According to the latest data, productivity in the manufacturing sector increased by 0.2% in the first quarter of 2024. But, with the addition of automation, the manufacturing sector could see an increase in productivity by 1.4%. To see this impact, however, businesses will need to evaluate their existing processes to see how they can incorporate automation to boost efficiency.
Manufacturing efficiency is vital for producing high quality machined parts while keeping costs low. In order to maintain or enhance efficiency, it’s critical that all components of the production cycle, from operator training to CNC machine utilization through machine tending robots, are performing optimally.
Quick Links
- What is Agile Manufacturing with CNC Machine Tending Robots?
- How to Track CNC Machine Tending Efficiency
- 4 Key Strategies to Maximize Machine Tending Efficiency
- Improve CNC Machine Tending Efficiency with AWR
What is Agile Manufacturing with CNC Machine Tending Robots?
Agile manufacturing is a production methodology that emphasizes flexibility, responsiveness, and adaptability in the manufacturing process. It allows businesses to quickly respond to changes in market demand, customer needs, and industry trends while maintaining high levels of efficiency and product quality.
Essentially, and as the name suggests, agile manufacturing allows manufacturing processes to be highly adaptable to new and emerging trends and customer demands. And, as technology changes, this is imperative in order for businesses to stay competitive. But, how do CNC machine tending robots fit into this methodology?
In traditional manufacturing settings, machine tending tasks, such as loading and unloading materials or parts, are often labor-intensive and time-consuming, which can limit the flexibility of the production process. However, by integrating robots into machine tending tasks, manufacturers can significantly enhance their ability to quickly adapt to changes in production schedules, product designs, or material types.
CNC machine tending robots, in particular, are valuable assets in achieving a highly efficient and agile manufacturing process as they can be programmed to work with various CNC machines, handling tasks such as material loading, part inspection, and even minor adjustments or tool changes.
This ability to shift between machine capabilities without requiring new equipment is a game changer when it comes to agile manufacturing. Not only are the robotics handling the repetitive tasks, but their operations can be controlled through automation, creating even more of a hands-off production cycle that promotes highly efficient workflows.
How to Track CNC Machine Tending Efficiency
In order to boost CNC machine tending efficiency, it’s best to monitor your current production cycles. Before implementing new technologies or strategies, gather some benchmark data to determine how your operations are currently performing. This data will be beneficial when reflecting back on changes that were made and how they contributed to enhanced efficiency. Let's take a look at some notable metrics.
- Labor Efficiency: Labor efficiency measures the productivity of workers or robotic systems involved in machine tending activities by evaluating the ratio of productive time to total time spent on tasks such as loading, unloading, and overseeing the CNC machines. For robotic machine tending, this metric helps assess how well the automation is reducing human intervention and minimizing downtime. A labor efficiency rate of 80-90% is an average benchmark that indicates operators are working efficiently.
- Machine Utilization: Machine utilization rate measures the percentage of time that CNC machines are actively engaged in production versus the total time available for machining. A high utilization rate indicates that the machines are frequently in use, contributing to higher production output. On the other hand, a low utilization rate may suggest inefficiencies, such as excessive downtime, maintenance issues, or under-scheduling of jobs.
- Material Yield: Material yield is a measure of how efficiently raw materials are converted into finished products with minimal waste. In CNC machining, material yield is particularly important as it directly impacts the cost-effectiveness of the manufacturing process. High material yield indicates that the machine tending process is precise and accurate, minimizing material wastage due to errors, rework, or improper handling.
- Average Lead Time: Average lead time is the total time taken from the initial production order to its completion, encompassing all stages of the manufacturing process. This metric is crucial for understanding the overall efficiency of the production workflow. Shorter lead times typically indicate a well-optimized process with minimal delays, while longer lead times may point to bottlenecks, inefficiencies, or issues in machine tending, material handling, or scheduling.
- Overall Equipment Effectiveness: Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) combines three crucial aspects of equipment utilization: availability, performance, and quality. It measures the percentage of manufacturing time that is truly productive, offering a holistic view of how efficiently CNC machines are being used. OEE provides a clear and quantifiable measure of CNC machine efficiency, allowing businesses to identify and eliminate sources of inefficiency.
These metrics are valuable when reassessing workflows and identifying any limitations in current processes. With this data in hand, businesses can begin strategizing how best to optimize efficiency and what changes need to be made to accomplish production goals.
4 Key Strategies to Maximize Manufacturing Efficiency
Efficient production doesn’t happen overnight. Or, maybe it does. With the right strategies and the right tools, manufacturing businesses can better utilize their equipment to increase throughput without sacrificing labor, and this includes the continuous operation of CNC machines into third and fourth shifts. Let’s take a closer look at some of these strategies.
Enhance Operator Training Practices
The technology used today in the manufacturing sector has changed dramatically over the past few years. While these technology solutions become more advanced, they’ve also become easier to implement, especially with automation capabilities. However, operators still need to be familiar with basic operation of machinery.
Ongoing training empowers operators to work seamlessly with their day to day technologies. While training doesn’t necessarily need to be focused on detailed software and hardware components, an understanding of basic systems and learning how to adjust runs for specific tasks is valuable knowledge. By equipping operators with this knowledge, manufacturers can ensure that their workforce can maximize the productivity benefits that robotic automation provides, such as increased speed, precision, and repeatability in machine tending operations.
Beyond an understanding of machine tending robots through training, these practices can foster a culture of continuous improvement. As operators become more proficient and confident in using robotic systems, they can contribute to process optimizations, suggest improvements, and adapt quickly to new technologies or processes. This not only leads to improved efficiency but also increases job satisfaction and reduces the likelihood of errors.
Identify and Remove Workflow Bottlenecks
As the saying goes, “time is money” and any inefficiencies need to be remedied in order to improve efficiency in job shops. Bottlenecks can occur when a part of the process slows down or halts the overall production, leading to delays, increased costs, and reduced productivity. So, to accomplish this, it’s best to evaluate processes to identify bottlenecks that can be eliminated.
By continuously monitoring production metrics, such as those listed above, operators can quickly identify where slowdowns occur. For example, if a particular machine is frequently idle or a specific task takes longer than expected, these issues should be flagged for immediate attention. Once identified, these bottlenecks can be addressed by reconfiguring the workflow, redistributing tasks, updating outdated equipment, or enhancing the capabilities of the robotic systems themselves.
Incorporate CNC Machine Tending Automation
The bottom line is, if you’re not automating, you’re not performing efficiently. Incorporating machine tending automation is a highly effective strategy to boost manufacturing efficiency, especially in industries where precision, speed, and consistency are critical. With machine tending automation, manufacturers can significantly reduce downtime, minimize human error, and increase throughput.
One of the key benefits of machine tending automation is the ability to operate machines around the clock without the limitations of human workers, such as fatigue or the need for breaks. Robots can work continuously in repetitive tasks, maintaining a consistent level of productivity and quality. This leads to a more efficient use of machinery, maximizing output and reducing lead times.
This strategy also gives businesses the ability to reallocate labor to more complex, value-added tasks. As robots take over routine tending duties, skilled workers can focus on tasks that require creativity, problem-solving, and decision-making.
Increase CNC Machine Utilization
Imagine the increase in productivity that would come if your equipment operated around the clock. Even if you only have one CNC machine, those hours spent idle are a large limitation when it comes to increasing throughput. Maximizing the utilization of these machines ensures they’re operating at their full capacity, which can significantly enhance production efficiency and reduce costs.
By integrating robotic automation into the machine tending process, manufacturers can achieve continuous operation with minimal human intervention. Robots can work around the clock, consistently loading and unloading materials, which keeps the CNC machines running at optimal capacity.
Furthermore, robotic automation in machine tending allows for more precise and consistent handling of materials, reducing the risk of errors and rework. Robots can be programmed to handle multiple machines simultaneously, optimizing the workflow and further increasing machine utilization. Additionally, automated systems can be easily reconfigured to accommodate different tasks or changes in production demand, providing flexibility and scalability in manufacturing operations.
Improve CNC Machine Tending Efficiency with AWR
If your manufacturing business or job shop isn’t able to meet the demands of your customers, it may be time to reevaluate your current strategies. Using the metrics listed in this article, you can determine where inefficiencies are currently holding you back. Luckily, Automation Within Reach is here with the solution.
For machine tending needs, our automated machine tending robots can help boost manufacturing efficiency by increasing machine utilization and throughput. In a shorter time frame, you can machine more parts, meaning more products are going out the door to your customers.
The beauty of machine tending robots is that they can run at all hours of the day, and since their processes are digitally programmed, all of their motions are consistent. So, as more parts are being machined, you won’t need to sacrifice quality for time.
Ready to enhance your operations through machine tending robots? Get in touch with one of AWR’s automation experts and we’ll set your machine tending solution up and running so you can increase efficiency in your job shop.
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