There is Too Much Focus on Faster Cutting

A faster machining cycle is not a reliable way to save lead time unless all the steps surrounding the machining cycle already feature minimal waste. More shops think they have this level of efficiency than those that actually do have it. Lean manufacturing, for example, focuses on trying to see sources of waste accurately—and lean transformations in machine shops rarely focus on achieving faster NC cycle times.

Die Tech & Engineering illustrates this. The mold shop credits its tight lead times to considerations beyond the machining cycle and even beyond the shop floor—particularly how rapidly it does engineering work. On the shop floor, time savings come not so much from machining, but from fast setups using a pallet system (shown in the photos above). Read Die Tech's story here.