Page 17 - MMI- Aug2022

are increasingly finding robotic, unmanned hours, tool life be- you rather pay your operators
software, and lights-out CNC ma- comes critical. As a tool wears, to watch a stable process? Or
chining solutions for tight toler- parts become less accurate and would you prefer them to be
ance, tough material components. the likelihood of error increases. there while the risk of error is
There are a few factors involved With extended tool life, CNC ma- more likely?
in this decision, namely: Process chines will be able to run longer With lights-out manufacturing,
stability; Machine capabilities with the lights out, while also en- you can easily prioritize jobs to
(tool management, in-process suring quality components. get the most out of your opera-
metrology); Investment capital; Thirdly, considerations need to tion and increase the value of
and Time. be given to back-up or ‘sister’ the time spent on the floor by
With the right combination of tooling. your employees.
the above, you could be turning
the lights out on any number of Initial Investment Productivity Versus Consistency
operations. Ensuring ROI, not surprisingly, There is a constant push for pro-
is one of the biggest factors in ductivity in manned manufac-
Considerations for Lights- determining whether lights-out turing. But with automation, it’s
Out Machining manufacturing is feasible for important to distinguish between
As soon as you’re ready to turn your business. productivity and consistency.
the lights out, there are a few It can be a large initial invest- Which is better for lights-out
things to consider to make the ment, but the industry is quickly machining? Consistency, hands While a
transition as efficient as possible. evolving, as is our economy. For down. factory may
many, staying competitive means When a process is reliable and have opera-
Extending Tool Life and Back- investing now to be scalable for consistent, it can run longer un- tors man-
up Tooling the future. This could mean mov- attended than pushing your tool- ning their
Running a CNC machine with- ing toward lights-out machining ing and machine to the limit to stations
out an operator means one now, or simply standardizing get as many parts out the door as throughout
thing – you need reliable tools your shop with something like possible. With lights-out machin- the day,
with a long tool life. The first 5th Axis workholding in prepara- ing, priorities need to shift to find lights-out
(and most apparent) reason is tion for future automation. a balance between productive machin-
that you don’t have someone manned hours and consistent re- ing allows
standing nearby if something Job Prioritization sults while the lights are out. automated
processes to
goes wrong. Hence, choosing While we are now able to au- run without
quality tooling reduces the like- tomate complex parts, automa- Material any direct
lihood of crashes. tion tends to make a larger im- When it comes to lights-out ma- oversight or
Secondly, because these opera- pact on smaller, simpler parts. chining, as with any operation, control.
tions would be running during Think of it this way – would the material matters.

Source: Magic Wand Media

July-August 2022 | 17
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