Manufacturing businesses have always thrived on their ability to do work quickly with the lowest possible scrap rate. This is the strategy that helps build the biggest productive capacity for a company and the one that leads to the lowest overhead possible. CNC machines are widely viewed as a necessity and not just an option for competitive fabrication shops because they make precise, duplicate goods with an automated process you can program to complete multiple fabrication operations at once. That makes them absolutely essential for maximizing productivity, and here are a few reasons why.
1. Simpler Quality Control
When you automate several fabrication steps in a single CNC process, you reduce the points where error can be introduced, making it easier to track down issues with quality. In a traditional fabrication facility with separate stations for saws, lathes, hole punching, and other manual operations, the operator and the machine both become variables that can cause quality issues. There’s also the handling that comes from packing and repacking parts as they move. By contrast, a single used CNC machine could do all of those things and more, reducing the points of error to the raw materials, condition of the machine, and quality of the programming.
2. CNC Operations Save Money
Purchasing CNC machines is an expensive venture, and one that very few small companies attempt as a strategy to outfit an entire shop. Even so, the lowered error rate, efficiency with raw material use, and fast production all make CNC mills less expensive to run than the multiple individual stations they tend to replace. That’s before considering how much more you can do with a smaller staff when they are skilled operators of an automated fabrication process. The salary savings alone could offset the cost of the machine if you invest wisely in a top end product. Alternatively, you could buy a used CNC to enjoy the same savings with a lot less capital invested.
3. Increased Precision
There are a lot of highly skilled machine operators out there, but no matter how well they do, they aren’t going to be as precise as a machine that can control a tool’s placement to within ten thousandths of an inch, and that’s what a lot of CNC mills and other automated CNC tools offer. This lets you take contracts with clients demanding much tighter tolerances, like those involved in aerospace. It also contributes to your shop’s ability to carry out quality oversight with less overhead labor. After all, if you can count on the machine to do what it’s told, then all you need to do is measure the results to make sure no errors creep up. With a single point of manufacture, there’s a lot less to track than there is when you make quality measurements at separate manual work stations.
4. Cost Effective Upgrades
When it comes time to get into a machine that can deal with bigger parts or just to upgrade to a newer one for features, you can save a considerable amount by trading in your old machine for the upgrade. This is especially true if you are looking at a used CNC machine for sale from a dealer like Premier Equipment who buys and sells CNC machines every day. As long as your machine is in good condition and has years left on its estimated operating lifespan, you can take care of a significant portion of the upgrade costs with the proceeds from the sale. To learn more about the cost of your first used CNC purchase financing or to talk about trade in values for your current shop equipment, you really need to talk to a dealer about your needs and budget. You’ll be surprised how many options they can find you. Contact us today to learn more!
