Machine tools have a special place in history because they are basically the difference between self-sufficient agriculture and modern civilization. After all, it is the ability to produce very precise things that has made all the industrial revolutions that have taken place so far possible. And we owe it all to a Frenchman. Some also say it was an Englishman. Others say it was a Russian. But because our esteemed neighbours have a credible track record in revolutionary activities, let’s take a look at the Francophile origins of machine tools, before we show you how far manufacturing has come since then in terms of tombstones and multiple fixtures. But before we do so, we will take a short trip back in time.
A journey into the 18th century
Let’s say it is 1751 and you enjoy a life in the midst of a rather pleasant French society under Louis XV. There is only one problem. You are desperate to invent a machine tool, more precisely a metal lathe, because you are not satisfied with the results of the manual blacksmith from the neighbourhood. That was quite a paradox at the time, because the secret ingredient that enables machine tools to produce precision is that they themselves work very precisely. So how can you invent and build a machine tool without having machine tools? History is full of incredibly smart people who have done incredibly smart things to avoid problems like this. Jacques de Vaucanson was such a person. He designed and manufactured the first metal lathe that we would recognize as such. So Vaucanson had succeeded in building a machine which – thanks to its meticulous design – could produce parts that were more precisely manufactured than the machine tool itself. This may sound crazy, but just wait until you see what is possible today thanks to multi-task machining using tombstones and multiple fixtures, combined with the right software.
Multitasking facilitates a process in many ways
Most of us enjoy the advantages of multitasking in many areas. And why not, since multitasking allows us to do several things at once. This saves time, money and effort. So why not integrate this process into our machine shops and manufacturing processes, especially when time is short? After all, machine tools are still the path that people are currently following in their quest for ever more precise manufacturing results, despite new developments in materials technology. Admittedly, drizzle plastic from the 3D printer is great and the future looks bright in this area. At the moment, however, industrial production is still the place where the meeting of production and precision regularly leads to optimal results. And with the ability to apply the concept of multitasking, this process has become easier than ever. Provided, of course, that you have the right ingredients – especially tombstones, the ability to multi-task, and the appropriate software for manufacturing operations.
Advantages in machining accuracy through multiple fixtures
These are amazing changes you will notice by using tombstones or the principle of multiple fixtures in combination with the SprutCAM PDM software from MySolutions. One example is the ability to perform various manufacturing operations unattended without having to move a part to other machines. You can also process several parts together in a time-saving and automated way and produce the same parts several times. The bottom line is that you increase your time and organizational flexibility and promote optimal machine utilization. The fundamental cost benefits now achieved by reducing the total number of machines required to produce the same parts include a reduction in job costs, process inventory, load rates and labor required for the total number of setups.
It does not always have to be a revolution
And here’s the best part of the whole thing. You don’t have to start a revolution in your company to benefit from tombstones or multiple fixtures. The MySolutions Group has already done most of the work for you, at least as far as the software is concerned. All you have to do now is contact us. We will find the best solution for your business and show you how to use SprutCAM PDM from MySolutions in an optimal way. Until then, we remain with a hearty au revoir, see you later and for safety’s sake, do svidaniya!