The Nesting module supports the ship hull production phase by combining hull elements designed by the Hull Structure module with the material definition and production technology parameters.

Import XML dialog box

Nesting drawing

IMPORT & EXPORT

Importing features are the following:

• Order specification plate list (exported from MARSR)
• XML definition of parts with advanced non-graphical properties (thickness, material, quality, ship orientation/side of part, marking (side, part/profile label, weld parameters)
• DXF definition of parts and nested plates
• ESSI file definition of nested plates
• Advanced/automatic/customizable labeling and filtering of parts during import

And here are the output formats:

• CNC files (ESSI, ISO, ink-jet labeling, welding robots...)
• DXF (parts/plates)
• Nesting reports
• Nesting drawings (PostScript, PDF)
• MARS interface reports.

PART & PLATE MANAGEMENT

Functionalities of the part management section are :

• Edit ID, section, subsection, assembly, thickness and material
• True mirroring (markings and bevels are also mirrored)
• Thermal shrinkage compensation (enlarges the parts to reach accurate dimensions after welding of profiles or parts on marking traces)
• Bevels editing/creation (various types and parameters)
• Corner loops creation
• Contour offsets for assembly add-ons or ceramic sheet welding
• Definition of no-cut segments on contours
  Convert holes to markings
• Customizable graphical appearance of part geometry (contours, holes, markings, bevels, labels)

And for plate management:

• Clone, edit, erase, relabel, advanced multi-criteria sort
• Cutting passes definition (number of plates per pass, parallel/mirrored cutting property for each plate)
• Assign different cutting machines to the same plate (each machine can have its own passes definition)
• Torch addressing definition for simultaneous multi-torch cutting

Edge modification tool

Plate properties dialog box

Automatic nesting dialog box

MANUAL / AUTOMATIC NESTING

The user can choose between two methods for plate nesting:

• Interactive move, rotate, copy, delete, align parts on plate with drag & drop system and customizable part selection (single, window in/cross/out)
• Automatic nesting of all parts (regardless of contour complexity) on selected plate with plate edge and part edge defined offsets and nesting in parts holes

CUTTING TECHNOLOGY

Functions supporting the cutting technology are listed below:

• Manual part label editing for multi-plate nesting
• Part linking for automatic part label definition on multi-plate nesting
  Define bridges (linear, arc, raw).
• Define common cuts.
• Automatic remnants definition, labeling and report
• Define lead-ins and lead-outs (linear, semi-circular and 1/4 circular)
• Automatic and/or manual cutting path optimization and order with torch and part safety algorithms
• Torch compensation change (Left/Right) with bevel parameters preservation and automatic update of lead-in and lead-out positions
• Toggle no-process contours/labels
  Support for sand-blasted markings
  Three-axis cutting

Lead in/Lead out tool

Export ESSI dialog box

CNC DATA CREATION AND PROCESSING

Here are the functions for exporting CNC data:

• Plate by plate manual or automatic processing of selected plates
• Machine choice (by plate or one common machine for all plates)
• Script language postprocessor for powerful and rapid customization of CNC processing / machine settings for each customer.
• Cutting simulation preview for validation purposes.
• Automatic validation of nesting quality: part overlaps, out of plate parts, label size & position and more

NESTING DRAWINGS

Another output from the program are nesting drawings. Here are the tools for their creation:

• Automatic creation and update of plate drawings on different customizable drawing templates
• Drawing templates for common, unique (per-plate) and title page drawings.
• Drawing tools for additional drawing detailing (lines, rectangles, arcs, circles, texts)
• Move, rotate and edit graphics
• Create common labels for many parts with the same label in different ways
• Create, save, import symbols for detailing speed-up and standardization
• Create detailed description of complicated and/or small parts
• Create linear (horizontal, vertical, parallel), circular (radius, diameter) and angular dimensions on the drawing
• Print drawings or export PDF drawings

Nesting drawing creation dialog box

Text insert tool

LABELING SYSTEM

The tools for plate labeling are:

• Precise part-associative insert of texts with object snapping
• Modify/move/rotate/align/delete
• 50 different smart text variables with auto-completion and update of part, plate, file, cutting statistics and other properties that can be inserted virtually anywhere.
• Preview of actual size of labels with validity check for cutting-machines with signing gantry
• Different customizable size and content for nesting and drawing

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

Some other general functionalities of the Nesting module are:

• Nesting/Drawing editor
• Unlimited Undo/Redo
• Unlimited View Undo/Redo
• Parts search
• Un-nested parts management
• Real-time part statistics
• Magnifier for rapid check of details on large plates/parts.
• Text view management (on/off/short)
• Measure tools for user control of dimensions (lengths, distances, radius, angles...)
• Customizable working environment

Un-nested parts management