Neal Spangler

Work Automation & AI

Scan a work order to load the cutter program

Every job used to mean keying cut positions into the paper guillotine by hand. Now each work order prints a code, and one scan loads the whole cut program.

Programmable paper guillotine
Programmable paper guillotine Photo: Ra Boe / Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 de
400+cut programs that load from a scan
0positions typed for matched programs
2.8×faster warm matcher audit

The problem

A typo at the guillotine ruins printed stock that's already paid for. The cutter could read barcodes, but its format wasn't documented, and every guess I tried was rejected.

What I did

  • Worked out the barcode format from the vendor's software and samples, then matched it byte for byte.
  • A PDF extractor that automatically converted 200 of 296 existing cut guides into programs (68%).
  • An assigner that attaches the right program to each work order every 30 minutes, and flags anything uncertain.
  • Added regression checks for program changes and a watchdog that alerts when assignment stops running.
  • Cut the warm matcher audit from 115.6 to 41.5 seconds, with the same 87 decisions.
Scan-to-cut pipeline A work order in the business database is matched to a verified cut program every 30 minutes, printed as a DataMatrix code, scanned at the guillotine, and the cutter loads every cut. Work order business database Assigner every 30 minutes DataMatrix printed on the order Scan at the guillotine Cut program loaded uncertain match: flagged for a person 400+ verified programs
A program is assigned, printed as DataMatrix, then scanned at the cutter.

What I took from it

The assigner flags a job when it cannot choose a program confidently. I would rather have someone check that work order than send an uncertain cut program to the machine.

Automation & AI

AI agents with command limits and approval checks

Claude Code and Codex handle remote tasks with approval checks and command-blocking rules enforced outside the model.
Privacy