When things got a little more complex we could count on regular suppliers." Although the technology of folding had already evolved tremendously, Dewilde Engineering deliberately stuck to its machines all along. "This is not full continuous production for sheet metal. What we had actually worked fine to cover our needs." Until the experienced bending operator who operated the machine approached retirement age. Then a strategic decision intruded. "Passing on all those finesses to a young worker, it's a hopeless task. Do we invest in this activity again or do we choose to put all the sheet metal work down externally?"

Knowledge in the software

"A choice that really wasn't one, because we want to further establish ourselves as a repair service. With suppliers, we would never get the priority needed to solidify that reputation. Working reactively is our strength, but you need the right resources for that," Heughebaert says. However, Dewilde Engineering wanted to do more than just replace the machines. It was the perfect time to see how it could take its bending work to the next level. That actually started with tackling the cutting work, it learned from discussions with LVD, which really emerged as a thinking partner in this project. "Where the knowledge and skill used to be in the head and fingers of the pleater, it's now in the software. The folding machine can guide the operator past the most difficult folds and produce a flawless result, provided that the cutting is correct. So everything starts from the cutting drawing."

New bending bench and laser cutting machine

The result was not only a new bending bench, an Easy-Form 9 with a capacity of 220 tons and a maximum bending length of 4 m, but also a Lynx 3015 fiber laser with an output of 4 kW. "A heavier bending bench than we had, with also a five-axis back gauge. This allows us to bend very efficiently at different stations and to do the more complex bending work ourselves. It also gives us a considerable gain in accuracy," Heughebaert calculates. The laser cutting machine meant a true metamorphosis in speed and efficiency. "The machine cuts the pieces faster than we can take them off. Everything that can be done on the laser cutting machine has now moved from the waterjet cutting machine to there, allowing us to work a lot smoother while still maintaining maximum flexibility."

Advantage through software

LVD's software serves as the orchestrator for perfect interaction between the two machines. Dewilde Engineering invested in CADMAN SDI, CADMAN B and CADMAN L. "All we have to do is load the drawing into CADMAN SDI. The software then tells us how best to do the cutting and bending work. This allows us to design in a completely different way, starting from a folded chassis instead of a welded one. This brings enormous benefits. It gave us new possibilities and at the same time allows us to work faster and error-free. Whereas the assembly department used to often have to scratch behind the ears to get all the pieces to fit, now that no longer involves anything. Accuracy has increased so that everything fits together like a mecano puzzle. The laser also engraves each piece so it's clear what fits where. Technically, the different manufacturers we contacted for this investment were similar, but LVD really stands out with its software. This is the future of becoming more productive. In addition, LVD has already proven to be a local and reliable partner, concludes Heughebaert.