Increasing CNC Production throughput with Tool Presetting

All too often, shops invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in a new machining center to increase production, when they could accomplish the same thing with existing machinery at a fraction of the cost. Many machines cut metal less than 50% of the time during working hours— even less in a flexible manufacturing environment where part runs are generally short. For the rest of the time, these machines sit idle while their operators are setting up tools in the spindle. Instead of purchasing an additional CNC machining center, a shop can invest in equipment that allows it to set up tools outside the machine, so the spindle can make chips while the next tool is being adjusted and prepared.

If this shop used tool presetting equipment, then the operators wouldn’t have to waste valuable spindle time touching off tools or making trial cuts. Instead, they could preset tools for the next operation or reset tools after changing inserts while the machine continues to run. As a bonus, the operators could preset cutters with adjustable pockets for a balanced chipload, rather than setting these indexable tools on the machining center, which is very time-consuming.

Many shops have found that routine use of offline tool presetting equipment significantly reduces spindle downtime and keeps their machine tools producing quality components. Offline adjustment of boring bar length and diameter can reduce tool-changeover time at the machine spindle from 15 minutes to less than 1 minute. On CNC lathes, similar reductions in setup times are routinely achieved. With tools that require a length-only setup, shops can realize a reduction in setup time from 5 minutes to less than 1 minute per tool.

Presetters measure the cutting edges of your tools to assure they precisely match job specifications and are ready to be used in the machine. Adjustments that could take up to 15 minutes when made on your machine can be made offline in less than a minute on a presetter, while your machine continues cutting.

The result - better parts, longer tool life, and less spindle downtime.

• Offline tool set-up dramatically reduces spindle downtime on your machine
  
• Precise and repeatable measurements deliver extreme tolerances
  
• Eliminate test cuts with FIRST PART PRECISION
  
• Reduce operator error
  
• Increase efficiency - store and analyze tool data for lean use and maximum tool life
  

For more information about presetting tools contact us or Big Kaiser and we'll set up a demonstration!