A company manufacturing foils and accessories for the gliding and sailing industries has achieved 2.5-times faster turnaround by using the WorkNC CAM solution from Vero Software.

    Ketos, based at Savoie in France, uses WorkNC to machine prototype moulds for producing just one or two parts, or a mini-series of up to 30 parts. Managing Director Anne Rostain says the accuracy with which WorkNC interprets their design data guarantees that the production mould is a precise replica of the prototype. 

“When we design our products we aim to create precise, high performance profiles which meet different navigation criteria. Therefore, it’s essential that machining operations produce the exact reflection of what we’ve imagined and designed.”     

She says they regularly test new profiles, meaning they program two or three new moulds each month for their hi-tech composite components. 

The company, which was established over 25 years ago, operates with 10 employees from a 300 square metre  workshop. Key customers are predominantly surfing enthusiasts from all over the world, along with specialised retail outlets. The company ethos for continuous development ensures their products have evolved to achieve product reliability and sustainability. With a huge passion for their bespoke products, Ketos work with high quality materials that offer the best technical and environmental solutions.

Using a Raptor 2.5-axis CNC machine, driven by WorkNC 3-axis software, Ketos manufacture their products mainly from bio-sourced resin and designed with SolidWorks CAD. With meticulous detail going into product design, they need to ensure the end product is exactly as designed.

WorkNC allows them to take designs seamlessly through to manufacture by converting CAD into CAM. Anne Rostain says: “With WorkNC we maintain control over the complete cycle, from design through to in-house production, at a reasonable cost.”

Using WorkNC for the past two years has dramatically improved turnaround times, estimated as 2.5 times quicker, and overall production efficiency. Before investing in WorkNC the production process was completely manual in which they used a model maker to produce resin moulds based on the prototype. They decided to invest in WorkNC as well as an NC machine tool to automate production. “We needed a 3-axis solution to drive our NC machine, which was simple to use. WorkNC was easy to implement and its cost was rapidly paid back.”

Accuracy has also played a key role in saving time. Anne Rostain describes the software as “crucial” for creating their one off prototypes. “Each mould is unique, which can be time consuming to create. However, WorkNC allows Ketos to be very responsive and to rapidly test new ideas. We manufacture prototype moulds for producing hi-tech components made from composite materials. We are required to regularly test new profiles which means we have to program 2 or 3 new moulds per month. 

The company has benefited from WorkNC's user-friendliness and the machining sequences functionality which allows them to use data from the library and simply apply it to new jobs. This provides a higher level of automation. Anne Rostain concludes by saying WorkNC is reliable, secure and effective, and easy to implement. “We save a lot of time thanks to the use of machining sequences which allow us to re-use and make adjustments to existing programs. The wide range of 3D machining strategies, the possibilities offered by 5-axis strategies and robotization available with WorkNC, suits us perfectly.”

Ketos: https://www.ketos-foil.com/en

WorkNC: http://www.qianghu.com