State of the art job shop?

[MrGixer]

This might be fun for some dreamers......

I'm the business end of a machine shop, not the machinist. Soooooo that makes me so noooooob it's not funny. And what I know about CNC will fill a thimble..............Only half way.

But here is my take on the situation. We have 4 Hardinge lathes all with AB 9/240 controls and a VMC 600 (stock) and a Condia of similar size to the VMC. And a tool room mill with 9/230 controls.

All of this stuff is used to produce various parts for two final products we make. So we don't setup a lot and I can't remember when someone wrote Gcode from scratch.

I want to screw that up.

I think I want to be more "job shopable". I want to be more capable of prototyping and short run stuff.

What's the question in all this............ What's the state of the art in short run NC. I pretty much have to work with the current machines but upgrading the controls and and buying software to make tool-paths would have an healthy budget.

Maybe I already have SOTA but I have to doubt it since they don't make 240 controls anymore. And the only software for tool paths is the grey matter in the machinist head. :frown:

What do you think?

[lakeside]

if you got $200k you'll be state of the art on machining end, but would you know what to do with it?

[MrGixer]

No I wouldn't know what to do with it............... You were supposed to tell ME what to do with it. The money that is.....

[Geof]

Originally Posted by MrGixer I'm the business end of a machine shop.....And what I know about CNC will fill a thimble..............Only half way. All of this stuff is used to produce various parts for two final products we make. .......I want to screw that up. ....I think I want to be more "job shopable". I want to be more capable of prototyping and short run stuff. ........What do you think?

You make, and have been making for some time it would appear, two final products.

Are you selling these products and making money?

Do you expect your cash flow will be more regular if you move to job shop work?

If the answer to both questions is no it is possible you are embarking on a course of action which is not entirely insane.

If the answer to both questions is yes.......... I don't want contravene forum rules so I will stop here.

[lakeside]

if you are looking for an area to explore I would say Medical Tooling 5 axis milling

[MrGixer]

Do you expect your cash flow will be more regular if you move to job shop work?

Not regular but more of it. If you don't make money at it your not charging enough.

We have alot of down time on some of our NC stuff. I just want to fill it with crap were doing by hand.

Maybe I'm pissing up a rope, I don't know? :frown:

[Geof]

Originally Posted by MrGixer ........We have alot of down time on some of our NC stuff. I just want to fill it with crap were doing by hand.......

You mean you are using manual machines for making some parts and want to get them onto the NC stuff when it is available? What is stopping you doing this?

[MrGixer]

I need a quicker way to tool paths.

[lakeside]

Originally Posted by MrGixer I need a quicker way to tool paths.

are you progam by hand? They are many software, after you set a budget of say $2-$10k for software and trainning you'll be in a position then to look at upgrading machine. with any software there a learning curve that comes with a few broken tools and maybe a crash or two. But if you are not ready on the software end with a trained staff. All the jobs you try to get will just either sit and be late or you'll just be working for free

[Geof]

Originally Posted by MrGixer I need a quicker way to tool paths.

Not necessarily correct; you claim to be on the business side so you should know that the important time period is how long from first conception to final product ready to put in the customer's hands; going from idea to toolpath is just one portion of the total sequence. If you are doing exclusively one-offs then the time to toolpath may be a major portion; certainly if you are doing in the multi-thousands it is a minor portion. For any product there are break points when different factors become important, the main ones I can think of at the moment are; initial design time, program generation - prototype or production, fixture design and build, program cycle time, machine reload time. Only when you have a complete analysis of the entire sequence can you make a definite statement about any one step in the sequence.

[lakeside]

Originally Posted by Geof ...........the main ones I can think of at the moment are; initial design time, program generation - prototype or production, fixture design and build, program cycle time, machine reload time. Only when you have a complete analysis of the entire sequence can you make a definite statement about any one step in the sequence.

The two things you need for all for Geof suggestions are skilled craftsman and technology. When you have this in place work flows and so do profits. The best skills of the machinist are only as good or limted to his technology

[Geof]

Originally Posted by lakeside The two things you need for all for Geof suggestions are skilled craftsman and technology. When you have this in place work flows and so do profits. The best skills of the machinist are only as good or limted to his technology

Lakeside I would add one thing to this; knowledge and technology are important but often the limiting thing is imagination.