Content area
Full Text
For part fixturing, it's key to setup reduction.
Efficient setup procedures reduce production time in machining operations. Productivity experts estimate that faster part setups can reduce production cycle times by as much as 50%, significantly increasing available machine time and improving profitability.
Essential to setup time reduction can be the use of manual or powered industrial clamping devices for part fixturing. Such devices can be applied much faster than conventional fasteners. They also offer ergonomic efficiency, improved safety, and a yield of finished parts with consistent high quality.
Consider this application of power clamps supplied by De-StaCo Industries for successive part fixturings for a drilling operation. With the customer's cooperation, De-Sta-Co compared the total production cycle time, from part load to unload, among power clamps, strap clamps, and boltdown fasteners.
Using the strap clamps and fasteners for part fixturing, overall part load-tounload time was 3 min, 12 sec. Using power clamps, it was 1 min, 51 sec. The difference represents the setup time saved. Overall load-to-unload time was reduced by 42%.
De-Sta-Co also computed per-piece cost savings based on a production rate of 19 parts per hour using the strap clamps and a rate of 32 parts per hour using the power clamps. The hourly production rates annually: 38,000 with the fastener fixturing and 64,000 with the clamps. Assuming typical machine costs of $60 per hour, annual per-part costs are $3.15 with the fastener fixturing and $1.87 with the hydraulic clamps-a per-piece cost reduction of 41%.
Safe operation
In addition to savings of time and money, the clamps provide significant ergonomic and safety benefits. To activate the power clamps in the application already cited, for example, the machine operator simply pulls a single, easy-action lever. All of the clamps are actuated at once through the same power circuitry.
By contrast, the use of strap clamps and fasteners requires continual, repeated wrenching by the machine operator. During these procedures, parts can break, wrenches can slip, or muscles can be strained. Any such events can result in production downtime or injury to the machine operator.
A further benefit of clamping is a consistent yield of high-quality parts. Both manual and power clamps exert and maintain exactly the same holding force from setup to setup,...