Sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the day to produce the parts you need to keep your customer happy. But there are if you run at night. Automation and lights out running are becoming more and more important in modern day engineering. As Robert Smith from Smith & Company in Alabama tells MTDCNC’s Eric Hulen when they were looking at automation they decided to go with the Hermle C 400 5 Axis Machining Centre with a 12 pallet auto changer and 90 tool magazine. This set up allows Smith’s to produce 20-30 different parts at the same time, overnight. There are also plans to introduce robot loading & unloading of the Hermle pallet change system for even more unmanned productivity. But Smith’s haven’t stopped there. They have looked at every part of the production process and use the best products available to make their production processes run like clockwork. So, the best tooling, the best tool holders, the best workholding, the best software even the best coolant, plus not forgetting highly skilled and motivated staff. Nothing is left to chance and all these things combined equate to great quality products, delivered on time, no scrapped parts and very little stress. As Robert says, “Top quality equipment may cost more in the short term but over time the payback is huge”.
