Amid growing competition, the CNC (Computer Numerically Controlled Machine Tool) manufacturing industry is locked in a constant battle to contain production costs, improve product quality and meet customer demands. To meet these challenges, CNC shops employ state-of-the-art technology to reduce costs and increase productivity.
1. Robotic automation in the CNC workshop
To simplify the CNC machining process and improve efficiency, more and more companies are implementing robotic automation to support various types of CNC machines, such as lathes, milling machines, and plasma cutters. Integrating robotic automation into a CNC shop offers many benefits, whether for a single production cell or an entire shop. Examples include the following:
2. Higher efficiency and productivity
Robots can perform cutting, grinding or milling at higher levels of uptime than traditional methods, producing 47 percent more parts per hour. While the benefits of CNC machines are enormous, adding robotic automation to a CNC shop can significantly increase production without exceeding budgetary constraints.
Robots can run for hours without failure and require no downtime or downtime. Easy parts loading and unloading without frequent maintenance checks, reducing downtime.
Modern stand-alone robotic CNC machine tenders can handle a wide range of component sizes, ID and OD (optical density) more efficiently than humans. The robot itself is operated using a menu-driven touchscreen HMI (Human Machine Interface), ideal for non-programmers.
Custom automation solutions utilizing robots have been proven to reduce cycle times by 25%. With a robotic work cell, the changeover takes only a fraction of the time. This time efficiency helps the company better meet customer needs and enable cost-effective low-volume production.
3. Improved labor safety and security
Robots include many features to ensure that employees enjoy a high level of safety while performing core tasks. As an added bonus, robots implemented for specific processes can allow humans to prioritize cognitive-oriented tasks.
If you're on a tight budget, you can keep an eye out for some independent robotic CNC machine tenders. These tenders carry minimal initial costs and can be easily installed and operated without professional supervision.
4. Reduce spending
When it comes to robotic automation, the speed of deployment is often fast and efficient. This helps minimize integration costs.
If the budget is tight, companies can tender with stand-alone robotic CNC machines. With relatively low initial costs for machine bidding, manufacturers can achieve a quick return on investment (ROI) without compromising productivity.
The tender itself can be installed and operated without professional supervision. In addition, the bidding process is relatively simple, which can speed up deployment and redeployment.
Easy Installation / Powerful Multitasking The robotic CNC machine tender unit can be installed by minimally experienced personnel. A person simply places the tender in front of the CNC machine, anchors it to the ground, and connects power and Ethernet. Often, there are simplified installation and operation tutorials available to help companies set everything up easily.
Unlike human labor, robots can efficiently service multiple machine parts. Loading a workpiece into a machine is easily done by a robot, and you can program the robot to load another machine during machining. This practice is very time-saving since the two processes are performed simultaneously.
Robots can adapt to new processes spontaneously compared to human employees, which requires training to facilitate the transition to new procedural guidelines.
5. Higher adaptability and insourcing rate
Shops sometimes receive unfamiliar job requests or different component specifications. This can be a challenge, but if you've already implemented a robotic automation system, you can simply reprogram the system and change tools as needed.
Despite their compactness, the production capacity of automated cells is enormous. They can also multitask simultaneously, further increasing productivity and efficiency. With increased production capacity, CNC shops can reduce the need for outsourcing, and in some cases, formally outsourced production work can be brought back in-house.
6. Better contract pricing
Robots ensure manufacturing consistency in the CNC shop. This enables companies to more accurately estimate production durations and related expenditures, which in turn improves contract pricing.
Robots have made annual production contract fees more affordable than ever, which has convinced more customers to get involved.
Robots are extremely productive, relatively simple to operate, and economically viable. As a result, robotic automation has gained wide acceptance in the CNC industry, with more and more CNC shop owners incorporating robots into various manufacturing and production processes.
Customers in CNC shops have also recognized the many benefits that robotic automation brings to CNC operations, including greater consistency and quality, and lower production costs. For client companies, these advantages, in turn, make contracting for CNC work easier and more affordable than ever before.
