In the world of CNC machining we tend to think of employee training as beginning and ending with “how to” lessons relating to specific machining functions. In fact, companies should be thinking in broader terms and promoting continuous education. Here are 7 suggestions to help you shape an employee education program that works for your business:
It’s no secret that using robots to handle large, heavy, unwieldy parts reduces production time and eliminates many worker safety issues. However even a basic loading and unloading scenario, like the one in this video, requires much more than simply placing a robot arm in front of a machine tool. Gosiger Automation specializes in thinking through the entire manufacturing process to integrate all of the components necessary to achieve optimum productivity.
It’s challenging enough to run a successful CNC machine shop these days without worrying about people trying to steal from you. Unfortunately, it’s a reality we all must face. Certainly, there have always been thieves and con artists, however today’s technologies and the rapid pace of business provide new opportunities for them to get hold of your hard earned dollars. Following are 5 of the most common scams aimed at businesses of all sizes and what you can do to keep the scammers’ fingers out of your pocket.
Dayton OH – Okuma machine tool distributor and automation systems developer Gosiger, Inc. recommends a new, free APP from Okuma that alerts machine users when routine maintenance is required. If properly used, the Scheduled Maintenance APP helps keep machines operating at peak efficiency and reduces downtime and workflow interruptions.
Owners and managers of CNC machine shops are typically hands on people. They often get started by running jobs themselves, and some never stop. As the business grows, however, many get bogged down in administrative duties, meeting with customers (extremely important), and putting out fires. All of which may keep them from spending time on the production floor.
All machine tools and peripheral equipment come with instruction manuals and parts books. These days they may be electronic files in place of or in addition to paper books. The electronic versions are particularly handy as they are easier to store and find. Plus you can usually use them on your PC, laptop, tablet, or other mobile device.
Despite improvements in the overall economy, unemployment in the U.S. remains higher than desirable. Even so there are CNC machine shops that can’t find qualified candidates for available jobs. One reason is that experienced machine operators who are capable of working with today’s advanced manufacturing equipment are hard to find. Another is that many young people have a misconception of what working in a modern manufacturing facility is like. Worse yet, those who have an interest may not have the opportunity to gain experience with today’s sophisticated CNC machine tools and, therefore, are less desirable new hires.
According to a recent survey by Monster.com, nearly half of the employees who responded say they are unhappy in their current jobs and 81% plan to look for a new job this year. That’s a frightening statistic for employers who are likely unaware that they have disgruntled employees.
Dating back to the time when all machine tools were operated manually and part tolerances were more forgiving, the “C” machine design was the industry standard. When CNC came along, dimensional tolerances tightened and manufacturers demanded faster spindle speeds to deal with harder-to-machine alloys, the inherent performance problems with the “C” design became obvious. We asked Jim Endsley, Product Specialist Machining Centers for Okuma, to explain why the company moved from “C” designs to the current double column or bridge design. Here are the facts Jim shared with us: