Whether you need to produce complex parts or you want to reduce expenditure, contract machining can help you do so. It’s a cost-effective way to make your manufacturing operations run more efficiently and reliably. And with an increased productivity rate, you can expect reduced costs as well.
Increased Productivity
One of the most difficult challenges in industrial production is the profitable manufacture of machined products. To overcome these challenges, it is important to improve productivity. By integrating data and analytics into the machining process, manufacturers can optimize their operations, eliminate long running-in processes, and guarantee quality. These methods can improve productivity by as much as 70 percent in individual production and ten percent in series production.
The key to increased productivity is recognizing and identifying critical points of the machining process. It is important to improve productivity by identifying and analyzing current practices and making appropriate adjustments to your systems and employee training. By implementing continuous improvement, you can improve your productivity and increase your bottom line. Using a visual workflow mapping approach, you can analyze where resources are spent and how they affect production levels.
Improved Efficiency
When it comes to improving the efficiency of contract machining, the process can be done through automated processes. Automated machines can perform multiple tasks more quickly and efficiently, reducing the time spent on human labor. Automated processes also eliminate the need for custom fixturing, meaning less time spent on moving heavy parts.
Another benefit of contract machining is that the contract manufacturer has access to advanced machinery and technologies. This helps them compete with larger manufacturing companies and meet deadlines and maximize margins. Many contract machining companies invest heavily in automation, jigs, and other equipment. This allows them to handle smaller runs and improve their margins.
Improved Reliability
Improved reliability is one of the main objectives of any manufacturing operation. While cost-sharing contracts help suppliers improve their reliability, it is not always the case that they achieve that goal. By establishing a target reliability level, suppliers with high reliability are rewarded with more profits than those with low reliability. Improvements in reliability are a key driver to lower costs and increase safety.
Reduced Costs
One of the benefits of contract manufacturing is the reduced cost of labor. The cost of labor directly impacts the balance sheet and includes wages, income taxes paid on behalf of production line workers, and worker benefits such as contributions to a retirement plan. The cost of labor also includes the wages of engineers, quality managers, and part-time workers. This cost also includes employees who make important decisions for the business.
Improved Quality
There are several ways to improve the quality of contract machining. First, it is important to use strict tolerances, which allows for accurate output. A minimum plus-minus tolerance is generally recommended, even for small parts. However, too many people simply rely on tolerances and fail to monitor the machine’s work. It is essential to make clear and accurate specifications and to track the progress of each step of the machining process. Otherwise, the machining will not meet your standards, and the quality will suffer.
Secondly, machining improves efficiency. For this reason, it is important to have internal quality assurance detectors installed in each stage of production. This will ensure that the raw material is being used in the most efficient way. Thirdly, machining is a great way to reduce the consuming and expenditure costs of a product.