Vertical Machining Centers
Increasing Shop Profitability Through Machine Choice and Deployment
With metal-cutting machinery, on average, the spindle should be in-cut 70 percent of the
available in-cycle time. However, based on a survey from more than 100 U.S. manufacturing
plants (both small and large), the average Vertical Machining Center (VMC) spindle utilization during
in-cut time is only 34 percent. Meaning that out of that 70 percent pie slice when the spindle should
be utilized, 66 percent of the time the spindle is waiting or idle.
This low spindle utilization rate is due to the fact that manufacturers are experiencing much slower cutting results than what’s realistically achievable with today’s technology. Often this is caused by
the limits of current operations, tooling or machines and, subsequently, manufacturers are spending the majority of “cutting” time doing anything but. The bulk of spindle utilization time is being consumed with setup, loading/unloading workpieces, cutting tool maintenance, chip clearing, etc. Multiply the number of hours in a workday when the spindle is not being utilized by the average shop rate, and manufacturers can quantify how much reduced spindle utilization is cutting into profitability day after day, year after year.
The Economic Factor of Productivity
Any time the spindle is not spinning, productivity is reduced and profitability decreases. When production increases, it effectively lowers the cost per unit (CPU) of a product. With a lower CPU, the manufacturer can proceed in one of two ways:
1) Lower prices due to the reduced cost per part.
Reducing consumer costs, in turn, permits the manufacturer to become more competitive in the market. When a manufacturer is able to sell more products at more competitive prices, it can increase market awareness and be in a better position to attract more customers; therefore, generating more sales and
delivering healthier profits. With stiff competition in the marketplace betwee shops and manufacturers, a small boost in competitiveness can go a long way towards creating additional streams of revenue.