Flexsteel Selects NESTERwood to Optimize Upholstery Frame Production
Furniture manufacturer Flexsteel Industries has selected the NESTERwood Optimizer software to optimize upholstery frame production. Based on extensive evaluation and testing conducted by Flexsteel in its production environment, material yield improvements of 8-12 percent are expected once the NESTERwood solution is fully implemented.
Ball Ground, GA (PRWEB) August 18, 2006
Nester Software, a leading provider of production optimization solutions for the upholstery furniture industry, announced that Flexsteel Industries has selected the NESTERwood Optimizer software to optimize upholstery frame production, starting in Flexsteel’s Dublin, GA, facility.
As the furniture industry continues to be impacted by increases in raw material and energy costs, manufacturers are looking to increase material utilization and reduce production cycle times.
NESTERwood Rolling Nest automatically optimizes the placement of pieces from one or more orders on multiple sheets of plywood, resulting in material yields that are consistently higher than any other solution.
Based on extensive evaluation and testing conducted by Flexsteel in its production environment, material yield improvements of 8-12 percent are expected once the NESTERwood solution is fully implemented.
“Creating a tight nest that results in an impractical cutting path that causes pieces to be damaged defeats the whole purpose of optimization,” says Dan Lamm, Corporate Industrial Engineer for Flexsteel. “NESTERwood was the only software we found to not only deliver a solution that is efficient, but also produce nests that can actually be cut without damaging any pieces.”
In addition to the improvement in material utilization, NESTERwood will help Flexsteel get closer to its goal of Just-In-Time (JIT) manufacturing. By cutting to exact order demand, NESTERwood Optimizer eliminates the need to cut excess parts and reduces the inventory and operational costs associated with the practice.
Test runs with NESTERwood Optimizer have also shown to reduce cycle time per sheet (the time it takes to process one plywood sheet), improving the efficiency of CNC routers used to cut the plywood and overall productivity. Flexsteel currently uses 13 CNC routers across three of its seven production plants.
“We are excited for the opportunity to work with an industry leader such as Flexsteel,” says Elery Pfeffer, President of Nester Software. “The thorough evaluation conducted by Flexsteel is a testament to the rigorous approach the company is taking towards production optimization, and we are thrilled to be chosen as partners in this quest.”
About Flexsteel
Flexsteel Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:FLXS) is headquartered in Dubuque, Iowa, and was incorporated in 1929. Flexsteel is a designer, manufacturer, importer and marketer of quality upholstered and wood furniture for residential, recreational vehicle, office, hospitality and healthcare markets. All products are distributed nationally. For more information, visit www. flexsteel. com.
About Nester Software
Nester Software is the leading provider of production optimization solutions for manufacturers of engineered wood, foam, textile, and metal products in the apparel, furniture, transportation, and other industries. The NESTERwood Production Optimization Suite enables upholstery manufacturers to be more competitive by increasing material utilization, improving machine productivity, and shortening manufacturing cycle times. NESTERwood is used by leading upholstery manufacturers worldwide, including Airline Manufacturing, Bassett Furniture, Century Furniture, Drexel Heritage, Ethan Allen, and Southern Furniture. For more information, visit www. NesterSoftware. com.
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