Efficient utilization of production resources in the use phase of multi-technology machine tools

Economic efficiency of manufacturing technology integration

“…One technology resource is idle at all times. [BREC13] To generate an additional temporal synergy effect of manufacturing technology integration Brecher suggests equipping a multi-technology platform with a second workspace and enabling the traveling of technology resources between the two workspaces [BREC08]. This approach may raise the average utilization of technology resources because the technology resource which is idle in one workspace may be applied in the respective other workspace.…”

“…However, this feeding mode leads to a similar utilization of technology resource 1 and technology resource 2, which may reduce the productivity of a double workspace multi-technology platform. Hence, Brecher and Breitbach suggested considering measures to optimize the "use of simultaneous processing with two workspaces" by alternative workpiece feeding modes [BREC13]. The maximum potential of such approaches is reflected by the most extreme feeding mode, that is, feeding workpieces with complementary properties.…”

Introduction

“…Both can be picked up by the robot or by the machine spindle from a magazine (Brecher et al 2013b). Research questions comprise the precision under thermal influences, control integration, CAM programming, safety and economic analysis (Brecher et al 2013a. Hybrid sheet metal forming, as another example for integrated technologies, combines stretch-forming and incremental sheet forming allowing variations of the product geometry without the need for a new mould (Chap.…”