Fully Leveraging Machine Uptime (Part 3)

Even though the pros far outweigh the cons, Mr. Schumacher estimates that a good 80 percent of mold and tool makers still do not have a measuring system for conducting presets and at-line quality inspection.

“A lot of them are simply afraid that a measuring machine will overly complicate their processes, as opposed to simplifying them,” says Ms. Schumacher. Father and daughter have come across the same misconception time and time again: customers assume that, to use a measuring machine, they would have to invest in a measuring lab and hire a metrology engineer.

The two Schumachers quickly put an end to this misunderstanding. In the demo center, they show potential customers that the ZEISS Contura and ZEISS DuraMax machines can perform high-precision measurements in the middle of production. In addition, all employees from their contract manufacturing company mill or erode form inserts, electrodes and machine components for individual WESCHU customers on the machines right in the demo center itself. There, the staff also measures the offset of electrodes and workpieces without any difficulty thanks to the ZEISS Calypso software preset.

“We have to cure more people of these misconceptions,” says Ms. Schumacher. She hopes that word gets around about how simple it is for mold and tool makers to utilize this measuring machine and the accompanying software. During a customer demo, an employee shows how to use ZEISS Calypso preset.

After the operator has determined the zero point on the clamping system, he selects a macro for electrodes or workpieces and then conducts a probe. A file with the offset data is then available. It can be sent directly to the erosion machine or to the job manager, who transfers all the data to the respective machine tool. “After the demo, the company reps quickly grasp that it doesn’t take long until even metrology novices are using this technology,” says Ms. Schumacher.

The two Schumachers both agree that a measuring machine lays the foundation for automation. Yet implementing automated solutions is hardly possible without employees’ support. Thanks to positive experiences with efficiency-boosting technologies, they understand that faster, streamlined processes secure rather than jeopardize their jobs. Following the tour of the demo center, the older Schumacher returns to the ZEISS Contura: “You can take everything I have, but please leave my two ZEISS measuring machines because these are what ultimately make our company efficient.”

Source: Quality Magazine