Category Archives: Machine Shop Management

Topics in this category are geared toward the running the machine shop from a managers perspective.

Machine Shop Management

Ideas for Dealing with the Skill Shortage in Your Shop

With the pace of manufacturing picking up, the effects of a lacking skilled workforce are also appearing in a lot of today’s shops. Whether it be the lack of personnel with machining experiences, CNC programming experience or even CNC operator experience … these effects can be devastating to your shops ability to compete and win profitable work. So what can be done?

President Trump seems to have us heading in the right direction with his initiative to institute more apprenticeship  programs in the manufacturing sector … but the time frame for those changes to reflect on your shop floor can be months or even years. What about now? Are there things we can implement to assist those efforts? … or even help them along?

Kipware® can help !!

Start with CNC Programming Training

To start with … our KipwareEDU® – CNC Programming Training and Reference Software is a great proven-in-the-trenches tool to assist in learning and understanding CNC programming. The manufacturing professionals at Kentech Inc. have been providing in-house CNC programming training since 1986. Having conducted hundreds of training classes in every size shop around the country … we developed a proven format for clear and concise … no fluff … programming training. We then took that proven formula and content and created a learn-at-your-own-pace training software solution in KipwareEDU®. We are firm believers in creating a strong foundation to move forward … and that includes teaching in depth the actual programming formats and codes you will actually need and use in today’s CNC programming. Whether it be mill programming … lathe programming … multi-axis programming or even Fanuc Macro Programming … KipwareEDU® has a starter package for you with many options to build on your strong foundation and move forward.

Here are some ideas on how to implement KipwareEDU® in your shop :

  1. Load KipwareEDU® on a laptop and allow your selected personnel the opportunity to personally use the laptop for a period of time to explore and learn CNC programming.
  2. Load KipwareEDU® on a laptop or PC on the shop floor and allow personnel the opportunity to access that PC and use KipwareEDU® as a reference tool to enhance and / or learn CNC programming.
  3. Give away KipwareEDU® as an incentive or gift and … give the gift of knowledge. It will come back to pay big dividends for your shops future.

Enhance Your Shop Floor Programming

If you are a visitor to our BLOG or website … you will know that we are also firm believers in the SHOP FLOOR PROGRAMMING MODEL vs THE CAD/CAM MODEL. Our favorite slogans are :

It’s NOT Always Rocket Science
STOP the CAD/CAM OVERKILL !!

We are also firm believers that relying on CAD/CAM only programming CAN MAKE YOUR SHOP DUMBER … read more here. 

As with our KipwareEDU® … we packed our Kipware® Conversational CNC Programming Software with our REAL WORLD experiences and created the PREMIER PC based conversational CNC programming software. Our concept and user interface provide an easy-to-use yet powerful shop floor programming application that can assist chipmakers become fast and efficient CNC programmers. Allowing chipmakers to create the simpler, everyday CNC programs will provide your shop with increased efficiency … will break the programming bottleneck … will increase profitability … along with providing your chipmakers with increased self worth and motivation.

We encourage you to explore Kipware® Conversational HERE … and research our many in-depth articles detailing the how’s and why’s of shop floor programming and what it can mean for your shop.

Are you ready for the increase in manufacturing opportunities coming down the track? Are you ready to assist your workforce become the workforce you require to meet those challenges? Kipware® software are powerful and proven-in-the-trenches tools that can help.

Kenney Skonieczny – President
Kentech Inc.

Karv Woodworking, Machine Shop Management

Cost Estimating for a Wooden Plaque with KipwareQTE®

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If you have followed our Blog … you might know that back in October of 2015 we started a sister company to Kentech Inc. called KÄRV. KÄRV is a woodworking business … is just getting started … and will be producing custom, handmade furniture and unique wood carvings for resale.

 

www.KarvWoodworking.com

We are using the Kipware® software from Kentech Inc. in KÄRV to both create the G code programs for our X-Carve CNC router and to estimate cycletime and costs for the products we will be producing for resale. So we are putting Kipware® to the test in the real world … this time the world of woodworking … for additional in-the-trenches use.

We also wanted to document some of the use of Kipware® in various areas of KÄRV … so this post is dedicated to the cost estimating of a wooden, 3D carved plaque we have for sale on our website.

We wanted to illustrate through the video available below how we used our KipwareQTE® to create the retail price for the plaque considering material cost, tooling cost, labor cost and non-machining costs. Metalworking … woodworking … they both have very similar aspects as they relate to manufacturing … so this video is a great way to see KipwareQTE® in action in a woodworking environment … but with a lot of similarities with a metalworking one.

For additional information on all our Kipware® CNC and Machine Shop software titles … please visit www.KentechInc.com.

For additional information on KÄRV woodworking … please visit www.KarvWoodworking.com

Kenney Skonieczny – President
Kentech Inc.

Machine Shop Management, Machinist Tips and Tricks

Shop Floor Programming … Why It’s Different and Why It Matters

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If you have ever worked and lived on the shop floor … as we did for over 30+ years … you know there is a difference between programming in a job shop type environment  … what we call every day programming / shop floor programming … and complex “die and mold” programming which is the true essence of CAD/CAM and CAD/CAM programming.

It’s a fact … it’s real … and it can DEFINITELY mean the difference between profit and loss. 

This post is dedicated to exploring exactly what we mean …. because there is a HUGE difference in employing a SHOP FLOOR PROGRAMMING model vs. a CAD/CAM PROGRAMMING model. 

SHOP FLOOR PROGRAMMING

Our definition of shop floor programming is the programming of the simpler, everyday type workpieces on the shop floor … perhaps directly at the machine … by the shop floor personnel using simpler G code creation tools like Kipware® conversational. It is in contrast to the CAD/CAM programming model where CAD/CAM software … with the start of everything dependent on a CAD drawing … is used by dedicated “CAD/CAM” guy(s) to create G code programs. Our 30+ years of shop floor experience have proven to us that everyday operations like simple milling … drilling … tapping … turning … grooving … boring … for the everyday type parts machined in 95% of job shops around the world every day … can be created more efficiently using the  shop floor programming model.

In a job shop and / or production environment … shop floor programming can especially pay big dividends when the statement “the more the merrier” is employed. The more personnel that are involved in the creation of G code programs … the better the efficiency and the better the output. And of course, allowing shop floor personnel to create the simpler, everyday CNC programs using tools like our Kipware® conversational means increased profits along with that increased efficiency and output.

In most cases … being a good chipmaker is the key experience requirement. Someone who can cut chips … knows material removal and all that that encompasses … and knows fixturing and workholding. While the knowledge of G code in any CNC environment is always essential … tools like Kipware® conversational can assist those chipmakers with limited G code knowledge create fast and efficient  G code programs from scratch. Many chipmakers have a handle on G code but creating a G code program from scratch can be a daunting, cumbersome and sometimes slow task. The reverse is also true … CAD/CAM / computer operators often lack the chipmaking and fixturing expertise of the shop floor personnel resulting in non-efficient CAD/CAM programs or constant re-programming because of real world consequences.

CAD/CAM PROGRAMMING

Is contrast to the points outlined above … the programming of complex … what we’ll call “die and mold programming” … should be the main prerequisite  behind a CAD/CAM programming model. CAD is an essential tool for design and engineering … and while the the CAM portion of the CAD/CAM model can be disputed … for complex, 3D programming die and mold programming … it to is essential.

However, using a complex CAD/CAM system and requiring CAD/CAM trained personnel to create G code programs for the simpler, everyday type workpieces can mean the exclusion of valuable chipmakers from the programming process. It can oftentimes lead to slow program creation and thus decreased efficiency, productivity and output. The fact is … CAD/CAM was never designed for EVERYDAY programming. It was created to handle complex design and the programming of complex aircraft and die / mold components. It was always an afterthought to adept it to production programming. The mere fact that everything starts with a drawing inherently makes it more complex and cumbersome for this task.

 Debating the CAM in CAD/CAM

Even when utilizing a CAD application for design … still not every workpiece should be or needs to be programmed through the CAM module nor by the “CAD/CAM programmer”. The point we want to make here is that CAD can be different than CAD/CAM. While having a drawing and design application … a CAD program … can be and oftentimes is essential … the CAM part is up for discussion. Handing off a drawing and having the simpler workpieces … the everyday type workpieces … programmed on the shop floor can free up additional programming resources to concentrate on the more complex programming required for the more complex components. Shop floor programming can be the key that unlocks increased efficiency and productivity … even when using a CAD ( and / or CAD/CAM ) programming model.

And home and hobby shops?

One man, small shops and hobby makers can also reap the rewards of NOT programming every workpiece through a CAD/CAM system and using a shop floor programming application. The quick and efficient programming made possible through tools like Kipware® conversational can assist in realizing the quick and accurate production of workpieces … whether a single component, multiple components or in production. Spending time creating drawings … because every CAD/CAM program starts with a CAD model … for even the simplest of operations … can slow down, bog down, and waste time that home and hobby shops can’t afford to waste.

Although usually a CAD system is required in these environments … mainly because small shops and one man shops also do their own design … shop floor programming and tools like Kipware® conversational can also be an essential part of their efficiency.

Bottom line …

CAD/CAM is a great tool. But it can be overkill … can often bog down a programming environment … and can remove good chipmakers from the programming process. These chipmakers are more often than not the keys to unlocking a good SHOP FLOOR PROGRAMMING SYSTEM and the benefits that can come from that.

Don’t be fooled by the CAD/CAM marketing.
Don’t get caught in CAD/CAM overkill.

We invite you to explore Kipware conversational and see how shop floor programming can set you and your shop floor free !!

Kenney Skonieczny – President
Kentech Inc.

Machine Shop Management, Machinist Tips and Tricks

When is a CNC Program More Than JUST G Code?

… when it’s a set-up sheet as well.

Most people are familiar with the ability of most CNC controls to include COMMENTS in the CNC G code program itself. Comments are designated in a variety of ways from :

  1. ( THIS IS A FANUC AND OKUMA COMMENT ) … any text inside (  ) is considered a comment.
  2. ! THIS IS AN ACRAMATIC COMMENT … any text following the ! is considered a comment.
  3. ; THIS IS A FAGOR COMMENT … any text following the ; is considered a comment.
  4. and on and on we could go.

Comments can be a real help when they include operator messages … such as :

M00 ( TURN PART AROUND )
or
M00 ! CHECK DIMENSION A

… but comments can go well beyond operator messages and can turn your G code program into a complete set-up doc as well that includes tool information, part zero locations and even stock descriptions.

Most people will create either a paper or digital tool sheet / list and / or set-up sheet / list that is stored and re-called when the corresponding G code program is going to be run again. The set-up personnel refer to these docs to set the machine up … loading required tools and setting height offsets and work offsets. Works great … no problems. But is there a better alternative? The answer is a “could be” yes. By storing this information directly in the G code program using the COMMENT capability of your CNC control. For example … something like this :

O1234
( PART #1234 )
( PROVEN PROGRAM : 7/2/2014 )
( PROGRAMMER : JM )
( PART LOCATED IN VISE USING JAWS JW-1234 )
( STOP SET-UP IS RIGHT SIDE – WORKPIECE STOP AGAINST FLANGE )
( X/Y PART ZERO IS LOWER LEFT CORNER )
( Z0 = TOP FINISH SURFACE )
( T1 / H1 = #3 CENTER DRILL )
( T2 / H22  = 1/2 DRILL )
( T3 / H3 = .500 CARBIDE END MILL )

So what is the advantage of keeping this info directly in the G code program using the COMMENTS capability of the CNC control?

  1. Harder to misplace … if you’re going to run the program, you need the program … and all the set-up info is right there stored right inside the G code program.
  2. Complete info is there for all to see at any time … no rummaging for loose paperwork or docs.
  3. Any edits or changes can be made directly in the program … when the running program is saved after execution … all the current set-up info is changed and saved as well including all updated data.

We often get asked … “Won’t this slow down my program execution speed?” The truth is that it will … but it will also be so minimal that usually the cost savings of having comments and all the convenience that comes with it far outweigh any reduction in program execution time. Rummaging around for lost documentation or re-creating lost documentation would be the real money waster.

Just a little something to think about if you haven’t considered COMMENTS already in your CNC programming. We touched on only a few points here … but we’re sure you can find many more benefits depending on the capabilities or lack thereof pertaining to your particular CNC programming operation. The fact is that expanding the use of COMMENTS in your CNC programming could be a real time and money saving alternative to digital or paper documentation.

Until next time … Happy Chip Making !!
Kenney Skonieczny – President
Kentech Inc.

Machine Shop Management, Machinist Tips and Tricks

Deciphering M CODES for Your CNC Machine

Recently we have been working with some Kipware® conversational clients assisting them in setting up their Kipware® post processor blocks for their G code output. With the addition of our EIA MENU option … users now have greater flexibility in using machine functions ( M ) functions in their G code to accomplish specific tasks. One example might be … parts catcher UP or DOWN to catch a part being parted-off … or chuck OPEN and CLOSE during a bar feed operation … or 4th axis CLAMP and UNCLAMP for CNC mill.

During these sessions we are coming across the situation where the end user doesn’t know the specific M for their machine to accomplish some of these tasks. And for whatever reason … manuals lost or misplaced … machine was purchased used and no manuals were included … or whatever … the end user does not have any Operator or Programmer manuals for their machine which would normally outline the M codes and their function. Without the manuals … they have no way of finding out what M functions control what. OR DO THEY ??

Let’s start this journey with a brief explanation of the HOW’s and WHY’s of CNC M functions. 

  1. First … there is no “industry” standard for M functions. Although you might find that M08 and M09 or M03 and M04 work for most CNC machines … there is not an industry standard that says they must meet a certain criteria.
  2. M functions are designed by the machine tool builder … not the control manufacturer. So you may have (5) Fanuc controlled machines in your shop … some Mori Seiki’s some Hitachi some Leadwell … all with different M functions. Because the M function circuits are designed by the machine tool builder and not Fanuc.

With those basic facts … when you ask your buddy “What’s the M function to open the chuck?” … and he says “M11” … and it doesn’t work on your machine … now you know why.

So how can you find out the M functions for your machine WITHOUT an Operators or Programming manual?

One of the best ways is to use either the electrical or ladder diagram for the machine. Although most Operator or Programming manuals get lost along the way … mostly because they are not kept with the machine but rather float around the office or shop … electrical diagrams ( which outline the electrical circuitry of the machine ) and ladder diagrams ( which outline the logic of the machine ) are most often kept inside the machines electrical cabinet. Open up the doors and you will usually find one or the other or both.

Even if you’re not electrical savvy … the circuits are pretty clearly labelled and you can find say the CHUCK OPEN circuit and trace things back to find the appropriate M function. Again … because they are built and designed by the machine tool builder and their electrical outline is outside the realm of the control … these circuits are contained in the machines electrical documentation … not the docs for the control.

electrical_circuit_pic

electrical_circuit_zoom_pic

Above is a pic of an electrical diagram for a Shizuoka CNC vertical mill … with an exploded view on the bottom. You can see fairly easily even without any electrical savvy that the M10 command will control the 4th axis clamping function. 

With today’s more sophisticated controls … oftentimes the ladder diagram is available directly on the machine controls CRT. You can pull up the ladder and even search for the appropriate function command … but in other cases the “old fashioned” printed ladder can also usually be found in the machines electrical cabinet.

Taking a look at either the electrical diagram or ladder will usually result in some additional road or path to travel to find the appropriate M function on your machine. A simple execution of an MDI command is a good test to see what happens. The old Trial and Error method will open up additional doors or produce the desired results.

M functions are powerful options on your CNC machine that can help automate many tasks and make your manufacturing more efficient. Know that you know the trick to discovering the M functions on your CNC machine … why not peruse your electrical or ladder diagram and see if there are any you might be missing in your programming?

Like what you see?
Please visit us at www.KentechInc.com

Kenney Skonieczny – President
Kentech Inc.

Machine Shop Management

Guidelines for Calculating Machine HOURLY RATE

We tout this fact all the time in our marketing … at Kentech Inc. we are MACHINISTS … we cut chips, we programmed, we ran shop floors for years … then we became software engineers and designers and built software products we saw were lacking during those years. What we refer to as Real World Machine Shop Software. 

As a result, many of our clients come to us to take advantage of that experience … especially those just starting out. Since quoting and estimating is one of the first tasks a new shop needs to get right … we get asked quite a lot of questions about these areas. Our KipwareCYC® ( machining cycletime estimating software ) and KipwareQTE® ( cost estimating / quoting software ) titles are two of our most popular titles. One of the “hot” topics we encounter during online presentations of these titles is often concerning the cost to charge for a machining or a shop rate. So we thought it was a good time to add a blog post with some guidelines we feel are simple enough … but important enough … that can get you to an accurate figure.

Since many shops will utilize an hourly rate as a basis for charging for machining time, this post is dedicated to some helpful guidelines on how to calculate that machining hourly rate. Below are some points we consider important when calculating the hourly rate for a particular machine. The areas requiring calculations include :

Equipment – Cost Per Hour of Operation … a common formula : (machine purchase cost + expected lifetime maintenance cost) / expected hours of operating life.

Direct Labor Cost per Hour … a common formula : (total annual labor costs + taxes + benefits + paid time off) / (total annual hours worked – breaks and training time)

Overhead Cost Per Hour  : Any costs not directly involved in machining a part is overhead. These include costs for administrative staff salary, equipment, furniture, building lease, maintenance and office supplies. Calculate the annual costs of these, then divide by total labor or machine hours for the year. This will be your overhead cost per hour

Once the above costs are calculated … you can use the formulas and guidelines below to arrive at either a “general” shop hourly rate or an hourly rate based on a specific piece of equipment.

General Machine Shop Hourly Rate … a common formula : Average overall shop rate = (average machine cost per hour + labor and overhead cost per hour) x markup

Machine Specific Hourly Rate … a common formula : (specific machine(s) cost per hour + labor + overhead cost per hour) x markup

Somewhat simplified … and usually a work in progress as factors may change. It is important to gather all the figures in the formulas above as best you can … as accurate as you can … and to keep tabs on any factors that may change along the way.

Estimating

Kenney Skonieczny – President
Kentech Inc.

Machine Shop Management

Shop Efficiency Series Part 6 : Gauging Your Shop’s Efficiency with the Magnificent 7

We have dedicated a lot of time and brought out a lot of ideas in our Shop Efficiency series … but most have been based “on the shop floor” and have targeted machining … set-up … and tooling. Quite a few clients have written us to ask about the business side … more of the “How do I actually know if my shop is efficient” … which is a great question. So in this post we turn our attention to the shop management and specifically ways of gauging your shop efficiency.

magnificent_seven

I have listed a few of what I consider critical areas in this Shop Efficiency post … one’s that I feel are among the easiest to gauge and important to watch … what I call the Magnificent Seven. The points below are not in the order of most importance … just simply a list of all the metrics. Creating a spreadsheet and taking a daily count with most of these factors will allow you to see the results as they happen … and over time will reveal the ups and downs of the shop in general … and allow you to make corrections. You can start your journey on the first of the month … for example … and take a few minutes every day or every week to fill in the numbers … building the information in the spreadsheet as you go along. Make a graph … and watch what these factors will reveal. If you stick with it … you will be shocked … maybe happily … maybe not.

(1) Revenue Per Man Hour

Revenue per Man-hour is the annual revenue ( or do it by month ) divided by the total paid man-hours, including paid vacations and overtime. Keeping a running total of these activities and although this is a general look at the numbers … it can be very telling.

(2) Lead Time

Customer Order Lead Time includes order-entry through production to shipment for every job. Again, start a running list from the first of the month and carry on. This stat will reveal your shop efficiency as well as give you a chance to look at the quantity of work going through the shop … and the time frame it takes to go from order received to revenue received.

(3) Labor Turnover

quittingLabor Turnover Rate is the number of voluntary and involuntary separations divided by the typical number of employees. Hopefully you won’t be keeping a monthly log of this stat … but keeping a log of the turnover rate will still yield a telling tale. Although this stat has it’s own revelation … it also shows one key point regarding efficiency. When an employee leaves a company ( for any reason ) he / she also takes a piece of that company’s memory and experiences with them. That loss of memory or experience can lead to efficiency and productivity loss. A company that experiences high turnover rates needs to find ways to insure that experiences and memory don’t leave the building along with the employee. A low labor turnover rate … as the inverse … helps achieve and maintain high performance, productivity and efficiency.

(4) Completion Rate

This factor can be described as the On-Time Completion Rate. It is the percentage of goods delivered on time. This is … obviously … a direct result of shop efficiency. Keep a log for every job going through the shop and how it fared in the On-Time Completion Rate.

(5) Scrap and Rework

scrap

This factor is the Scrap and Rework as a percentage of shop sales. Scrap and rework cost time and money. Some scrap and even some rework is inevitable … but this factor may be most useful as an indicator of how well things are going out on the shop floor. An high scrap and rework percentage is an early tip-off that something … or someone … needs a deeper look.

(6) Machine Uptime

Total Machine Uptime is the hours of production as a percentage of the total operating hours for the shop per week. In other words, what percentage of an average shift are each of your shop’s machines running. Basically put … your employees get paid every day whether they are productive or not … idle machines are not making that money even though the employees are getting paid. Therefore, how much a machine is up and running becomes an important factor for determining just how productive and profitable that shop is.

(7) Machine Availability

Machine Availability is the time machines are actually available for use compared to the time they are supposed to be available. Unscheduled maintenance or other problems will reduce a machine’s expected availability … and impact production schedules negatively which in turn reduce the ability of a shop to deliver product on time.

There will be some out there that utter the phrase “I know all this just by being out in the shop every day.” And that may be true. But seeing the numbers on “paper” ( it might be your computer screen ) is much more telling … and much more emphatic … and makes the point much more clearer.

So … there you have it … the Magnificent Seven. Keeping a close eye on these factors or metrics will most definitely put your shop’s efficiency in glaring focus … and will most likely open your eyes and mind to whole list of other metrics that may be pertinent to your particular shop and operation. Taking the time to develop and review your information as it develops will prove to be more than worth the effort … and keeping the faith will insure your shop is on the straight and steady track.

Estimating

Kenney Skonieczny – President
Kentech Inc.

Machine Shop Management, Machinist Tips and Tricks

Shop Efficiency Series Part 5 : Multi-Function Tools

Multi-function tools have been around for quite a while but oftentimes are overlooked for a variety of reasons ranging from lack of understanding to shop inventory. But the truth is that in many situations, multi-function tools can be a key to reduced cycletime … more efficient machining … better workflow … and that ultimate prize … increased shop efficiency.

In this installment of our Shop Efficiency Series … will take a quick look at some of the more common multi-functions tools … outline some of their features and benefits … to hopefully bring about a better understanding and start that “machinist mind” thinking about how these types of tools might be able to benefit your particular shop efficiency.

Milling : Multi-Function End Mill
Multi-function end mills are designed with two main features … low cutting resistance and good chip evacuation when center cutting / drilling and milling at an angle. These two features give these tools the ability to perform both drilling and milling … which makes them an indispensable part of your tooling inventory. Imagine being able to select either plunge milling or side milling when machining … or employing a combination of both because the tool has that capability. The image below gives the whole range of machining op’s that are available with this tool type … it illustrates well their flexibility and capability … and speaks volumes about why they should be one of your go-to tools. As you can see there are a variety of operations where they can make an impact.

endmill_1

Additional Information / Recommendation :

Tool Name / Manufacturer : Kyocera MEY – Ultra Drill Mill
Catalog / Brochure Link :
http://global.kyocera.com/prdct/tool/pdf/e-d_mey.pdf

——————————————————-

Milling : Thriller – Drill / C’Sink / Tap
If you have never utilized a combination drill / thread mill … this tools will really blow your mind. Center drilling … drilling … countersinking … thread milling or tapping as means of creating a tapped hole is SOOOO NOT KOOL !! 4 tools combined with the tool changes … stopping and starting … tool costs … etc. … make this method of creating threaded holes simply NOT ACCEPTABLE when discussing shop efficiency. You may have held off on these thinking that they are really for specific types of threaded holes … but the more you look the more they make sense as the go-to-tool .. with tapping and other standard operations as the secondary option. Our favorite tool comes from Emuge Corp. … which also has outstanding field support BTW … and combines drilling, countersinking and thread milling in one tool … quickly illustrated below.

thriller

But rather than yapping about all the benefits …we suggest watching the video link below … it tells the story way better than words.

Additional Information / Recommendation :

Tool Name / Manufacturer : Emuge Corporation – Thriller
Catalog / Brochure Link : http://emuge.com/media-resources/brochures-catalogs/4-fluted-solid-carbide-thrillers

Video Link : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdOfHEzXMMA

Video Link : https://vimeo.com/6245960

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Turning : Groove / Turn Tools

For machining operations that include both turning and grooving … it oftentimes makes sense to combine those operations with one tool. Of course the type of material and type of groove machining play an important role here … but when possible, using a combination groove-turn tool can be very beneficial and efficient. Eliminating the tool change and related non-cutting time can improve cycletime … but the flexibility of the tool opens up a wide variety of machining options as well … beyond just grooving operations.

iscar

As the illustration above shows … machining operations such as PARTING OFF … GROOVING … BACK TURNING … and STANDARD TURNING are all possible with this tool type.

Additional Information / Recommendation :

Tool Name / Manufacturer : ISCAR – Groove-Turn

Catalog / Brochure Link : http://www.iscar.com/eCatalog/Applications.aspx?mapp=TG

Video Link : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXhEtc1zl4w

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 Turning : Boring with an Indexable Drill

In certain non-turning tool applications … it is possible to utilize the same indexable drill used to drill a hole as a boring bar to open up the hole diameter. Benefits of course include decreased cycletime and the use of less tools … but this should be considered carefully and success involves many factors. As stated many times in our blog … we recommend Sandvik tooling quite often … and they have a great online resources that delves into this type of machining and the options to consider before giving it a go in the link below … just click the image to open up their information page :

sandvik

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Of course there are thousands of ways to use standard type tooling as a multi-function tool … and we are sure that your machinist mind has come up with some novel ones along the way. But we felt the need to include at least some of the more “common” options in any conversation about shop efficiency. So there you have it. Some food for thought … and some multi-function tooling options you may not have been aware of or considered.

Estimating

Please come back for our next installment in our series on Shop Efficiency.

Kenney Skonieczny – President
Kentech Inc.

Machine Shop Management, Machinist Tips and Tricks

Shop Efficiency Series Part 4 : Re-Thinking Your HEIGHT OFFSET Strategy

As we have been stressing throughout this Shop Efficiency Series … keeping your spindle running and the green cycle light lit is one of the main keys to making money and profits. In Part 4 we’re going to shift our attention back to the VMC and HMC world and send out some thoughts regarding Tool Height Offsets … “touching off” tools … and how to get that inevitable task done quickly, easily and efficiently … so that the spindle stays running and the tools gets in the chip.

Tool breakage or the need to replace dull or ineffective tools can cause huge loss of cutting times and spindle on time. With the implementation of the simple system we outline below … you can insure that replacing or setting up your tools for machining can be done quickly and efficiently with as little disruption to cutting time as possible. There are some initial costs involved … but the ROI is fast and you’ll see the results immediately.

We’ll take you through the Set-Up and Process first to show you how it works … then highlight some of the Features and Benefits that can achieved by utilizing this system. The basic idea is to utilize a MASTER TOOL to set the part Z0 position … and use the HEIGHT OFFSETS to calibrate the distance difference from the MASTER TOOL and EACH CUTTING TOOL. This system leaves us only the MASTER TOOL to re-calibrate for each workpiece … and allows us to leave the cutting tools unchanged no matter what part we’re running. Setting up ONE tool is obviously faster than setting up multiple tools.

What You’ll Need :

  1. Height Gauge … digital gauge will obviously function the best.
  2. Master Tool ( more details below )
  3. Tool Holder Adapter or Setting Fixture

tip10-pic1

The Master Tool :

In order to utilize the features of this system, you’ll need to create a MASTER TOOL. What we refer to as a master tool would be a piece of stock, say a piece of turned, ground and polished stock or drill rod loaded and secured into a tool holder. It should be secure in the holder … the best way is with a shoulder butting against the tool holder face so it has a positive stop. Another feature is to make this master tool close to the length of the machine specs longest tool. This way you’ll know that no cutting tool can be longer than this master tool.

Tool Holder Adapter or Setting Fixture :

Once you have created your stable Master Tool … the next stable component should be your setting fixture. With a little thought and work you can turn a standard tool tightening fixture … such as the ones pictured below … into something suitable for this purpose … with the main criteria being the stable repeatability of the tool holder positioning.

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The Process :

On a surface plate, set up your height gauge and tool holder adapter to allow for the measuring of your tools. To measure a tool :

  • Place the MASTER TOOL in the setting fixture and set zero at the top of the master tool.

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  • Place a cutting tool to be measured in the setting fixture and record the reading at the top of the tool’s cutting edge. This is the distance from the master tool tip to the cutting tool tip. This dimension is the value that is to be entered in the machines height offset table for the measured tool.

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  • Repeat the second step above for each tool to be measured, recording the value on the height gauge for each tool.
  • Load the tools in the magazine and enter the measured height offset values from Step #2 above into their respective height offset table positions.
  • Using the MASTER TOOL, touch the Z0 surface of the workpiece and record the value from the home position to the Z0 location. This value should be entered in the Z table for the work offset (G54 – G59) to be used in the program.

That’s it. 

Your program is ready to run. Your program will call up the G54 – G59 work offset or similar and will know the distance from the master tool to the Z0 location. Using the H value call in the program, the machine will calculate the difference between the master tool and the measured tool and adjust as required.

Now that we’ve set the thoughts and ideas in your mind … feel free to deviate and expand on the basics outlined here.

 Some Features and Benefits :

  1. Let’s suppose you’re going to set up a new job next but will utilize some of the tooling from the previous job. The only set-up required is to use the Master Tool to touch the new Z0 surface, changing the value in the work offsets with this new value. Your cutting tools and their height offsets can remain the same. Save time by touching off one tool instead of many.
  2. You can set-up a spare tool or replacement tool off the machine using the master tool and the height gauge … insuring that your spindle will be back in the cut faster.
  3. You can load say a nice cutting carbide mill in the magazine and use it for a variety of different jobs. No need to touch it off all the time, just use the master tool to get your work offset in Z.
  4. Measuring tools becomes easier, allowing more people to assist with the tool setting . Setters don’t need to know how to operate the machine.

From experience, once you try this method you’ll find it saves you all kinds of time. The best advantage is being able to call out set tools that stay in the magazine. This really speeds up the set-up and changeover process.

Stay tuned for more posts in our Shop Efficiency Series.
Next up we’ll take a look at MULTI-FUNCTION tools that can perform multiple types of cutting and save your shop a ton of time in the process.

Conversational

Kenney Skonieczny – President
Kentech Inc.

Machine Shop Management, Machinist Tips and Tricks

Shop Efficiency Series Part 3 : Re-Thinking Your Lathe Tooling

We’ve always been a big fan of Sandvik Coromant and their tooling … not just because they are a member of the Kipware® family … but we have always found their tooling, inserts, support and design to be cutting edge and of the best quality. On the shop floor … they were our tooling manufacturer of choice and never let us down whether in standard type production or when we were looking for that new and innovative tool to get us through the toughest job or materials.

One of my personal best purchases was in converting our CNC lathe tool turret from standard lathe tooling to the Sandvik CAPTO system. I can compare this transformation to the points I outlined in Part #1 of this Shop Efficiency series … click here to read that article … and the transformation that takes place when you bring your VMC table into the 21st century. A CAPTO system will bring your CNC lathe turret into the 21st century.

First – What is CAPTO?

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The CAPTO system is basically a quick-change, modular tooling system for CNC lathes and turning centers. Instead of mounting tooling directly into the turret … tools are mounted to quick-change clamping units that are mounted onto the turret. Tools are then easily interchanged by simply changing the “head” mounted onto the clamping unit. Need to change from an 80 degree turning tool to a 55 degree … just simple swap the “head”. Need to change from a .750 insert drill to a 1.250 … simply change the “head”. For live tool turning centers … need to change from a 1″ drill to a face mill … simply change the “head”.

Second – Why Use CAPTO?

This type of modular tooling system comes with tons of advantages. Here are just a few of the more important ones pertaining to the Shop Efficiency factors which are the main focus of this series.

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  • Quick tool change which keeps the spindle running and the machine making chips / money. Not only in changing the complete tool type … but insert changes can take place off-line while the head is replaced at the turret involving less time than an insert change.
  • Greatly reduced set-up and changeover times because of the cutting edge repeatability when re-mounted in the clamping unit.
  • Greater tool stability leads to improved cutting and cycletimes.
  • Greater flexibility in tool selection and tool type.
  • Same tooling can be used throughout the shop … reduced tooling costs and inventory.
  • Greater options for through-tool coolant delivery … again, improved cutting and cycletimes.
  • Turning Centers with Live Tools can see the biggest impact. By simply swapping heads that tool station can go from a face mill to a drill to an end mill in seconds. With greater repeatability meaning less set-up / touch off times. In addition … turning that face mill station into a turning tool station can also be accomplished … quickly and easily.

I could go on and on … but I’m sure you’re machinist mind sees the point.

Third – Cost vs Features

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Like anything in life … the system does require an initial investment. How much can be spread out over time as you integrate the system into the machine and the shop over time. I will say from experience that the long term savings are there … in quicker change overs, increased cycletimes and reduced tooling inventory … especially if you integrate the system into multiple machines. The beauty part here is that once you have the clamping units on all your machines … all machine will now utilize the same tooling. That is a huge advantage including reduced tooling costs and inventory all around.

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RESULT – Increased Shop Efficiency

As you can see from the points outlined here … there are a ton of features that can lead your CNC turning department to increased shop floor efficiency with the transformation through a CAPTO system. By integrating the system into your shop bit by bit you can defer the initial investment a bit and still reap the long term advantages and savings as you build the system into your shop floor. From faster insert changes … to faster tool change-overs … to faster set-up … to improved cutting and cycletimes … your shop floor can certainly reap improved shop efficiency with a CAPTO system.

LINKS for ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 

  1. For a more in-depth look … take a peek at the Sandvik Coromant video by CLICKING HERE.
  2. For more information on CAPTO in general … download the informational PDF by CLICKING HERE

Please come back for our next installment in our series on Shop Efficiency. Until next time … Happy Chip Making !!

Kenney Skonieczny – President
Kentech Inc.