Lights-Out Machining Season
If you are looking to implement lights-out manufacturing in your shop, here's an article that's a helpful place to start the exercise.
Share
Automatic loading whether chucked or bar fed is critical to long run lights out production.
Fall is approaching with shorter days and longer nights. Many shops look to lights-out manufacturing in hopes of maximizing effective long overnight part runs.
In January, Production Machining published a primer on what steps to take for establishing a checklist to succeed with lights-out machining. Click here to read the article. There are many advantages in addition to reduced labor costs that come with untended or lightly tended operation.
However, there are considerations that must be taken into account, some of which are not all that obvious. If you are looking to implement lights-out manufacturing in your shop, this article is a helpful place to start the exercise.
Not every job qualifies for lights-out and understanding the difference between what parts work versus those that are less likely candidates can save a lot of time and expense.
RELATED CONTENT
-
Handling Parts In A Robotic Cell
Here’s a review of the workholding and workhandling challenges a shop faces as it moves a part through a robotic cell, from serving up the blanks to the transfer of the final workpiece to post processing and gaging. Productivity, Inc. takes the reader through a few of their cells that they've installed using Fanuc robots and a variety of other machine tool equipment.
-
Checklist for Lights-Out Manufacturing
Many shops of various sizes are trying to hop on the lights-out bandwagon. This article looks at some things to consider and check out before “hopping.”
-
Automating CNC Lathe Part Loading/Unloading
Read about how you can automate the loading/unloading of your CNC lathes to reduce the labor cost on longer running jobs.
