No matter how well an operation is doing, it’s important to pause regularly and assess how things can improve. When the time comes to review progress and performance, productivity is a key factor to consider. It’s no different in a machining or metalworking operation. Is the equipment working optimally? Are the processes and production lines offering steady movement with excellent performance, or are they slowing down operations? What about other tools, support crews, and maintenance tasks?
Optimization also includes resource usage and consumption as well as waste produced. Are you and your team aware of how to minimize all of those elements? If you’re not, maybe it’s time to revisit your technical and production planning and reassess your existing operations. What are some ways you can optimize machining and metalworking operations?
1. Go Lean
If you haven’t already implemented lean techniques within your machine shop or facility, now is an ideal time to get started. If you already have, then it’s time to revisit what lean means to you, especially if performance has fallen by the wayside in the meantime. Lean manufacturing and various related strategies can significantly improve machine shop efficiency and metalworking operations.
People, processes, and technology are the main staples of the lean paradigm, where ultimately you work to reduce waste and inefficiencies in each area. What elements can you change that improve productivity and output? Eliminate unnecessary steps or tasks to shorten the production time, without hindering quality and value. Going lean should always be the initial strategy for any team, or improving lean operations where it’s already in place.
2. Invest in Equipment
For CNC machining, high-performance cutting and modification tools are a requirement for product excellence. However, it’s not always possible to upgrade the entire arsenal of equipment and tools on a shop floor. It is possible, however, to invest in said equipment in other ways.
For example, it’s possible to install IoT (internet of things) or smart sensors in legacy equipment to enable automation, collect feedback and insights, and engage in predictive maintenance.
Another strategy would be to replace failing or ineffective components within the machines to boost their longevity and productivity. Lean manufacturing benefits from smart technologies, IoT included. It doesn’t just reduce manual processes and introduce smart automation; it also helps improve quality control and gain more insights into operations for better decision-making.
Replacing parts may seem obvious, but you won’t know what needs replacing, or what’s failing, without a proper vetting process in place. That is precisely the idea behind investing in your equipment to boost machine shop efficiency.
3. Train Your People
Training your people can help reduce mistakes and improve productivity, but you probably already know as much. Regular training, including experienced professionals, can help your people revisit tasks and ideas, but also keep up-to-date on new technologies, techniques, or processes. It doesn’t necessarily mean you need to create a traditional education course with a lengthy curriculum.
There are many methods and resources for boosting the training of your team members. Regular or scheduled meetings can work, where you or another professional present new ideas and concepts. You can also deploy virtual or online training courses. Or, set up a mentor and mentee program where professionals teach and guide one another over time. What’s more, you can even collect feedback from the people who spend their time on your machine shop floor to make minor adjustments or improvements to operations.
Not everything within a CNC machine shop or metalworking facility is automated, so having knowledgeable and relevant professionals at the ready is a valuable optimization strategy.
4. Optimize Inventory and Supplies
Another aspect of operations that can have a direct impact on performance and productivity is the supply line. Poor inventory management can hinder standard processes, and it can also create more waste. Stock shortages or delays can also create more complex problems, like trying to seek out alternative suppliers or negotiate last-minute replacements.
Inventory within a CNC machine shop or metalworking facility includes replacement parts and components, raw materials, cutting tools and attachments, various other machines, and more. Optimizing the procurement and handling of these supply sources can be a huge boon, but it’s just the start. Organizing the storage and use of those supplies within the facility and fine-tuning replacement — like when stock is low — are also critical. So, it necessitates the creation, development, and revision of a system that is always monitoring and addressing inventory concerns.
5. Consider Alternatives
Alternatives to computer numerical control machining and metalworking do exist. While they won’t replace traditional strategies immediately, nor will they always be the appropriate solution, there are times when they introduce clear benefits.
Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, for example, is one such alternative. The method complements traditional manufacturing extremely well. It’s ideal for prototyping, low-cost assemblies, and low-volume parts, just to name some examples. The technology can also be configured to work with a wide variety of materials, including plastics and metals, and even sustainable materials like wood or soy. The latter category yields biodegradable end products, which pleases modern customers and further reduces a company’s total waste footprint.
Considering a rollout of these alternatives within your shop, when they provide cost, time, and waste improvements, is always a good answer when it comes to machine shop efficiency and optimization.
Never Stop Improving
No team should ever stop improving or trying to boost efficiency. This can be done by eliminating excess processes and methods, better maintaining existing equipment, investing in new technologies, and training people both seasoned and new.
Deploying a culture of improvement within the machine shop or metalworking facility can go a long way towards empowering everyone — all team members get on board with optimizing the operation. That also delivers managers and decision-makers a stream of insights, which can help highlight and discover new opportunities over time. Some suggestions may work better than others to improve speed, accuracy, and quality, but they would otherwise go unnoticed without that feedback loop.
By deploying all of the strategies discussed above, from optimizing inventory or supplies to investing in reliable equipment, it’s possible to boost machine shop efficiency — and metalworking facility performance — beyond anything achieved in the past.
Article by Emily Newton
Emily Newton is the Editor-in-Chief of Revolutionized. She has over four years experience covering the industrial sector.
