Grinding: A Dynamic Machining Process Reducing per-part cost means examining capital, consumable, and labor costs
Grinding is a dynamic proc- ess. In a constantly changing environment, the part is ground,
the wheel breaks down from use, and
thermal issues cause changes in the machine.
All of these factors affect the success
of CNC grinding, an application that is
deemed successful only if the desired results are consistent from the first to the
last part of a batch. By controlling capital costs, consumable costs, and labor
costs, companies can lower the final cost
of the part, helping to remain competitive in today’s global marketplace.
“The most important factor in reducing
costs in grinding today lies in the utiliza-
tion of capital,” said Machine Tool Sys-
tems President John Manley. “There are
no barriers, other than available working
capital, to someone in a lower-labor-cost
country buying an identical machine to
that of a Canadian shop.”
What this means is that in order to dif-
ferentiate themselves, Canadians must
make better use of their equipment.
“The amount of uptime that you can
have on a machine is the key here,” said
Manley. “If you are running a machine
only a single shift, 40 hours per week, your
capital costs on the part you are producing
are higher than someone who is running
the machine more shifts per week.”
This uptime influences the cost per
piece depending on the volumes being
processed on the machine.
