Over time, the most successful CNC shops are those that adopt new technologies to reduce cost-per-part and improve productivity. Of course, shop owners must always balance risk and reward when considering capital investments.
The end of one year and the beginning of another is a good time for reflection. As another successful year serving the manufacturing community closes, it’s important to reaffirm the values that underlie our commitment to customers, Gosiger team members, and supplier partners.
All Okuma lathes and mills include a Tool Life Management function within the OSP P300 control.The program collects information about specific tools that accurately determines when those tools must be changed. The machine then continues running while the tool is automatically changed, thus eliminating any interruption in production, scrapped parts or damaged tool holders.
The newly introduced Okuma MU-S600V vertical machining center is a flexible 5-axis machine that is a mere 55 inches wide, yet easily handles 600 mm workpieces. Even more impressive is the unique ability to connect multiples of these machines for unattended and lights-out production, utilizing built-in robotics.
Investing in machine tools and other manufacturing equipment is not something any CNC shop can take lightly. Not only is the initial price tag significant, but the wrong choice can be extremely costly in lost production and less-than-desired results.
CNC shop owners are famous for putting a tremendous amount of time, money, thought and perspiration into starting and running their business. Unfortunately, many are also notorious for neglecting to plan for retirement. According to financial experts, about 1/3 of small business owners don’t have a retirement savings plan.
We talk a great deal about management skills in manufacturing. In fact, many job titles include the word “manager”: Production Manager, Plant Manager, Shift Manager, Parts Manager – you get the idea. The fact is, if your job includes overseeing people as well as things, you need more than basic management skills to be truly successful. You need to be a leader.