Rugeley based JCB Cab Systems Limited have been building cabs for the JCB product range, supplying the UK based plants in Rocester, Uttoxeter and Cheadle. The company produces around 140 cabs per day, ranging in size from 1 meter wide for micro machines to 2.5 meters wide for the largest diggers. Each cab is fabricated and assembled to suit the individual build requirements of each JCB plant.
Lantek saves material at JCB Cab Systems
For eight years, JCB Cab Systems Ltd., based in Rugeley (UK), has manufactured cabs for the JCB product range, supplying production plants in Rocester, Uttoxeter and Cheadle. The company produces around 140 cabs per day, ranging from compact machines to the largest excavators, with each cab built to the specific requirements of the receiving plant.
As steel prices increased and material availability became more critical, JCB Cab Systems focused on improving sheet utilization. Every week the company processes approximately 7,000 sheets of steel, producing more than 40,000 parts using four laser cutting machines. Initially, production relied on static nesting, which simplified logistics but failed to maximize material utilization.
To improve efficiency, JCB evaluated several software solutions and selected Lantek Expert for its ease of use and advanced dynamic nesting capabilities. Production requirements generated in SAP are transferred via Microsoft Excel into two Lantek Expert systems, where nesting is automatically created according to the weekly production plan.
Once nesting is completed, Lantek returns material utilization and machine runtime information back to SAP, providing accurate production data while automatically generating the NC programs required for the laser cutting machines. The system considers different material grades, thicknesses and part combinations to maximize sheet utilization.
Two manufacturing engineers manage the system. One maintains CAD geometry as product designs evolve, while the other focuses on optimizing nesting. Lantek combines automatic algorithms with manual adjustments to achieve the best possible material utilization for each sheet.
The move to dynamic nesting significantly reduced material consumption but introduced a new challenge: every nest became unique, making part identification more difficult. To solve this, every component is laser-etched with a code identifying its product group and next manufacturing operation. Although marking slightly increases cutting time, the resulting material savings more than compensate for the reduction in machine productivity.
"The evaluation took place at our Cheadle Earthmovers site. We chose Lantek Expert for its ease of use and dynamic nesting capabilities."
Lantek continues to work with JCB's SAP development team to further automate integration between both systems and implement even more advanced nesting techniques. Today, Lantek has become a strategic element of JCB Cab Systems' manufacturing process, supporting higher material efficiency and better production planning.