ProNest provides Chungyong with easy to use software

Company Overview

Chungyong Ind. Co., Ltd. of Korea is a manufacturer of parts used in shipbuilding. The company’s two factories produce ducts, gas pipes, and hatch doors for shipyards like Samsung and Daewoo (now Hanwha Ocean), which are their major customers.

Challenge: Cutting software difficult to understand and use

Since 2007, Chungyong had been using cutting software produced in Germany. However, the operators were not satisfied with the program; it was not easy to use and did not have automatic nesting functionality. Although the software came with a Korean language user manual, the manual proved to be of little help because the instructions were often difficult to understand.

Solution: ProNest delivers higher productivity

One of Hypertherm’s Korean software resellers introduced Chungyong to ProNest^®, and the software’s features struck a chord with Chungyong. After a satisfactory extended trial, Chungyong proceeded to purchase ProNest.

Operators and managers were pleased to find that the software was simple to use and compatible with different types of cutting equipment, so they only needed to learn one program to run all of their cutting systems.

“The previous program was more difficult to adapt to,” Lee Seung-Ho, Chief Executive Officer of Chungyong, commented. “Our operators took three days to understand how to use it. With ProNest, the engineers only needed one day, and they were able to pass the information easily to their colleagues. Also, the software is compatible with different types of cutting equipment, so we don’t need to purchase other programs.”

ProNest nesting software

ProNest is an industry-leading CAD/CAM nesting software designed for advanced mechanized cutting. It offers the highest level of cutting expertise and provides a single solution for all profile cutting needs – including plasma, laser, waterjet, and oxyfuel. ProNest’s powerful, high-yield nesting is designed to supercharge cutting operations, enabling fabricators and manufacturers to increase material utilization, boost productivity, lower operating costs, and improve part quality.  

ProNest’s intuitive screens and a wide variety of helpful features make it easy to learn and use. Its faster, fully automated interface can reduce programming time from hours to minutes, while specialized cutting techniques can reduce total cut time by up to 50%.

ProNest is designed to work with virtually any ERP, MRP, or MES program. These integrations can extend ProNest’s efficiencies more broadly across the organization.

Unlimited access to technical support, training, and software updates is included with ProNest, ensuring every user gets the most value from their ProNest software.

Automatic Nesting

Automatic Nesting lets operators nest parts with the click of a button, streamlining the nesting process, improving resource utilization, and increasing operational efficiency. Operators simply choose a nesting strategy – controlling the balance between nesting speed and material utilization – or let ProNest determine the best nesting strategy for the task. Either way, parts are nested for maximum material utilization and cutting efficiency without operator intervention, including filling voids by nesting parts within parts and allowing parts from different jobs to be nested and cut using the same material. Automatic Nesting increases material utilization and reduces scrap.

Bridge Cutting

Bridge Cutting creates a thin web of material between parts to help prevent tip-ups on small parts. Bridge Cutting forms a single exterior profile, which can stabilize parts during separation from the plate, making them less prone to the effects of thermal movement and improving geometric accuracy. In addition, by keeping the head down while cutting, bridging reduces the number of pierces, extending consumable life.

Business impact: ProNest increases productivity, reduces material waste

Chungyong saw an immediate improvement in production efficiency with ProNest, including improved material utilization and reduced scrap using ProNest’s Automatic Nesting module.

When CAD files are imported to ProNest, the software is able to automatically correct any drawing errors. It can extract CAD layer Bill of Materials information related to the material type, thickness, customer, etc. for each part of the job, so operators do not have to key in the information. The software can also unfold and flatten 3D SOLIDWORKS^® files and import them for nesting, eliminating the need for manual manipulation. As a result, nesting is less labor-intensive and Chungyong was able to transfer three employees to another department, reducing cutting costs.

Another feature Chungyong benefits from is Bridge Cutting. Bridge Cutting led to cycle time savings and improved consumable life for Chungyong, reducing production time and increasing throughput and turnover.

Chungyong’s operators and managers were pleased with ProNest’s ease of use, including automated features and a user manual that was easy to understand and follow. Lee commented, “There was little difficulty in adopting ProNest as the program is straightforward and had many functions that required minimal operator intervention. Troubleshooting was also not a problem. ProNest includes a Korean language manual with simplified instructions, and post-purchase support was readily available.”

Overall, Chungyong is very pleased with the benefits achieved by using ProNest and will apply the software in their third factory. “Our engineers are very satisfied with ProNest, so we want to continue using the program,” Lee concluded. “It is user-friendly and easy to learn. We will definitely recommend the software to our OEM suppliers as well.”

Learn how ProNest nesting software can help your business increase material utilization, decrease labor costs, and improve productivity. Click the button below, fill out the form, and a Hypertherm product expert will contact you.