F
6
c/cnc-operatorshenryr45henryr4524d agoProlific Poster

Hit 10,000 parts on our old Mazak with zero scrap and it felt weird

So we have this Mazak VTC from like 2005 that runs a simple aluminum bracket, a job we do every month. I just cleared the counter after the last run and it hit exactly 10,000 pieces since the last major crash. Not a single scrapped part. At first I was proud, but then it got me thinking. I realized I've been babying that machine, running feeds and speeds from a sticky note the old lead left, probably way under what it can handle. I checked the cycle time and we're losing almost a minute per part being too safe. That 'perfect' number was actually hiding a cost in time. I bumped the feed up 15% on a test batch yesterday and it ran fine, no chatter, and saved us hours. Has anyone else had a 'good' number that was actually holding them back? How do you find the real limit without breaking stuff?
3 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In
3 Comments
kevinw94
kevinw9424d ago
That's the kind of perfect record that means you left money on the table. My old truck got the same mileage for years because I was scared to push it.
5
david920
david92023d ago
My fear of the check engine light is legendary.
3
emma_jones
emma_jones23d ago
Wait, a minute per part just from being too safe?
4