An exclusive blog for WESTEC 2017 from Shop Floor Automations (Booth 1935)
The manufacturing industry is expensive. The fruits of our labor are not only costly, but so are the machines and tools we use to make these products.
When machines start to misbehave in such a way that interferes with our productivity, the go-to solution we tend to gravitate towards is buying a new machine. There are, however, three less costly ways to combat downtime on the shop floor through manufacturing systems integration:
1) Hardware – Did you know that cables without proper shielding can be susceptible to electromagnetic interference and RF noise? Have you ever thought about the risks of carrying your laptop from machine to machine to run a program? Have you considered the time and money it takes to try and find floppy disks for your shop floor? There are many ways in which inexpensive hardware can transform the productivity of your machines and machinists. Add USB connectivity to any machine, eliminate floppy disks, or transfer programs wirelessly. There are many hardware solutions available to resolve CNC communication issues.
2) Software – Are you worried about where your programs are floating around in the shop? Having constant CNC networking errors? Considering going paperless, or trying to find a better process than tracking production jobs on a spreadsheet? Investing in software is always a good plan for your shop floor. From monitoring machine utilization in order to increase OEE, to controlling (and expanding) CNC communications with DNC software, to necessary tools such as PDM or graphical job scheduling, there are so many possibilities via software.
3) Consulting a CNC expert – Not quite sure what is causing your production issues? Consulting with an expert may be less expensive than you think. Consultations themselves tend to be free of charge. SFA, for instance, offers assistance over the phone, via remote sessions, and in person with onsite visits. This is also true for installing hardware or proper machine cabling, as these tasks may seem simple, but may require the assistance of an expert in the field of manufacturing systems integration.
For more info on how to combat downtime and other production issues on the manufacturing shop floor, visit Shop Floor Automations at Booth 1935 for WESTEC 2017. You may also call (877) 611-5825 to chat about solutions before the show in September.