Industry: Adaptive and rehabilitative equipment for the disabled

Location: New York and Pennsylvania, USA

Sito web: http://www.rifton.com

La sfida 

• Responding more rapidly to customer requests for new and improved products and accessories
• Standardizing molds and parts so that production cycles are reduced by eliminating the need for additional cutting
• Minimizing the need for EDM tools, which delay the manufacturing process

Le soluzioni 

Cimatron’s MoldDesign and NC

I risultati 

• As an integrated, automated solution, Cimatron provides Rifton with the ability to design and produce parts and molds in-house, allowing the company better control over its product development
• Milling templates mean that only minor changes need to be made during the machining of a new part
• Through the advanced design and NC programming capabilities offered by Cimatron, the need for EDM tools is significantly reduced

In 1977 Rifton built its first special chair for a disabled child, leading to the birth of the company as a leading provider of adaptive and rehabilitative equipment for the disabled. With sites in New York and Pennsylvania, its products assist people with disabilities in five major areas – transfer, mobility, hygiene, standing, and sitting.

One of Rifton’s goals has been to respond rapidly to customer requests for new offerings and accessories. In order to achieve this, Rifton needed a way to accelerate engineering and production activities by bringing its part and mold design in-house. However, its existing mold design software wasn’t able to meet its needs and the company often had to resort to using Electrical Discharge Manufacturing (EDM), which created extra work and led to production delays. 
 
Rifton, therefore, turned to Cimatron, particularly because of the platform’s CAD-CAM integration, automated mold splitting capabilities, and the ability to create milling templates in Cimatron NC.

Says Pete Mathis, a mold maker for Rifton: “Cimatron allows us to streamline, automate, and enhance many of our core manufacturing activities, without compromising the quality we strive for.”