The
competition is coming at you from down the block,
up the street and around the world. Welcome to
the global economy. The pressure is on to become
more productive and cost-effective while improving
product quality and working with shorter lead
times.
So how do you get more quality product out the
door, on time and with less labor cost? One answer
is unattended operation made possible by the reliability
and repeatability of ONA EDM machines.
With ONA wire EDMs you are assured of conformance
to dimensional tolerances, precise surface finish
and cutting time before loading the part into
the machine. Whether you’re making one or
thousands of parts, each will be identical and
burr-free.
All of which means your operators can simply
set up an EDM operation and then go on to other
duties. They know how long the job will take and
that no in-process adjustments are necessary.
Which translates into a quantum leap in productivity.
To get the most out of your wire EDM, schedule
shorter jobs during the day and longer operations
to run overnight, for true "lights out"
production. Sometimes a number of different jobs
are put on the worktable at the same time, using
the ONA Automatic Wire Threader (AWT) so each
job or opening is cut independently.
Jobs requiring longer cuts such as die blocks
with many openings or punch blocks with multiple
punches are often set up to run overnight –
or even over a weekend. This unattended operation
is almost like having an unpaid employee working
for you around the clock. So you increase productivity
while reducing payroll costs.
ONA wire EDMs are designed at the outset for
longtime unattended operation. Standard equipment
includes wire supply spools to 100 lbs., wire
chopper units, dependable automatic wire threaders
with tip disposal units, and advanced, automatic,
3-micron filtration systems that don’t use
consumables.
But what if something goes wrong? Or you’d
like to run even more "lights out" jobs?
ONA EDM machines have RJ45 connectors and Ethernet
cards so users have remote access – in real
time – to messages the EDM sends to an e-mail
address, PC or even a cell phone. These messages
let them know that a job is completed, the machine
has stopped or that a problem exists. You can
even have cameras mounted over the work tank for
viewing from a remote location.Precision tooling
companies can provide fixtures that let you preset
parts outside the machine. This way you can put
a new job in proper position and location without
additional set up as soon as the current job is
completed, thus minimizing idle machine time between
jobs.
And if you have a really big job, ONA manufacturers
the world’s largest submersible wire EDM
with table travels of approximately 40 x 60 inches.
This machine is capable of cutting 24-inch thick
parts weighing up to 22,000lbs.
The next step to having a complete automation
package is incorporating automated handling devices
– such as pallet systems – to change
parts in the machine. This approach is normally
used for high production runs and often uses a
robot to change the part or remove and load a
new pallet after a machining operation.
Learn More
Discover how other manufacturers are using proven
ONA EDM technology for unattended operations that
make them more productive and profitable. Click
here to find your local ONA representative.