Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR)
Vol-2, Issue-5, 2016
ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in
Analysis and Simulation of Sheet Metal
Cutting By Using Radan Software
Maulik Prajapati1 & Dr. Deivanathan R2
1
M.Tech Mechatronics, School of Mechanical and Building Sciences, VIT University,
Chennai
2
Associate Professor, School of Mechanical and Building Sciences, VIT University, Chennai
Abstract: This paper presents the design of sheet
metal parts and tool, simulation of cutting direction,
maximum utilization of sheet and minimizes use of
cycle time on the Computer numerical control (CNC)
machine by using the Radan software. The aim of
this work to cut the sheet metal part in the CNC
punching and laser machine and compared the cycle
time of the machine, accuracy of the part and then
make the assembly of this cutting part with the
accurate bending calculation. The nesting process is
carried out in radan software in order to make the
maximum utilization of sheet and minimize the scrap.
To make the minimize utilization of tool a special
tool has been used such as obround, louver tool,
radius tool, fish tool and cluster tool. The common
line cutting method is used, which minimize the use
of tool to cut the sheet metal part and minimize the
cycle time of the machine. The size of the sheet metal
is 2500 X 1250 mm with 1 mm thickness. The weight
of sheet metal is 24.53 kg. The overall process will
increase the productivity and reduce the cost
constraint. The result will show better performance
with the industries requirement and better
development of different part and cost constraint.
1. Introduction
Technology upgradation is critical for improving
productivity, efficiency and competitiveness. Cost
advantages are being replaced by technology-related
factors like zero-defect product quality and
international certification of firm’s quality assurance
systems [4].
Nowadays, people believe in automation it not only
produce consistent quality but also increased
productivity. Industrial automation products allow
companies to achieve faster cycle times, increase
efficiency and improved repeatability. Industrial
automation not only simplifies the physical or
manual effort put in by worker, but it also reduces
the creation of waste material and products. It also
eliminates human error and as a result the quality of
the end product is vastly improved.
Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR)
The specialized process of sheet metal cutting seems
to be coming of the age since the sheet metal parts
that are produced in many industries. The process of
converting flats sheets metals into altered shapes by
applying a firm amount of force is very specific and
quite different from the processing of plate metals. It
demands precision and control. It also optimizes the
material being used through high performance auto
nesting features [2].
Manufacturing process for these devices is now
being automated through the use of CAD/CAM
software [1]. There is rise in demand for CNC
machine tools compared to conventional machines.
The main factors for this increasing demand of CNC
machine are customers demand for improving
productivity and quality while reducing
dependability on skill labor. The tool used are of
major importance in this respect, as it is their job to
convert the speeds and turret outputs provided by the
machine into metal cutting performance. The nesting
process is used which utilize the maximize amount of
sheet and reduce the scrap part which not only
utilizes the sheet but also reduce the cost constraint.
The tool is the major part of the punching which not
only reduces the cycle time but also utilize the
minimum amount of tool by using the common
cutting method.
In the punching machine, the tool plays important
role in cutting the part and around 4 mm material
thickness can be cut in punching machine. In the
laser machine, the part is cut by using laser. The
intensity of laser plays important role in laser
machine and around 12 mm of material thickness can
be cut.
2. Research Objectives
The objective of this study is to research various
manufacturing of sheet metal part in the industries
with the different technology used and find out the
best method for improving the accuracy of the
cutting part and reduce the cost constraint.
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Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR)
Vol-2, Issue-5, 2016
ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in

3. CNC Machine 4. Common Line Cutting Method

In this study, Two CNC machine is used. One is
Amada EM 2510 NT Fanuc 180i-PB turret punching
machine is used. The post-processed is already
installed in the radan software. It has 45 tool station
and four auto index tool station
The common line cutting method is used in the
nesting for cutting the two similar or different parts
in single shot. The different tool is used for common
line cutting. We will use a rectangular part as an
example, figure 2. There are 12 similar rectangle part
are place in a sheet 2500x1250 mm. By nesting
process, two tool is used for common cutting, one is
rectangular tool and another is radius tool that is
special tool is used in this study.

Figure 1. Turret tool station of punching

machine
Figure 2. Common line cutting part
The post-processed is already installed in the radan
software. It has 45 tool station and four auto index The main advantages of using common line cutting
tool station method are:
1. It improved tiling and pairing of part.
Table 1. Turret specification of punching 2. It reduces cutting time by reducing total length
machine of cuts per nest.
3. Material saving may be limited and outweighed
by other factor.
Type Maximum Number
Round Size of 5. Special Tool
Stations
A 12.7 24 In this study, the five special is used to increase the
B 31.7 12 accuracy of part .The special tool is designed in the
radan software. The radius tool is most important
C 50.8 2 tool in this work, it not only cut the radius part but it
D 88.9 1 also used for common line cutting. The special tool is
E 114.3 2 frequently used in the CNC machine because of the
Auto-Index high cost.
B 31.7 2
C 50.8 2

Another is Trump TruLaser 3030 basic edition(L11)

sinumerik 840D laser machine is used.

Table 2. Specification of laser machine

Model TruLaser 3030
X-Axis 3000 MM
Y-Axis 1150 MM
Z-Axis 115 MM
Accuracy 0.1 MM
Maximum Power 2000 W
Wavelength 10.6 µm
Maximum Sheet
12 mm
Thickness
Power Consumption 20-40 kw
Figure 3. Special tool is used for cutting the
Gas Used Co2
part in the nesting.

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Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR)
Vol-2, Issue-5, 2016
ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in

The main advantages of special tool are

1. It improved the accuracy of the parts.
2. It save the cutting time of the cutting.
3. It saves material utilization.

Table 3. Special tool

Tool
Tool Symbol
Name

Obround

Fish tool
Figure 4. Different view of an assembly
Radius
tool
In the figure 5, assembly is exploded in order to view
Cluster
the different part. There are total 74 parts in one
tool
assembly
Louvre
tool

6. Nesting
Nesting is the process of arranging the similar or
different part in the sheet in order to minimize the
raw material waste. For Examples include
manufacturing parts from flat raw material such as
sheet metal.

Nowadays, to minimize the amount of scrap raw

material produced during cutting, various nesting
process is done. The radan software analyses the
parts to be produced at a particular time. The nesting
is done by the radan software with 5 common gaps
between the parts. In the nesting the different part is
Figure 5. Exploded view of an assembly
arrange with different orientation to utilize the
maximum amount of the sheet.
7.1. Case Example
7. Case Assembly
The Assembly is designed in Radan software. The
assembly is consisting of total different 74 parts. The
each part has bending with different angle. All part is
of different shape and size. All part is of 1mm
thickness of mild steel material. In Figure 4, different
view of assembly is shown with dimension.

Figure 6. Model part

From the assembly one part is picked up. The part

has three edge and one side fillet surface and three

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Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR)
Vol-2, Issue-5, 2016
ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in

holes. The part is bend with a bending parameter is

shown in table 4.

Table 4. Bending parameter of model part

Bending parameter Value

Hem Radius 0.5 mm
Bend Radius 1 mm
Angle -90
Setback 3.025
Bend Relief 2
Clearance 0.001
The part has one down bending. The bending
calculation is done on the radan software in the
Figure 9. Nesting of 74 different parts for
figure 8. The blue color dot line shows the bending
punching machine
line in the figure 7.
8.1. Result of punching machine
In the Table 5, six sheets contains of 74 parts are
arrange with different orientation and each has
different utilization of sheet it depend on the size and
shape of parts

Table 5. Nesting result for punching

machine
Cycle
Utilizatio
Sheet time
Nes n
size(mm) (minute
t (%)
Figure 7. Unfolded model part )
2500 X
P1 90.4 7.89
1250
2500 X
P2 86.2 11.14
1250
2500 X
P3 80.8 23.95
1250
2500 X
P4 41.0 11.67
1250
2500 X
P5 24.3 7.54
1250
2500 X
P6 12.4 4.05
1250
Total run time 66.24
Figure 8. Radan software bending
calculation The various tools have been used for the cutting the
parts with different dimension and each tool is load
8. Nesting of Part for Punching Machine in the different station. In the machine turret, there
are five station named as A, B, C, D and E, Table 6.
From the assembly different 74 parts is separated and The four auto-index station is available in station B
nesting is carried out of all the parts. The nesting is and C. The auto-index means, the tool can rotate
done in the radan software for punching and laser with 0 and 90 degree.
machine. There are total 6 metal sheet is used of
2500X1250X 1 mm.P1, P2,P3,P4,P5 and P6 are
metal sheet used for cutting the part, Figure 9.
Various tools are used for cutting shown in Table 6.

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Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR)
Vol-2, Issue-5, 2016
ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in

Table 6. Different type of tool used in of

punching machine For laser machine, the nesting is also done on the
Machine radan software.in the figure 10, total six sheets is
Tool Tool shape Dimension(mm) utilize for cutting the different parts.
Station No
Station D Circular 50
Station B Circular 14
Station A Square 9.5 X 9.5
Station A Square 2X2
Station A Rectangular 5X2
Station
C(Auto- Obround 2X8
Index)
Station B Circular 20
Station A Square 6X6
Station A Circular 5
Station A Square 5X5
Station
B(Auto- Rectangular 12 X 5
Index)
Station A Rectangular 5X3
Station A Circular 8
Figure 10. Nesting of 74 different parts for
Station A Circular 10 laser machine
Station B Rectangular 30 X 5
Station B Rectangular 30 X 2 9.1. Result of laser machine
Station A Circular 10.5
The simulation is done on the radan software and it
Station A Rectangular 10 X 3 take to complete the cutting of six sheet in 41.56
Station A Circular 8.5 minute.
Station E Circular 45
Station Table 8. Nesting result for laser machine
C(Auto- Rectangular 80X5
Index) Cycle
Utilizatio
Station Sheet time
Nes n
B(Auto- Fish Tool 20X5 size(mm) (minute
t (%)
Index) )
Station A Louvre Tool 20X20 2500 X
P1 92.2 8.22
1250
Station A Cluster Tool 50
2500 X
Station B Radius Tool 50X20 P2 90.1 8.97
1250
2500 X
P3 82.6 12.92
1250
9. Nesting of Part for Laser Machine 2500 X
P4 33.5 16.48
For different part nesting is done in figure 10 for 1250
laser machine with 1 mm of common gap between 2500 X
P5 24.3 2.94
two parts. The various cutting condition is used for 1250
cutting the parts in Table 7. The condition is used for 2500 X
P6 12.4 1.8
different type of part. 1250
Total run time 51.33
Table 7. Cutting condition for laser machine
Laser Profile Cutting Condition
Small profile Cutting codition 1
Medium profile Cutting codition 2
Large profile Cutting codition 3
Marketing Cutting codition 4

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Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR)
Vol-2, Issue-5, 2016
ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in

10. Comparison Of Punching And Laser [4] P. Venkataramana and G.Gurumahesh “Increase
in Productivity of Turret Punching Process (TPP),”
Machine Output International Journal of Mechanical and Production
Engineering Research and Development (IJMPERD)
ISSN 2249-6890 Vol. 3, Issue 1, Mar 2013, 19-26

11. Conclusion
By performing the practical test on the CNC
machine, the part that has cut in the laser machine
compared to punching machine is more accurate. In
punching machine different tool is used to cut the
part and laser machine, laser is used to cut the part.
In the observation, the design of the part plays a very
important role. For example if part is in the form of
rectangle or triangle, the punching machine will give
more accuracy compared to uneven part.

From the Table 5 and 8, the utilization of material in

laser machine will utilize less material compare to
punching machine. The cycle time of laser machine
is 51.33 minute and punching machine is 66.24
minute. The reason is that in punching the gap
between two parts is 5mm and laser it is 1 mm. It
concludes that if uneven shape part has to cut.
Industries should prefer laser machine compared to
punching machine.

12. References
[1] M.Lohtander, J. Varis, “Manufacturing features in
cutting shapes and Punching holes in sheet metal,”
19th International Conference on Production
Research.

[2] Jeffrey W. Herrmann and David R.Delalio,

“Algorithms for Sheet Metal Nesting,” IEEE
Transactions on Robotics and Automation. Vol. 17,
No. 2, April 2001

[3] Huyao Liu and Yuanjun He, “Research and

Implementation of Irregular-Shaped Nesting
Problem,” Proceedings of the 6th World Congress on
Intelligent Control and Automation, June 21 - 23,
2006, Dalian, China

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