Time is money in every shop

Design for manufacturing is the process of designing parts, components, and products for ease of manufacturing with the goal of making a better product at a lower cost.

Companies that invest time and effort into machine maintenance, training, setup, and using the right parts and consumables get the most out of their machines. This translates into maximum productivity and efficiency.

Maximizing productivity and efficiency is the goal of almost any business, because the two usually lead to maximum profit. In the fast-paced machining industry, the two are crucial to the success of a company.

Variables that impact machining productivity/efficiency include:

• Maintenance and service
• Using OEM consumables
• Optimizing setup
• Training employees
• Machine standardization
• Design for manufacturing
• Automation

Maintenance/Service

If a machine cannot produce accurate parts or any parts at all because it is down, its effectiveness is either diminished or non-existent. This is easy-to-spot waste. Much like the cars we drive, manufacturing equipment requires regular maintenance, and the quality of the work performed and parts used on the machine affect how well it runs. Having proper maintenance and service contracts in place, paired with investing in OEM parts, helps ensure that a machine runs as expected and increases machine longevity.

Consumables

An often-overlooked aspect of manufacturing is using high-quality consumables. OEM consumables offer much greater consistency from part to part, and typically produce higher surface finishes and accuracy than their cheaper, less reliable counterparts.

Setup

Having a machine running smoothly with short cycle times may seem like the simplest way to improve productivity, but setup time can add up significantly. The relative amount of time spent on setup versus actual machining often is a function of lot size.

Large production runs typically are performed with one setup in place, while merely changing workspaces and consumables to repeat the process. On the other hand, shops that produce a variety of parts in small lots find themselves spending a great deal of time on setup. For these job-shop-style operations, reducing cycle time only may yield a slight increase in productivity compared to reducing setup times.

It is important to understand how your business typically runs to determine which part of the process needs to be optimized to save the most time.

One way to reduce setup times is setting tool lengths. For a shop with small lot sizes and machines that sit idle, measuring tools offline in a pre-setter may not be the best practice. Using an automated tool measurement program onboard the machine allows the machine to be utilized to improve setup time, while giving the operator time to tend to other aspects of the job setup.

Training

Understanding where to have trade-offs in setup and cycle time is important for understanding how to allocate labour. To do so effectively, however, it is important to invest in ongoing employee training. Most machine tool, consumables, and software manufacturers have applications engineers that will educate end users on getting the most out of their products.

These services typically are offered free of charge and are a great way to improve employees’ skill sets.

Machine Standardization

Although it is near impossible to rely on one supplier for an entire shop, narrowing both tooling and consumables down to a few key suppliers helps boost efficiency and productivity. Having machines with similar controllers will simplify training, allow operators to use multiple machines, and reduce setup time when programming. Additionally, having standardized tools reduces inventory and helps avoid confusion.

Design for Manufacturing

Design for manufacturing (DFM), also sometimes called design for manufacturing and assembly (DFMA), is the process of designing parts, components, and products for ease of manufacturing. The end goal is to make a better product at a lower cost.

Depending on what is being machined, some shops design its own parts. When doing so, it is important to consider the available tooling to produce this part.

A good example of doing this effectively occurs when 3-axis barrel milling. Using barrel cutters with standardized tapers and specifically designing parts to incorporate these taper angles increases productivity and efficiency.

Another example is using a wire EDM lights out to produce parts that typically have been produced faster using milling. The mill can then be used during the day shift for other operations while labour is available, reducing cycle times for parts.

Automation

Automation can help machinists free up their time to do more high-value tasks that increase overall productivity and efficiency.

Automation can be as simple as using automated programs for touching off tools or can go as far as lights-out manufacturing cells complete with robotic loading/unloading. Lights-out machining also does not need to be complicated.

Setting up a long-cycle part in the evening and letting it machine overnight is the simplest example of an unmanned process. Pairing this practice with remote monitoring software allows for trouble-free machining overnight while maximizing machine utilization, which results in higher productivity.

While there are many ways to go about increasing productivity and efficiency, it is important to understand the numerous methods and the effects of each. Investing in equipment, training, and setup improves not only efficiency and productivity, but also the ultimate end result: higher profitability.

Adam Dimitroff is regional sales representative for MC Machinery Systems Canada, 50 Vogell Rd., Unit #1, Richmond Hill, Ont. L4B 3K6, 905-737-1265, www.mcmachinery.com.