Often, the engineering companies partner with CNC machine shop facilities and outsource their manufacturing needs. It is indeed cost-effective and easy management of tasks while you focus on core engineering and designing aspects.
But before you partner any CNC machine shop facility owner, do you assess their CNC shop’s capabilities and their ways of operation? Sure you do. But it is a hassle and a tiresome task when you are pressed against deadlines and one wrong decision will cost your millions. To avoid the last-minute hassle, we bring you an intensive checklist of the factors your CNC shop should have for making a wise choice.
At WayKen’s CNC machine shop facility, our 3 axes, and 5 axes CNC machines along with lathe, quick turn machines, etc. empower us to deliver tight tolerances as needed by our clients.
1. Agile ecosystem for the machine shop
Any shop, small or big, should be able to handle your machining needs whether it is a heavy influx of jobs, low volume-high variety, high product-mix, or anything else for the parts to be machined. The machine shop you partner with should be able to handle mass customization and prototypes production with shorter turnaround times. Furthermore, if you belong to a specific industry, your manufacturing partner should know and conform to that particular industry’s manufacturing standards.
2. Up-to-date shop processes
Along with agility, the machine shop should have updated shop operation in well-organized ways to meet the current market trends and standards. This will ensure that your parts are manufactured with quality as demanded by the market and the shop’s operational efficiency. For example, with the current rise in IIoT [Industrial Internet of Things] your shop should be capable to accommodate, if not adopt completely, the changes that will disrupt the industry in near future.
3. A customized workflow approach
Machine shops ideally take more than one production contract at a time and the machines are scheduled to best meet the deadlines. However, their ways of workflow and shop job routing should not affect the quality of the products you intended to offer to your customers. The job routing and machining tolerances should match your manufacturing pace and needs.
Designers and engineering companies are in a cozy comfort that once designs are ready and manufacturing breaks the ground rest is a cakewalk. However, you’d be surprised to learn that there can be so many unprecedented bottlenecks ranging from engineering change notices [ECNs] to machine scheduling needs. Therefore, it is only so wise to clarify the workflow schedules in advance. The machine shop with which you collaborate should be able to customize its machine scheduling and workflow as per your deliveries.
4. Upgraded machine tools
For any CNC machine shop, irrespective of their capacity, machining tools are at the heart. If you want to produce a precision part speedily and still keep the efficiency soaring high, you need the right set of tools. Your machine shop should be inventing the right amount in keeping the tools edge-sharp and innovative. In the current times, additive manufacturing and 3D printing are on the rise as they reduce the cost significantly. Several CNC machine shops offer these services in a small capacity.
5. Conscious investment in machine maintenance
Machines that are used on a daily basis often get worn-out easily and early; sometimes even mid operations. This brings manufacturing to a standstill. However, the machine shops that have continuous and intelligent investments done in maintenance have an advantage over the ones that don’t. Timely maintenance significantly helps in the following aspects of:
- Reducing in the machine downtimes
- Improving the tool’s life
- Achieving greater machining efficiency
- Bringing down the risk of breakdown
- Blurring the possibility of malfunction
Thus, your machine shop partner should add the necessary downtimes for maintenance and inspections while committing you of the deadlines.
6. Focused and constant improvement
For long term association what you need is your CNC machine shop engineers collaborate closely with your designers to offer quality. In the case of CNC machines, the NC programs, N codes, and G codes should be continuously monitored and upgraded to tailor them as per your needs.
Our engineers, CNC programmers, and machinists constantly seek opportunities to eliminate redundant tasks during manufacturing.
7. Safety operations
While machining efficiency, quality manufacturing, economical aspects, and better business collaboration are necessary, the safety of operations cannot be just overlooked. You may think that it is the machine shop owner’s responsibility. But when you are associating with a shop, checking its safety compliance and other precautionary measures lies in your onus to safeguard your business investments.
While working with us, you can rest assured of the safety as each operator wears special goggles for eye protection, casks, and special uniforms designed for safe machine operations.
While we bring you a checklist to help you find the best CNC machine shop where you yield the best machining, our CNC machine shop offers you all this. All under one roof! From technical aspects of tolerances, manufacturing quality, and best practices to safety, agility, and future-ready plans, our CNC machine shops have a state-of-the-art facility.
We collaborate with you for trusted outcomes both, technical and businesswise. With dexterity across an array of machining operations and highly contemporary machine tools at your ready disposal, we offer prototyping and precision manufacturing solutions at economical rates.
Drop us an email to discuss your CNC machining services needs today!
