Machining Centers & Cells “It’s important to select the right machining technology,”


said Tim Pearson, consultant and owner of Great Glen Solu- tions (Cleveland), “but don’t overspend on something that is too complex.” Pearson is an advocate of lean manufacturing and was its practitioner at a major health care manufacturer of Nuclear Medicine and CT devices. “Five-axis machining in the right application can provide an important competitive edge, and robots can run through the night, but the most critical factors are high quality and even flow. These decisive elements are facilitated by the process capability of the equipment, and the involvement of the working team, in order to create even flow through minimal setups and preventive maintenance.”


Technology Center Gathers Solutions Providers Advanced machine technology can go a long way, but there are all those other ancillary areas where equally sophis- ticated products for fixturing, tooling, CAM programming, and gaging and measurement must be handled so as not to


create unnecessary delay and downtime. “A recent techno- logical advance at the company is the support that our Center for Multitasking & Manufacturing Excellence can provide our customers,” said Chuck Birkle, VP Marketing, Mazak Corp. (Florence, KY). “When we look at all the elements that a successful installation of one or more of our big e-vertical multitasking machines requires, for example, the role of the Mazak Technology Center facilitating communication among the various third-party technology providers is critical.” Mazak calls these third-party suppliers, among many other things, of programming, CAD/CAM, tooling, workholding and quality monitoring devices, VIPs, or value-inspired partners. “Some of them have desks right here in our Technology Center to conduct business, shortening up the food chain going from challenge to solution,” said Birkle. “In general, our custom- ers are trying to do more with less: reduced tools, fixtures and floorspace. If we can consolidate those processes and also have only one loading and unloading mechanism for multiple


74 ManufacturingEngineeringMedia.com | July 2014


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