The 2021 release of WorkPlan from Hexagon’s production software portfolio software (www.workplan.com) has been designed to enhance ‘automation and flexibility’ in the sheet metal market.

Product manager Christophe Mas said: “Industry 4.0 isn’t just a goal for large manufacturers, as we have increasing numbers of small companies wanting a complete digital chain that integrates specifications and production management with their Radan CAM solution.

They can now get real-time views of their current workload and business profitability, while achieving full inventory control — all connected to their existing accounting system.”

A solution that was originally dedicated to mould makers, WorkPlan has been able to mix a single database with multiple business requirements.

Furthermore, Radan’s quoting module — Radquote — connects seamlessly with WorkPlan and now updates projects using referenced components present in a bill of material and optimising the price for the project.

Mr Mas added: “Material prices are automatically updated between the two solutions, and the system can now generate a request for a quote through the sheet estimation, directly based on Radan’s nesting engine.”

Meanwhile, enhancements to the ‘activity basket’ launched in WorkPlan 2020.0 make it possible to automatically create all the baskets for a project in just a few clicks — or from a nest with a simple ‘drag and drop’.

Furthermore, the activity baskets can now be controlled via the bar-code system or via touch-screens.

This ‘revolutionises’ time tracking, while simplifying the management of assembly activities, heat treatment and finishing operations. With regard to GDPR (the General Data Protection Regulations), a new set of measures has been introduced to guarantee maximum protection for both customer and employee stored data.

He concluded: “We have also implemented best-practice guidelines related to the fundamental rights of GDPR, such as consent management, the right to be forgotten, the right to change, and data portability.

“Moreover, WorkPlan continues to integrate with all Hexagon solutions, with more and more projects in preparation, in order to be an increasingly essential part of the full digital chain.”