As with all hard-to-machine materials, nickel-based alloys present some significant challenges that can impact productivity, so it’s important to know what you’re up against.
As with all hard-to-machine materials, nickel-based alloys present some significant challenges that can impact productivity, so it’s important to know what you’re up against.
Due to delays in production, aviation juggarnauts Airbus and Boeing have been involved in a production race, working with suppliers to develop more effecient manufacturing processes. What does their race and creation of new processes mean for the manufacturing world?
As CNC machining operations prosper and grow, they may need to add more supervision. Regardless of whether you promote from within or hire from the outside, there are some key capabilities you’ll want your new supervisor to bring to the job. Remember: Not everyone is capable of juggling the many responsibilities that come with being a supervisor, even if they are competent in their current position. And putting the wrong person in charge can be a costly mistake. With that in mind, here are some questions to ask as you go through the evaluation process:
A CNC machine shop in the Midwest (they’ve asked to remain anonymous) runs batches of 500 – 6,000 parts for a variety of metalworking customers. One of their specialties is precision grinding of multi-faceted cylindrical parts. When they sought to add capacity to their grinding operation, they evaluated various products and settled on an Okuma GA26 grinder. To maximize productivity, Gosiger Automation designed a solution that includes the Okuma grinder, Fanuc LR-Mate robots, a palletized loading system and centralized control.
It seems like the pressure on manufacturers just keeps building. The competition is coming at you from down the street, around the corner and across the water. Costs for qualified operators (if you can find them), health care, materials and energy keep rising, while customers demand higher quality, lower prices and faster delivery.
When IMTS 2012 opens on September 10 in Chicago’s McCormick Place, Gosiger technical staff will be seen all around the South building, from Gosiger’s own booth (S-9266) to Okuma’s booth S-8500 and Hardinge booth S-8148.
The popularity of titanium alloys as a material for structural and other parts has grown exponentially in the past few years. Unfortunately, many manufacturers find that working with titanium is challenging due to the physical characteristics of the metal and its chemical composition. For example, titanium is a poor conductor of heat and more heat is generated when machining titanium than many other metals.
Many energy providers are turning to the process of well fracturing which is good news for CNC shops like Premium Frac Pumps in Fort Worth, Texas. The company makes a line of well fracturing pumps that are critical to this process.
Partners in THINC® is a unique concept developed by Okuma that brings together over 30 leading manufacturing equipment companies, including Gosiger’s factory automation division, to help advance CNC machine and accessory technology while developing real-world solutions for their customers.
Okuma’s stated mission for Partners in THINC is: “…to provide a complete manufacturing solution to our customers - One Source for all the latest in Technology. Our objective is to bring together the leaders of technology providers and create a partnership that will provide the lowest cost, best solution to meet the needs of manufacturing worldwide.”
Do your CNC machine operators or others who report to you miss the point when you give them new information about their jobs, company policies, or customer issues? If so, perhaps you should take a look at your own communication skills. Fact is many of us make the mistake of talking at our employees, instead of talking with them. Too often we engage in simply dumping information, rather than having a conversation. As a result, the person we’re talking too may be overwhelmed with details and just tune us out.
Good workplace communication should be a conversation between you and the employee, not a monologue. If you want the employee to be engaged with your message, they need to feel that what they think is as important as what you tell them. With this in mind, look your employees in the eyes when you talk to them, and let them know you are interested in what they have to say. Don’t talk over the employee, but let them complete their thought before you respond. One of the worst habits busy managers fall into is not giving the employee their full attention. Taking phone calls, texting, or checking emails when having a “conversation” send the employee the message that you believe you’re too busy or too important to hear what they have to say