Making the move to digital manufacturing solutions

“Moving to digital manufacturing solutions can be a long journey, but it is still feasible.” Manufacturing continues to move further into the digital age, but for many small and medium-sized shops, the concept of Industry 4.0 still seems out of reach. Many of these manufacturers understand that they need to take advantage of digitization to remain competitive, but they are not sure where to begin or what technologies they can integrate for the highest return on investment (ROI). Fortunately, relatively inexpensive digital solutions have simplified this process – and made it possible for manufacturers...

Overcome digital integration challenges Regardless of shop size, nearly all manufacturing professionals understand the importance of digital technology. More than 40 years have passed since the first IIoT device went online: a Coca-Cola vending machine at Carnegie Mellon University that reported on the quantity of bottles available and their temperature. Today, OEMs in the metalworking industry offer a wider range of digital manufacturing products than ever before. Those involving tooling range from laser marked QR codes to easily accessible apps and full tool inventory management systems. The...

Ready-to-deploy digital solutions Manufacturers generally have a good understanding of how digital technology can help them improve throughput, reduce risks and help operators add more value to part production. However, many of them believe that integrating digital solutions is a time-consuming process. When in fact, there are many simple turnkey systems that manufacturers can integrate in a matter of days – and that pay for themselves in months, if not weeks, thanks to better data management and process security. Enter the tool data matrix While machine and equipment data is essential to establish...

What makes certain laser-marked data matrix codes uniquely powerful is that they represent serialized numbers for each individual tool, as opposed to one code for an entire batch/package of the same model. As part of its tooling ID program, Seco populates the Data Matrix database with three types of data – as designed, as produced and as used. As-designed data basically consists of product information – the specific tool and its corresponding catalog information, tool drawings and recommendations in terms of applications and cutting parameters. As-produced data includes measurement protocols,...

Digital solutions: there are apps for that Working in tandem with laser marked tooling ID data matrixes, apps provide manufacturers with valuable resources for tool and application assistance. These apps are immediately accessible with smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktop computers. Through apps, manufacturers can efficiently compare different tooling products based on feeds and speeds, along with cutting data. They can then find the best tool based on their application as well as quickly and easily identify approaches and strategies to reduce costs and increase productivity. Tool-based...

Put stock in inventory management On average, 30-60% of a shop’s tooling inventory is uncontrolled, often simply stacked next to a machine – and as much as 60% of the inventory is completely obsolete, with 80% of production performed by only 20% of the total tooling stock. This redundant, disorganized system inevitably results in inefficient processes, with 15% of production jobs delayed or even stopped due to incorrect tooling and 20% of operators’ nonproductive time spent looking for the correct tooling. Given the expense of tools and the fast pace of modern production, manufacturers need accurate...

Conclusion While medium and small-sized shops have an easier time than ever integrating digital technologies, finding the right solution can still be difficult. In many cases, it can be difficult to decide on what solution best fits a shop’s needs. Luckily, OEMs and suppliers are increasingly partnering with their customers to help them begin their digital integration journey. Shops interested in finding out how to improve their operations with digital solutions should start by partnering with their suppliers to conduct efficiency evaluations that help shops identify bottlenecks and suggest solutions...

The first steps your shop should take Know your tool need Does your mix of jobs mean you often need more tooling on hand to meet a variety of material and application requirements? Is your productivity impacted by errors in manually entered tool data or other mistakes by unexperienced operators? Has slow tool selection caused your setup times to go up and accuracy go down? Are wasted time and excessive tooling impacting your bottom line? Take advantage of support Do you waste significant amounts of time comparing the tools offered by various suppliers? Are you missing out on machining approaches...

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