In today’s competitive manufacturing world, productivity is the key to success, so we invest in people and equipment that can make us more efficient. For CNC machine shop managers getting the most out of our own workday is often a challenge. There are always interruptions, unexpected problems and fires to put out. So how can we juggle all of our responsibilities and still be productive?
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Five-axis machining is an effective means to reduce setups and increase accuracy for multi-sided and complex parts. The new UMC-750 universal machining center from Haas Automation, Inc., is a cost-effective solution for 5-sided (3+2) and simultaneous 5-axis machining.
Tags: Productivity, CNC Machines, 5-Axis, HFO (Haas Factory Outlet), CNC
In this video, John Nelson guides us through the Setup, Operation, and Edit modes of the latest graphical user interface of the Haas control. Well worth another look if you haven't seen this yet.
Read MoreTags: Productivity, CNC Machines, 5-Axis, HFO (Haas Factory Outlet), CNC
Why are some CNC shops more successful than others? There could be many reasons why an individual shop fails or succeeds, but what are the common denominators among higher performing CNC shops? Surveys conducted by Gardner Research help us understand what highly successful shops are doing to grow by twice the national average with gross sales 20% higher.
Read MoreTags: Productivity, CNC Machine Shops, Gardner Business Media
When Toyota developed its Total Production System (TPS), generally known as “Lean”, it identified 7 areas of waste that must be continuously monitored:
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It’s a CNC machine shop owners’ dream: Making parts overnight with little or no labor cost. Now think about the other advantages: Long overnight runs can make your daylight machine time more flexible, so you can make more short runs that require changeovers, work on more complicated parts, or respond to an urgent order from one of your customers. Plus, machine operators can use their time more efficiently by setting up overnight production while daytime runs are in progress.
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Idle hands may be the devil’s workshop, but an idle machine tool is a productivity sinkhole. That’s why quick, efficient and accurate setups are so important.
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For many years all aspects of business have been under intense pressure to drive down costs so we can be more competitive and profitable. Perhaps nowhere is this pressure more intense than in manufacturing. Of course, there are a number of ways to reduce production costs, and you have most likely addressed many of them. Even so, it’s always a good idea to take a fresh look at your operation to see if you’ve overlooked anything.
Read MoreTags: Productivity, Technology, Robotic automation, Finance
The challenges facing CNC machine shops continue to escalate, as customers demand better quality, tighter tolerances, and faster delivery. Meanwhile competition from down the street and around the globe keeps the pressure on to hold down customer costs, which impacts your profits. The solution, of course, is to optimize machine tool performance while increasing worker productivity.
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CNC machine shops can reduce costs and improve performance by applying a concept called Value Stream Mapping. Typically used by companies to implement Lean Manufacturing, Value Stream Mapping is a way to identify and analyze all of the activities involved in delivering a product or service to the customer. For CNC machine shops this could be anything from a single part to a complete product.
Tags: Productivity