Automation is finally at the forefront of CNC manufacturing trends. Lack of labor is the main driver for automation today. For years, the justification for automation was almost always based entirely on financial return. Post-Covid, not only has labor become more expensive, but it may also not be available at all. For many CNC manufacturers,…
read moreIn 2005, Rekluse Motorsports was growing like mad. A new batch of high-performance, 4-stroke, off-road motorcycles fueled that growth. New bike models meant new part numbers and we quickly grew into manufacturing hundreds of unique parts that made their way into dozens of different products. All of that growth caused a lot of growing pains.…
read moreHistorically, there have been two methods to automate the tending of parts in a CNC machine: part picking robots and pallet picking robots. VersaBuilt’s MultiGrip is a third method for automated tending of a CNC machine. We’ll look at how each technology works, some of the pluses and minuses of each, and how some of…
read moreLike most industries in the US, machine shops are facing historic labor challenges. Automating the loading and unloading of CNC machines typically represents the single best opportunity to reduce the amount of labor required to meet production demands. Modern CNC automation systems can be successfully deployed in almost any CNC machine shop to help alleviate…
read moreCNC production targets keep getting missed. Scrap rates are high. We don’t have enough CNC operators to meet demand. Production costs are rising. Sound familiar? You’re not alone. Experienced, reliable, and dedicated CNC operators are in short supply and the problem is forecast to get worse. Many CNC shops are foregoing opportunities because they know…
read moreThe market for CNC automation equipment has exploded over the past 5 years. Price points have come down significantly. Cobots have created new automation possibilities including DIY automation. A discussion of all possibilities could take weeks to write and hours to read. I’m going to narrow this discussion down to automation equipment targeted at high-mix…
read moreCobot Machine Tending: The Ideal Place to Start Automating Date: Tuesday, June 8th, 2021 Time: 11:00 AM Eastern Time Sponsor: Universal Robots Duration: 1 Hour Summary: Machine tending requires a person to stand for long hours in front of a CNC, injection-molding, or other similar machine and tend to its operational needs. The process is boring and tiresome…
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