Connecting the Shop Floor to the Office
CNC machine tools have evolved tremendously in the past thirty years. As the machines got smarter, so did their ability to handle data. That’s unfortunate, because many shops still use outdated methods to feed information to them, which prevents them from realizing many benefits.
NETWORKING eliminates duplicate file confusion, allows easy documenting of operator edits; and getting part programs into the machines is just the beginning…with broadband you can transfer setup sheets, drawings, and notes, view schedules, send instant messages, or log on and off jobs.
BETTER COMMUNICATION between the front office and the shop floor can improve productivity and profitability.
Finally there’s SHOP FLOOR MONITORING. The more you know about what’s happening on your shop floor, the smoother and more efficient your operation can become.
- Production Control can spot bottlenecks
- The Maintenance dept. can monitor cycle times to schedule maintenance, or critical items like bearing temperatures to prevent catastrophic failures
- Purchasing can better schedule material deliveries “just-in-time”….
IF YOU ARE STILL RUNNING FLOPPY DISKS OUT TO THE SHOP FLOOR (SNEAKERNET), it’s time to explore the excellent Return on Investment of a Shopfloor Network installation.
IF YOU HAVE AN EXISTING SERIAL NETWORK, check out the benefits of a upgrading to a Broadband Shopfloor Network (Wired or Wireless).