Four Elements of Lights-Out Turning
A lot of planning has to happen before you pull the trigger on lights-out machining.
.jpg;width=70;height=70;mode=crop;format=webp)
A lot of planning has to happen before you pull the trigger on lights-out machining.
The benefits of lights-out manufacturing are clear. There’s nothing better than flipping on the lights Monday morning to find that your CNC lathes have churned out batches of good parts on their own. Shops often take the first step of attaching a bar feeder to a lathe to provide a constant supply of material to the machine, but other technologies exist to optimize the unattended machining process and/or make it safer.
The following four articles I wrote highlight various technologies that can help you get the most out of your lights-out strategy:
Fire Safety First
A New Spin on Parts Collection
Automation for Chucked Parts
One Tool, Two Turning Functions
Related Content
-
4 Steps to a Cobot Culture: How Thyssenkrupp Bilstein Has Answered Staffing Shortages With Economical Automation
Safe, economical automation using collaborative robots can transform a manufacturing facility and overcome staffing shortfalls, but it takes additional investment and a systemized approach to automation in order to realize this change.
-
Zero-Adjustment Bar Pullers Simplify Turning Automation
Spring-loaded grippers and adjustable programming are enabling bar pullers to fulfill their promise to save time and money in CNC turning automation.
-
Fearless Five-Axis Programming Fosters Shop Growth
Reinvestment in automation has spurred KCS Advanced Machining Service’s growth from prototyping to low-and mid-volume parts. The key to its success? A young staff of talented programmers.
