Machine Setup

[dgriffiths]

If you could name one thing that has improved your machine setup times over anything else, What would it be? If our company has one continuous struggle it is reasonable machine setup times. We have made improvements over the last five years but are still not where we think we should be to be competitive. We run small lots (10 - 100pcs). in a job shop environment with no real automation (pallet changers, robotic loaders, etc..) So we are almost always setting up at least one machine. (We only have 5 NC's) The owner is very willing to make the necessary investments if the ROI can be proven. Just curious what others have done to make positive strides in setup times.

[GoetzInd]

The key is being able to have everything ready to go when the machine is done. Repeatable fixturing (we use ball loc), tooling pre-setter, DETAILED set-up sheets all save a ton of time.

 

Mike

[K2csq7]

Making someone responsible for ensuring everything the operator needs to set up the next job is right there where/when he needs it.

We have 6 engineers and about 50 operators... 95% of the engineers work is catering to the operators beckon call.... designing fixtures, tooling, processes, and the making programs is the easy part.

[ktmsean]

Start with a solid base plate with locating pins that you can drop multiple fixtures onto . For small lots have two vises mounted to a plate that you can just drop onto the locating pins on your base plate.

[dgriffiths]

Tool setting is one place where we are lacking. We are constantly tearing down and setting up tooling. I am setting up standard tooling that stays in the machine so that should help some but we are limited (25 tools). A pre-setter would be nice. Do you have a single employee who is in charge of pre-setting and staging jobs to the machines?

[Matthew Hajicek - Singularity]

1. Hole-pattern tombstone with vises that locate on expanding dowels.

2. Probing.

 

The mounting pattern gets the vise and stock pretty close in the real world to where it is in the computer; close enough to run an automated probing routine to pick up the fine adjustment.

[GoetzInd]

Do you have a single employee who is in charge of pre-setting and staging jobs to the machines?

 

Pretty much. Although almost all our operators know how to use it. Very simple. Pick a machine, measure tool, enter offset. You are going to go crazy trying to keep standard tools in machines with such limited tool capacity. A presetting will pay for it self in no time it all. I was a skeptic until we got one. I always thought they were more of a luxury. Now I would never run a shop without one.

 

Mike

[robk]

+1 to ball locks.

I have probe/laser routines inside my programs for unattended machining.

[Jroc85]

Start with a solid base plate with locating pins that you can drop multiple fixtures onto . For small lots have two vises mounted to a plate that you can just drop onto the locating pins on your base plate.

 

That's what we have here. Also a laser for measuring tools is pretty quick.

[Chris Rizzo]

Easy stuff that costs next to nothing:

 

- Video record an operator doing a few setups. Camera on tripod. Watch the video with the operators and brainstorm. Look for any and every move and see how time could be saved. Stuff like looking for a tool (see below fix), screwing in fixture bolts (shorter bolts, screw gun), digging for setup sheets, etc. etc. Make sure you emphasize with the operator your not timing or testing their performance, you want to figure out how their job can be made easier.

 

- Have a tool board/kit for EACH MACHINE with any and all hand tools an operator could need. Color code them and use the shadow/outline style so they stay at their respective machines. Be militant about keeping the tools there.

 

- Have a standard tool list and #'s in your programs

 

- Have repeat jobs kitted in plastic bins (like akro style). Stuff like vice/soft jaws, special tooling (already in a holder with length offset value listed), gauges, etc all in the box. WITH A LIST of what should be in the box, and what goes back in after job is run.

 

- Color code anything in the shop that is specific to a particular machine. Vices, fixtures, etc

 

More $$

 

- Have holders for each and every tool you run in the shop, no need to hunt for collets, holders, tools etc.

 

- presetter presetter presetter!

 

whatever system and fixes you come up with be vigilant about maintaining it!

[specv]

Dowels, ball locks, anything that you can use to repeat a set-up.

Also tool presetters are worth their weight in gold, being able to load offsets in the machine and not tie up a machine to touch off tools is huge.

We also download our tool offsets and fixture offsets when we finish a job so we know if anything significant changed during the run.

Probing is also huge.

It sounds simple but dialing in a fixture correctly is also key, especially when using dowels for locating on multiple machines, many operators wrongfully assume that because it was doweled it is perfect.

[dgriffiths]

Great stuff. I feel a little better that some of the practices mentioned we already have in place. I have considered doing Kaizen type time studies of our setups.

[Guyinthedesert]

A lot of good suggestions,. Pre-set tools I think is a must. Probes also save a lot of time. Making fixtures that all use the same size bolts. Anything that eliminates having a setup guy walking around looking for some little thing. (where do all the allen wrenches keep going?)

 

Our shops policy is to run a first artical, then the machine sits until it's signed off by inspection. In a way, it seems like a waste to shave seconds off the set up time, and then the part just sits in inspection while 3 inspectors are standing outside the door smoking and drinking coffee. What can you do?

[neurosis]

Our shops policy is to run a first artical, then the machine sits until it's signed off by inspection. In a way, it seems like a waste to shave seconds off the set up time, and then the part just sits in inspection while 3 inspectors are standing outside the door smoking and drinking coffee. What can you do?

 

This is a huge pet peeve of mine in our shop. We will have CMM programs for a part that might take 5 minutes to run and yet our QC department insists that our operators inspect their parts thoroughly before they will put the part on the CMM. This has always seemed like a huge waste of time to me.

 

Our QC department is the biggest bottleneck in our shop.

 

Our setup times have been greatly reduced by making all of our tooling modular on our HMC. We are in a debate on whether to do the same on our verticals after seeing how much time is saved. Its expensive and time consuming up front but the time savings in the end is unbelievable.

 

Seems like a waste to turn a 3 hour set up in to a 15 minute setup if the machine is just going to sit for three hours while the part and operator is just sitting in QC.

[robk]

Our QC department is the biggest bottleneck in our shop.

I could relate to that. We have same problem as well.

[Mr. Wizzard]

Organize, standardize....

 

Like you said, with only 25 pockets, it's hard to load standard tools in the machine and keep them there. However, with only 5 machines, it's pretty easy to have all of your most commonly used tool (endmills, center drills, chamfer endmills, c'sinks) loaded, measured, labels and located in one common spot. That way, they're always ready to run and never need measured.

 

With common fixture plates, vise locations, etc.. you can also save time on offsets. I've done this for a few machines, especially on things that will barely fit in the machine. Set up a standard programming template with vise locations, fixture plates, etc... for each machine. When you program the part, locate it in the program exactly where it will be in the machine. It can be dangerous if you don't do it right, or get sloppy. However, it can be a huge timesaver when the work is done in the background correctly. Set-up sheets must explicitly detail where the fixture/vise/stock will be located. Either macro the offset in the program to set it in the control or comment the location in the header. The operator should never have to set an offset. Just start the program and watch closely. You can also run a dummy drill cycle to place a center drill at the zero location 1.00 above the part with an M00. The operator can scale the height, eyeball the x/y zero and go to town. Again, lots of work in the background, but once it's done, it speeds things up.

 

I find the biggest time consuming part is guessing, when setting up a job from someone else. The more information you can provide to take out any guess work will save time. It's not just a 3/4" endmill, it's a .750 3-FLute, Onsrud endmill, 1.625 LOC, 0.030 corner radius,MFG# AMC704160. The operator should never have to guess.

[Jroc85]

Our QC department is the biggest bottleneck in our shop.

 

I thought my shop was the only one.

[GoetzInd]

The operator should never have to guess.

+1 because 9/10 he'll guess wrong.

 

Mike

[BenK]

Our QC department is the biggest bottleneck in our shop.

 

 

+10000

 

Ours has the mentality that they are the money makers in the shop.

[PeterM]

I can't brag about our set up time or truly horrible QC bottleneck, but one thing that we do in our milling department is to have two jobs per machine. When you do it right, one job is in inspection while the other is running. We run two shifts so the simple/stupid job is intended for 2nd shift. Day shift handles setups.

[Newbeeee™]

Our QC department is the biggest bottleneck in our shop.

 

Well I hope you frequently wind into them their job position within the company. Something along the lines of 'if you can't do it, then view it' usually get's their goat

[Russh67]

It's expensive but probing and tool setter had dramatically changed the way do things. Well worth the investment.

 

Throw away all those sticky pad notes on all over the machine.

 

Lots of great suggestions..... thanks.

[Mr. Wizzard]

Yeah, post-it notes are so lame an unprofessional...

 

Wait a minute, who put these damn things on here.....

[Russh67]

LOL.

 

Before we got the probes i bought little white boards for all the math stuff. But there was still torn paper from setting the tools.

 

The white boards are now used to tell the different shifts what program is running..and dirty jokes and general adolescent remarks...

[90rsgnuguy42]

Even with only 25 tools it's not too hard to use some standard tools. Use the first 10 tools as standard then the rest for job specific tools. In most of the job shops I've worked in there is a fair amount of repeat work. Figure out the most used tools in the majority of work you do and pick 10 for the standard tools. A pre-setter is a must in set up time reduction. Having a tool set up person is also a great way to reduce set up times. Also a shop foreman or lead man that has the next job with all the tools, vises, set up sheets etc. ready to go will help.