Modern Machine Shop features how Willis Custom Yachts achieves 5X productivity with Siemens NX CAD/CAM

Modern Machine Shop, one of the manufacturing industry’s leading publications, recently featured how a luxury custom-yacht building company, Willis Custom Yachts, designs and builds custom luxury sportfishing yachts with Siemens NX CAD/CAM software. Because each yacht is uniquely designed, the company must manage constant design updates and highly complex parts throughout the manufacturing process. Their legacy CAD and CAM systems operated independently, creating communication gaps that increased programming time, rework, and the risk of costly errors. In the article, Modern Machine Shop shares how the company was looking to streamline operations and therefore Willis adopted Siemens NX CAD/CAM, creating an integrated digital workflow that connects engineering and manufacturing. With a single source of truth for design and machining, the company significantly improved efficiency, accelerated programming, and transformed its production capabilities.

In the article, explore how Willis Yachts leveraged Siemens NX CAD/CAM to dramatically improve productivity, reduce scrap, and enable reliable lights-out machining. As a builder of high-end custom sportfishing yachts, Willis Custom Yachts faces unique manufacturing challenges. Every project is different, with thousands of custom components, complex geometries, and frequent design revisions. Keeping engineering and manufacturing aligned while maintaining production schedules is critical to success.

By implementing Siemens NX’s associative CAD/CAM environment, Willis created a seamless connection between design and manufacturing. Engineering changes automatically flow through to CNC programming, helping eliminate revision errors, reduce costly rework, and ensure machinists are always working from the latest design.

Smooth sailing, measurable results

The company also benefits from powerful digital twin technology, allowing programmers to simulate machining operations before production begins. This gives the team the confidence to run lights-out operations while maximizing machine utilization and improving scheduling accuracy.

The results have been remarkable:

• 5X increase in overall CNC productivity
• 95% reduction in scrap and rework
• 50% faster part delivery
• Up to 50% reduction in programming time for complex parts
• Confident, reliable lights-out machining through simulation and digital twins

Having the digital twin and being able to run a simulation and know exactly what we’re going to encounter allows us to run through the night, lights out,” says Bobby Cody, Willis’ director of manufacturing.

These improvements have not only streamlined yacht production but have also enabled Willis to expand its machining capabilities into new industries through its growing CNC business. It’s a compelling example of how integrated CAD/CAM, automation, and digital manufacturing technologies can help manufacturers improve efficiency, increase capacity, and stay competitive in today’s demanding production environment.