Swirl Woodcraft Case Study

Week 3 paper

The hardware that swirl woodcraft uses is monitors ,and 15" monitors, keyboards, cat 5 crossover and straight cables, mouse's and printers. There are two computers in the shop for the employees to clock in and out of the jobs. The drafter is connected to two of the machines so the programs he enters into his computer will go to the computers in the shop. The biesse C.N.C router has its own computer that the operator uses to cut all the parts that are programmed in it from the drafter. The Schelling panel saw has a computer that the operator uses to enter in all the different size's that need to be cut. The RazorGage in in the door shop it also has its own computer that is used when all the door parts are getting cutout. The RazorGage has a 15" LCD touch screen it is connected to the drafter's computer so all the size's he enters into the system it will cut in the shop.

All the computers in the shop have Windows XP professional on them. The RazorGage has Positioners software system in the computer. This system will scan the board you are going to cut then it will optimize the best cuts for that board. Then it sends the board through the saw and cuts the pieces out. The biesse C.N.C uses AutoCAD DXF software. This machine is also connected to the drafter's computer. The drafter will draw all parts that need to be cut on the machine and then send it out to the shop so the operator can cut the parts. The Schelling panel saw is not connected to the drafter's computer. The operator has to enter in all the sizes himself. The software that is in the panel saw is modular control system it has windows XP professional for the operating system. The shop also uses excel for all the inventory of all the sheet goods that have been ordered and have come in. The software that the shop is learning to use now is called business enterprise. This system is a pain to get use to using but it will benefit the shop in the long run. IN the shop they have AutoCAD for the drafter to use so he can draw all the cabinets and the doors. The salesman have excel and word to use but other than that I'm not sure what other software's they have to use.

It is hard to get use to all the different computerized systems that are coming out in the woodworking industry now. I have been doing woodworking for 12 years and I know the new systems are coming out to help the shops out but I feel a person would learn a lot more if they did the work by hand.