Gosiger News

We all know the problem: Manufacturing, especially CNC machining, requires a different set of skills and talents than in the past, and it’s become a challenge to find capable employees. Good, experienced machinists have jobs or can easily find a new one if necessary. That means that the available pool of candidates will most likely need some training before they become productive.

There are some obvious reasons to avoid permanently marking the parts you machine, including equipment cost and adding another step to a manufacturing process. These may be valid reasons if the parts you are making are low-cost commodity items or ones that have no possibility of causing a product failure. However, if the parts you produce fall outside of those parameters, you should give serious thought to encoding them with identifying information for 3 good reasons:

Dayton OH – According to machine tool distributor and factory automation specialist, Gosiger Inc., new software and machine control technologies enable manufacturers to integrate dimensional part inspection within a robotically automated CNC machining cell.

With 2013 winding down, we’re all looking forward to the promise of another good year for manufacturing in 2014 and, although it may seem far away, we’re also looking forward to IMTS 2014. Early indications are that a record number of exhibitors and visitors will grace the halls of McCormick place next September 8 – 13. Certainly there will be exciting new technologies and sharing of information that will help everyone from the smallest CNC machine shop to the largest mega-manufacturers advance their operations. Here are a few other highlights according to information released by The Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT).

Lean manufacturing has been around for quite a while, and many manufacturers have embraced the philosophy of continuously looking for ways to eliminate waste in their processes. However, the true meaning of Lean involves much more than automating an activity or streamlining an operation, as important as those things are. So here are 7 questions to ask yourself about your Lean program.

Robotic-based CNC machine tool automation is proven to reduce operator time and cost-per-part. It also enables unattended and lights-out operation, eliminates human error and improves spindle utilization. All of which greatly enhances productivity. For more on this topic, download the free white paper The Case For Robotic-Based Automation.

CNC machine tool users typically love new technologies. That’s why most have embraced the digital world through computer networks, remote monitoring and reporting, mobile devices loaded with APPs, and online transmission of CAD drawings and other important data.

1. Improve Productivity. There’s more to maximizing manufacturing efficiency than installing the latest-and-greatest machine tools. It also involves looking at the entire process and making sure that each step is as streamlined as possible. This includes assuring that the cleanliness of a part meets the customer’s expectations.
2. One solution won’t clean all parts. If some parts you produce have simple geometry while others are more complex with blind holes, cross-holes and ID threads, for example, you may need different cleaning methods for each. Simple parts can be cleaned with water-based solutions while more complex parts may need solvent-based cleaners.
3. You may need more than chemicals. Some parts require mechanical cleaning methods along with the proper solutions. These can include high-pressure sprays, agitating the chemical bath, or rotating the basket within a cleaning chamber.
4. Ultrasound can help. In some cases cleaning is aided by ultra-high sound frequencies that produce thousands of tiny bubbles that implode when they strike the surface of a part. The energy released gently removes contaminants from the part.
5. Best performed in a vacuum. Vacuuming air out of the cleaning chamber serves 2 purposes: (1) It protects the parts from airborne contaminants, and (2) it removes air pockets from the complex part features to allow the solvents to clean more effectively.
6. How safe is solvent cleaning? It’s no secret that solvents are harmful to workers and the environment. That’s why they are strictly regulated in many states. To clean safely and effectively with solvent-based chemicals requires a special kind of cleaning apparatus.
7. Versatility is the key. The ideal parts washer operates in a sealed chamber using hydrocarbons or modified alcohol-based solutions that are internally recycled through a distillation process, and combines spraying, immersion, submerged jets, ultrasonic and vapor cleaning options applied either statically or with oscillation or rotation added.