The reduction of long lead times won’t be achieved by simply reducing machining cycle times; shaving seconds off a part’s in-cut time is nothing compared to eliminating entire steps in the process, especially time-consuming tasks that require manual intervention. That’s why manufacturers turn to Mazak and our innovative Multi-Tasking machines, which bring multiple machining processes into one machine platform to achieve single-setup manufacturing.
Our increasingly complicated world requires equally complicated building blocks, and to cut these parts, manufacturers have stretched out lead times and added steps to their processes. Yet when the time comes to optimize part-production operations, manufacturers rarely think about the days, weeks or months that elapse as raw material becomes a finished part. Instead, the industry often focuses on the minutes and seconds of in-cut time, the so-called “value-added” time.
Consider the production of aerospace landing gear components such as pistons and cylinders that require high-quality surface finishes, tight tolerances and intricate features. With conventional machine tools and processes, each piston and cylinder can take up to six weeks to finish, with more than 50 hours of machining – with six separate set ups – and 22 hours of manual benchwork. After incorporating an INTEGREX e-670H Multi-Tasking Machining Center from Mazak, however, it now takes a mere 15 hours of in-plant time to complete a part, with only 13 hours of machining time in two set ups and two hours of manual benchwork.