CNC West Oct Nov Web

CNC WEST October/November 2018 www.CNC-West.com 31 can establish common tooling elements it will greatly reduce your set-up times. Some common elements are quick change vise jaws, pallet systems, dovetail holding fixtures and so on. Simplifying workholding while combining operations is a creative way to eliminate set-ups altogether. With today’s multifunctional machines it is possible to turn, drill, mill and finish in one set-up. If exotic machines are not available, think about how one fixture can be transferred between mul- tiple machines. Any unit of work that can be combined can All chamfer tools can be numbered 3500 thru 4000. Excel spreadsheets can manage this list and provide a method for recording important data like insert type, mounting screws, tool holder information and so on. Additionally, each tool should have a detailed drawing showing all details includ- ing projection length and recommended speeds and feeds for common material types. Adhering to a system similar to this allows for off line storage so that the tools remain set in holders thereby elimi- nating the assembly time between jobs. The programmers can each draw from this list and work with consistent tool call-outs. This standardization eliminates confusion and er- ror. 4. Workholding One huge reducer of set-up time is having the right work- holding method readily available when it comes time to changeover from job to job. Two methods I have seen to be successful in reducing set-up are: (1.) Standardize fixturing wherever possible and (2) Simplify workholding and com- bine operations. What is meant by standardization of fixturing is this: many parts lend themselves to vise work and other jobs fall into a flat-work category. Still other jobs lend themselves to be 5th axis work. Review your historical workflow and group jobs into categories. Then develop methods that will bridge the individual jobs and reduce the fixture elements. If you