We know time is of the essence in today’s competitive manufacturing world. What can you do to save time before, during and after machining?
Start by being tactical and practical on the shop floor. That may sound easy, but there’s a bit of upfront work to get into the optimization mindset. Mike Lynch, president of CNC Concepts advises manufacturers to follow the fundamentals, which he boils down to:
- Get organized
- Simplify tasks
- Train your personnel
According to Lynch, organization implies a clean work area with a designated place in a work cell for everything that is needed to do a job, such as having tools and components at the ready. Simplification means having all the needed documentation targeted at the lowest skill level of personnel. It also means minimizing the need for calculations, such as having consistent plus-and-minus tolerance specifications on process drawings—and having information at the ready to help with sizing in critical surfaces. It also includes programming trial machining for test cuts.
What are your CNC machine efficiency tips?