According to Gosiger’s David Cogswell, the common theme expressed by attendees of the 2013 Medical Design & Manufacturing Show West was a desire to improve or expand their manufacturing capabilities. “The people I spoke with were company owners, manufacturing engineers and other production people looking for better ways to make their products, and to expand their businesses.” This, of course, bodes well for both the manufacturing sector and the overall economy.
Please Join The Discussion! You are invited to the Woman In Manufacturing Roundtable on March 21st, 2013 at noon. This month is a departure from our normal hard-hitting topics to self improvement.
A manufacturer of API and premium couplings used for deep oil drilling wanted to significantly reduce its cost-per-part, utilize less floor space and address operator safety concerns. Gosiger Automation worked closely with other Okuma Partners in THINC to develop an automated cell occupying only a 35’ by 20’ area. The system eliminated most of the manual labor previously required, thus greatly reducing operator time. An integrated robot handles the loading and unloading chores, eliminating heavy lifting and keeping workers out of harms way.
In an earlier post (7 Secrets Of Successful CNC Shops) we discussed recent research that, for the most part, looked at how high-performing shops apply technology to achieve their goals. Since producing parts is the core activity of CNC machine shops, focusing on how technology improves productivity and profitability makes perfect sense, as does working with an experienced manufacturing technology resource like Gosiger.
Manufacturers from small CNC machine shops to multi-billion dollar companies face the daily challenge of retaining current customers and finding new ones. Accomplishing these tasks falls under the broad umbrella we call marketing – a function that has changed radically in recent years. The primary game-changer is the evolution of digital communications technologies, especially the Internet.
Seattle, Washington-based Lighthouse for the Blind is a not-for-profit that creates employment for blind, deaf, and other individuals challenged by physical disabilities. One of their crowning achievements is a machine shop servicing the aerospace industry. However, when the organization realized that they needed to increase their competitiveness with CNC machining technologies they had difficulty finding a machine tool supplier who would work with them to adapt the new machines for blind operators.
Medical part manufacturing continues to be a rapidly growing market due to the large population of aging baby boomers who are looking for “improved quality of life”. Demand is high for high-precision components for neurological, orthopeadic, spinal/bone fixation, dental implants, drug infusion, catheter connectors, optical, maxillofacial, micro/minimally invasive, surgical instruments and other medical devices, most of which can be manufactured on the Hardinge QUEST® SUPER-PRECISION® GT27 gang-tool turning center.
For many years all aspects of business have been under intense pressure to drive down costs so we can be more competitive and profitable. Perhaps nowhere is this pressure more intense than in manufacturing. Of course, there are a number of ways to reduce production costs, and you have most likely addressed many of them. Even so, it’s always a good idea to take a fresh look at your operation to see if you’ve overlooked anything.
For most CNC machine shops and company manufacturing departments, the secret to improving productivity and profitability lies in applying the right technologies and relying on a conscientious, knowledgeable workforce. Therefore, if you have a problem employee the impact can be quite serious. Ignoring a worker’s bad habits or inappropriate actions not only affects the performance of the problem employee, it can also undermine the morale of the rest of your staff. So how do you go about fixing the problem? Here are some proven techniques.
Marketing is typically not on the top of most CNC machine shop owners’ minds. After all, each day is filled with myriad challenges, and the primary goal is to produce more and better parts and products. Unfortunately customers don’t stay around forever, no matter how well we treat them. Companies are bought and sold, go out of business, bring previously outsourced work inside, or simply no longer require the kind of work you provide. That’s why we must constantly add new customers. But where do we find them? And how can we do so cost-effectively? Fact is there are a number of ways you can seek new customers by substituting sweat equity for dollars. Here are 4 of them: