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MAG's Complete Care program is helping shops squeeze higher productivity out of the latest machine tool technology by addressing six areas where small details add up to big savings. Focusing on application support, interactive diagnostics, preventive maintenance, on-site service, parts management and training, the program has been credited with generating double-digit savings by lowering cost of operation and cost per part. Manufacturers are experiencing first-hand the benefits of MAG's approach to machine maintenance and productivity, allowing the Complete Care program to prove its worth where it counts, on the shop floor.
"Optimizing machine tool productivity is heavily dependent on proper management and maintenance of the asset, and that requires a dedicated effort," said Gary Finney, MAG's General Manager of Global Services. "Many shops leave this to the individual machine operators, but placing plant-wide maintenance responsibilities with a single source creates efficiencies that make a quantifiable difference in reducing cost of operation and cost per part. Some of our customers have reported double-digit savings as a result of implementing the components of our maintenance program."
Large and small manufacturers have found it increasingly difficult to find the skill sets necessary to sustain world-class productivity and competitiveness, Finney added. As the manufacturers focus on core capabilities, machine-tool maintenance and monitoring are often determined to be non-core functions, and they get postponed or neglected all together, until a problem arises and the machine goes down. "A dedicated service/support partner is not only a cost-effective way to improve machining capability and utilization it's also the best way to keep an eye on future needs and procedures to help improve productivity," Finney said.
The application support component of the Complete Care program combines with the manufacturing functions that secure production output, as MAG experts analyze the tasks assigned to both MAG and non-MAG machines. "Our team is comprised of machine-tool process experts and they provide recommendations on process improvements, cycle-time reductions, workholding configurations and cutting tools and fluids to optimize machine usage and performance," said Finney.
The same applies to MAG's interactive diagnostics/machine monitoring service. The company's Freedom eLOG software provides real-time performance management to increase productivity and machine ROI by identifying and resolving inefficiencies and out-of-cycle events as they happen. It also provides interactive, on-demand reporting of equipment availability, utilization, performance, quality and OEE. Managers know that downtime is the enemy on the shop floor and the best way to ensure against it is a regular, well-planned preventive maintenance program. This is the core of the Complete Care program, as big savings can be realized through operational and maintenance efficiencies, and streamlined purchasing and asset management.
"Knowledge of the typical service life of various components and familiarity with various machine platforms are strengths of our technicians," said Finney. "Close monitoring, trend tracking and timely execution of scheduled maintenance go a long way to preventing downtime, and strategies like 'ganging' the service activities of multiple machines can produce significant economies of scale."
If a machine does go down the Complete Care program includes on-site service support designed to quickly diagnose the problem and get the machine back online. Interactive tech support via video, voice and data communications facilitates quick solutions and minimal downtime. For high-volume, high-complexity machining operations the parts management component of the Complete Care program is key to consistent high productivity. MAG takes complete responsibility for parts inventory and consumables, including spindles, tooling and fluids. "Paying close attention to replacement part requirements can reduce changeover times from days to hours, dramatically affecting the cost-per-part bottom line," Finney explained.
Continuous training is the part of the Complete Care program most often overlooked, but it can have a huge effect on OEE. Feedback on the shop floor, in the form of training, passes on the intelligence and experience gained from Freedom eLOG.
"As our experts refine and improve machining techniques and processes, the Complete Care program is designed to pass that new information and expertise on to the machine operators," Finney added. "For complex high-volume production environments, even small improvements lead to significant savings." According to Finney, one indication that Complete Care delivers a boost to productivity is customers' reluctance to talk about it publicly. "For our Complete Care customers, these process improvements and savings represent a competitive advantage, so they're not real eager to share results, but their continued participation in the program tells us we must be doing something right."
