In New Zealand (the land of the Long White Cloud and short runs) we notice most companies don’t seem to pay much attention to non-cut times, apart from in the cycle time. They are then forced to look at the cost of the tools to try and be more competitive, and not looking correctly at reducing labour costs. We call this chasing Small Money.
Tooling is 3% of your total cost. Labour (machine time) is 26%, and that’s nearly eight times more. So which is better: a 10% saving on $1000 or a 20% saving on $10?
Our advice is to chase the Big Money. Try this approach with your tooling supplier:
“The cost of your tooling is irrelevant compared to the cost of production.”
Look at the typical time usage for a CNC machine on the graph below. Whether the machine is running or not, you still have the same on-going costs of labour, finance, and overheads.
Chase the Big Money with these production solutions:
Multi Master Milling Cutters
Just change the head, no set-up time, and the tool can remain in the holder with no offset changes required.
Cham Drill Drilling Tools
Same as Multi Master but in drilling options. Just change the head, no set-up time, and the tool can remain in the holder with no offset changes required.
A Solid Carbide cutter with two functions: a ripper and finisher in one. Cut your production time by half.
A cutter designed to reduce vibrations so you can increase feed and depth of cut over any other cutter design. Make massive savings in labour.
Tool Vending Machines (Automatic Tool Management)
Tools where you want them, when you want them. No more hunting for that missing pack of inserts, or overstocking on “special deals” offered by a sales rep to his buddy (your person in charge of purchasing).
Pre-Thread and Chamfer Hole Drills
a two-in-one operation.
There is only one Tooling Supplier in New Zealand that helps you chase the Big Money, by reducing labour costs, reducing cycle time, reducing set-up and downtime, and managing your tools. Leave chasing the small change to your competition.
