Optimizing Machine Tool Investment Through Cooperation

Planning the purchase of a machine tool requires careful consideration. For instance, will a three-, four- or five-axis machining center be required? Will a conventional two-axis turning machine suffice, or will a multi-axis turning center with driven tools be necessary? Perhaps a combination of both, in the form of a multitasking or mill-turn machine, will provide the solution? Support is often necessary for a new investment to be a success, in the form of defining current needs, identifying new opportunities or exploring promising paths. Consequently, when buying a machine, all parties should be involved in the process, right from the start.

In view of ever-increasing competitive pressure, manufacturing companies face the challenge of improving productivity, shortening time-to-market and maximizing return on investment (ROI). Developing and implementing new systems that meet these specific requirements and generate sustainable competitive gain are crucial in today’s manufacturing environment. However, this course of action requires significant investment in time and resources, making it essential to achieve ROI in the shortest possible time.

A Plan for Manufacturing Success from the Start

For this reason, it is vital that manufacturers use both the right machine and the right tools from the very beginning. Around 70% of all machines are still sold without tools. Because the entire production process, including any special tool requirements, is rarely taken into account when the machine is purchased, developing a productive and efficient machining process can become more difficult.

The Sandivk Coromant concept follows a new and innovative approach that focuses on the entire process from the very start. As a matter of course, the cutting tool and tooling system specialist relies on intensive exchange and strives to understand the customer's business down to the last detail. In all cases, the goal is to develop individual solutions that are specifically tailored to the respective requirements, regardless of whether the customer is a multinational corporation or a small company with a handful of employees.

A Holistic Consulting Approach for Machine Tool Purchases

A careful strategy that minimizes amortization time should include the purchase of the machine as well as a detailed evaluation of the most appropriate manufacturing processes and tools for the production process. In a common scenario, the areas of planning, investment and commissioning precede the actual machine set up and production. Getting it right is about defining and analyzing every aspect of a new investment, both technically and economically. Ideally, all partners begin cooperating on topics such as capacity targets, costs per component, choice of machining method and possibilities for unmanned machining before the actual investment decisions are made. This strategy helps ensure that a new machine runs optimally, is equipped with the optimum tools and works efficiently right from the start.

Sandvik Coromant bases its holistic consulting approach on a combination of factors relevant for success, including tools and tooling solutions, service and support and its many years of industry knowledge. This enables the company to support customers in multiple areas: in the assessment and evaluation of components, processes and applications; in machining time and component cost studies; and in the creation of a tailor-made tool package for the respective machining requirements. Sandvik Coromant also provides online support for applications and customized training programs for machine operators. The company’s global competence centers for productivity, application knowledge, machining technology and research enable its experts to interact and collaborate physically and digitally with customers and partners in a modern and inspiring environment.

Meeting the Challenges of Modern Manufacturing

In order to minimize the amortization time of new investments, different challenges have to be mastered. To achieve optimal machine utilization, for example, a quick-change tooling solution can accelerate the set-up process and increase the productivity time of a new machine. In the area of tool management, a modular system offers a large variety of tool assemblies featuring different characteristics, often decreasing the need for customized tools and the long delivery times they typically carry. When vibration causes problems, tools with damping mechanisms minimize the effect in long overhang applications and keep productivity and process reliability at a high level. In addition, digital machining solutions can help users realize a more efficient use of resources within the value chain and contribute to optimal, data-based decision making.

The combination of holistic consulting and the latest technologies can ensure that new machines produce parts and generate profits from day one. Many practical examples already prove this theory. In some cases, investment consulting from Sandvik Coromant has led to the amortization period of a machine being shortened by a full year. In other instances, alternative tools and programming solutions enabled customers to significantly reduce the cost of component machining. In all cases, customers were pleased with an efficient and profitable machining process which, thanks to proposals made by Sandvik Coromant, could ultimately be implemented with a less capital-intensive machine investment.

Sandvik Coromant Company | 201-794-5000 | sandvik.coromant.com