40 machines 2 operators

[3t3d]

I can easily imagine two operators for 40 machines.
Personally I can operate a lot more machines than that at once.....

Simple machine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You have to understand that an Exec can say something perfectly true, and at the same time perfectly misleading.

 

[countryboy1966]

I was listening to a CEO talk about his machine shop and he has 120 machines in total and runs about 40 machines with 2-3 operators. AND the company does prototyping 25 being their largest run.

After two pages of reading, I don't believe we yet understand what the CEO had to say about said shop?

A priest, a rabbi, and monk were walking down the sidewalk. The preist and the rabbi walked into a bar. The monk ducked....

 

[willbird]

Maybe the "machines" are 3d printers ??

 

[stephon0913]

That's maybe what you heard him say but probably what he meant was that he has 40 machines and only 2 or 3 operators for them. I don't think I've ever seen a shop or company where all machines were in action at the same time.

Gordon
My shop keeps all machines running just about every day not joking....

 

[gustafson]

While this story is possible, it is unlikely.

Let's give a little leeway, and say one operator is running 6 machines. If each of those machines spit out 24 parts a day, then they need a visit 3 times an hour. 3 times an hour on 6 machines is 18 visits an hour. Not unreasonable.

The part that makes me say "BS" is where is the consistent low volume and prototype work on parts that take that long to machine coming from? Year after year? And why is the cycle time so long? What are they making? Or are the machines just junk?

About 4 VMC's seems to me the max in a 'real' production environment[not including real, REAL production like Tony's] They would be cheap, slow vmcs set up for the same or similar parts so the operator is not having to run around.

Higher volumes you get a multiple pallet changer. Lower volumes your setup eats up the advantage of multiple machines.

 

[3t3d]

I have seen articles about ( for example ) medical parts, IIRC Xray targets/lenses (?) that were custom machined and had a long run time.
Each part was nearly identical to the next one, but had some variation in it.
They had an automated CAD CAM system in place to generate the program for each unique part.
All the parts loaded in the machines on standardized pallets, and ran a long time, but each was also prototype, or custom.

There is a possibility for that scenario, but it is a unique situation.
If that is the case, it hardly applies as a useful example for most other parts and situations. It is an anomaly.

 

[WizardOfBoz]

We can all remember being reassured by bank CEOs that their bank was financially sound. Those that made the statement often (and most convincingly) went belly up first!

I know a guy that knows a guy that knows a guy and he assures me that ............................... LMAO

There's been a study that shows economic performance was inversely related to hyperbolic blather at stockholder's meetings. So if the CEO said

"We had a record year! Sales are up, our cost control measures have been astoundingly effective, we lead the industry in customer satisfaction, and our margins are unparalleled!"

The company was headed for a rocky patch. If the CEO said

"We had a good, but not a great year, and maintained fairly steady sales (we grew sales by 1.2%) in the face of an industry-wide decline. Ongoing costs of operation were steady, with modest improvements in some areas. We did invest in modernizing our plant in Fubar, and this increased costs but I am satisfied that we will see an improvement in productivity to recoup our investment. Cost of materials has increased and this is problematic. Initially, some lost some money on fixed costs contracts, but we have negotiated terms to avoid this in the future."

No hyperbole indicated that the company was going to do just about what the CEO predicted.

 

[deckeldoctor]

I dont know about 2 guys and 40 machines.

But I have a customer who has 10 employees and the following list of machines.

They have repeat jobs with exotic materials long cycle times.

They also have complete tooling with tool holders for each job and each machine.

When that job finishes on the machine it is run on, all tools in their tool holders are removed from the machine and put on tooling cart

and locked in tooling room until that job comes back. Current program loaded to network for safe keeping..

Each guy runs 3 to 4 cnc okuma lathes at one time, or 2 -3 mills.

He has the following

30 okuma cnc lathes.

2 traub lathes

2 okuma vmc

4 Dmg 5 axis

2 Deckel 4 axis

2 Deckel 3 axis

Various other manual machines and support equipment.

All CNC'S run every day.

The owner is German he only runs 1 shift 10hrs, 5 days a week.

The machines sit idle the remainder of the time.

They are producing a lot of aircraft titanium and inco parts as well as ship parts.

I know this first hand as he has been customer for 25 years.

I was considering buying his shop and have seen his financials for 5 years.

Regards
DD

 

[Hansdie]

I dont know about 2 guys and 40 machines.

But I have a customer who has 10 employees and the following list of machines.

They have repeat jobs with exotic materials long cycle times.

They also have complete tooling with tool holders for each job and each machine.

When that job finishes on the machine it is run on, all tools in their tool holders are removed from the machine and put on tooling cart

and locked in tooling room until that job comes back. Current program loaded to network for safe keeping..

Each guy runs 3 to 4 cnc okuma lathes at one time, or 2 -3 mills.

He has the following

30 okuma cnc lathes.

2 traub lathes

2 okuma vmc

4 Dmg 5 axis

2 Deckel 4 axis

2 Deckel 3 axis

Various other manual machines and support equipment.

All CNC'S run every day.

The owner is German he only runs 1 shift 10hrs, 5 days a week.

The machines sit idle the remainder of the time.

They are producing a lot of aircraft titanium and inco parts as well as ship parts.

I know this first hand as he has been customer for 25 years.

I was considering buying his shop and have seen his financials for 5 years.

Regards
DD

Holy S*** machines are sitting idle for minimum 70% of year. Maybe you should talk him in to some automation or hiring more people if he has the work.

 

[paul39]

Holy S*** machines are sitting idle for minimum 70% of year. Maybe you should talk him in to some automation or hiring more people if he has the work.

Possibly the owner and employees are making a good living, have weekends free, and the customers are happy with the quality and price.

Don't shake the tree.

paul

 

[deckeldoctor]

Believe me my customer makes a good living,paying himself,wife and 2 children nice 6 figures per year,with year end bonuses.

He has 8-15% growth in sales per year.

His guys are paid well 25-35 per hr.

He buys 2 or more new machines per year,with cash.

One machine I sold him was given bank check for 450K.

Regards
DD

 

[MBG]

Believe me my customer makes a good living,paying himself,wife and 2 children nice 6 figures per year,with year end bonuses.

He has 8-15% growth in sales per year.

His guys are paid well 25-35 per hr.

He buys 2 or more new machines per year,with cash.

One machine I sold him was given bank check for 450K.

Regards
DD

Your customer??

 

[deckeldoctor]

Yes my Customer of 25 years.

Regards
DD

 

[MBG]

Yes my Customer of 25 years.

Regards
DD

whats the name of the business? Just curious.

 

[deckeldoctor]

Sorry I cannot say as I have given to much inside information to be tied with the company name.

I know this information because I was going to purchase the business from my customer.

Regards
DD

 

[MBG]

Sorry I cannot say as I have given to much inside information to be tied with the company name.

I know this information because I was going to purchase the business from my customer.

Regards
DD

I understand, assuming it isn't a typical CNC job shop then huh?

 

[deckeldoctor]

Definitely not a job shop, see my post #38.

They run a lot of titanium castings and inconnell and other Hastelloy.

regards
dd

 

[tdmidget]

Haylides? What?

 

[deckeldoctor]

Sorry was talking to some else about minerals should have been Hastelloy.

Regards
DD