Various approaches for forming holes onto a sheet-metal assembly are described. In one implementation, a sheet-metal assembly is received through a conveyor system within a manufacturing cell. Once received, the type of sheet-metal assembly is identified based on associated information. Corresponding to the identified sheet-metal assembly, a set of position coordinates corresponding to one or more points on the sheet-metal assembly are obtained. Subsequently, a work-performing apparatus may be used for forming holes onto the sheet-metal assembly, at one or more points on the sheet-metal assembly.

A camera photographs a part to be estimated, which is produced by cutting a sheet metal in advance, and a dimension reference marker. An image processing unit generates edge data by extracting an edge of the part photographed by the camera, and enlarges or reduces the edge data based on a size of the dimension reference marker photographed by the camera such that a size of the edge corresponds to an actual size of the part. A machining time calculation unit calculates a length of a cutting line for cutting out the part from the sheet metal based on the edge of the edge data corresponding to the actual size of the part, and calculates a machining time for producing the part by cutting the cutting line in accordance with a material and a thickness of the sheet metal.

A camera photographs a part to be estimated, which is produced by cutting a sheet metal in advance, and a dimension reference marker. An image processing unit generates edge data by extracting an edge of the part photographed by the camera, and enlarges or reduces the edge data based on a size of the dimension reference marker photographed by the camera such that a size of the edge corresponds to an actual size of the part. A machining time calculation unit calculates a length of a cutting line for cutting out the part from the sheet metal based on the edge of the edge data corresponding to the actual size of the part, and calculates a machining time for producing the part by cutting the cutting line in accordance with a material and a thickness of the sheet metal.