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29-10-19 Machine tools improve mould making efficiency

Nowadays companies strive more and more for efficiency in their means and methods. Its not easy to have the best deal when you choose for multitasking in order to achieve more in both of the contexts (means and methods).

In mould making there has been a big evolution during the times in what machine tools concerns about; One could find Machines pushing methods (e.g. sequential or parallel production) and methods pushing Machines (cell production/ FMS / process specialization)

With sectors pressure to reduce time by every possible ways, new solutions have raised up;

(Processes under the same umbrella, set up optimization, IOT- real time control, data collection, more electronically behavior control and tuning, self learning patterning …)

But could we get to a point where a machine could run multiple processes and finish all of our parts in “almost one stroke”?

Fig 1 - Automatic Part Feeder Cell concept

Fig 2 - Automatic Part Store and Feeder Cell concept

Perhaps the trend could be that; at least for the machines that can rough, semi and finish, mill, drill with no compromise for the end purpose – delivering effective moulds as fast as we can!

Here’s a good example of a concept that deals with method and machine at the same time and level: multipurpose (processes: mill and drill) /multi axis / ATC – automatic tool changer – job planning and set up – a multi process cell that could be included in a cell production type.

(Could it also make a coffee ? …probably if you gently ask for it…)

All in all objectiveness is the efficiency key factor; at the end if one look for efficiency, firstly bottlenecks should be found and with it solutions to reduce time wasters and part quality improvement.