Recently a request has been submitted to me from a potential client interested in the MULTICENTER with a doubt that this was proper to produce simple pieces.

The client concerned has a catalog of components composed by simple pieces, to be clear, with 2-way and 3-way fittings (L elbows and T fittings) and some manifolds, all of it for the thermosanitary industry.

So, his question sent by email was:

“Good morning,

I would like to know if the MULTICENTER is proper also for simple parts. If the answer is yes, why?

Thank you.”

In 3 days I was at his headquarters to better understand what problems was he experiencing and if the MULTICENTER was the most effective solutions or not.

After about twenty minuts of chatting, it was clear that the principal topic was the decrease of parts made for stock and, meanwhile, the required speed of delivery.

ORDERS SMALLER AND SMALLER AND WITHOUT NOTICE FROM THE CLIENTS…

Also he advises me that his clients’ orders are smaller and smaller and there is no advanced notice.

The typical lot that is required from him is from 1,000 to 2,500/3,000 pieces, and for other components 5,000/6,000 pieces.

With these quantities and without notice, the only strategy adopted by the client was to increase his stock and with it the risk, requiring him to hope the business kept coming…

The strategy of “hope” isn’t one of the most innovative, because the future is still difficult to predict and nobody has found a crystal ball that works…

A big stock, as you already know, implies stationary capital, that capital that the banks find increasingly hard to supply.

Beyond the capital there’s the risk to have produced components that can become not required by the market and, after some years, force you to devalue the stock.

Or even to  have produced components that, because of a change of regulations, are no longer sellable.

Besides all of this, the stock is a well of gold for the state government, indeed it is taxed!

Now to go back to the client’s principal question, that is if the MULTICENTER is proper also for simple parts.

The answer is surely YES!

And now I will explain why…

In facts, having complicated parts or simple parts to produce isn’t the element that decides the choice of a MULTICENTER or not.

Independently from the complexity of the parts, the principal factor is how often are you forced to do manufacturing’s changes to satisfy the market demand.

I make it even easier: for big lots with quantities of 100,000 or more the MULTICENTER isn’t proper, the right technology is likely the Transfer machine.

For quantities from 500 to 5.000, or even for 10.000 parts with frequents and rapids changes, the MULTICENTER is the right machine and here is why:

FOR QUANTITIES FROM 500 TO 5.000 THE MULTICENTER IS THE BEST SOLUTION!

As in this client’s case, with the MULTICENTER prepared with a 72-part tool stock, he can leave all the tools necessary to produce his catalog in the tool magazine and simply change the part clamping in 15 minutes or less.

Do you understand how simple and fast changing the manufacturing process several times a day to produce only the orders actually received?

So, also with simple parts the machine is proper. With the MULTICENTER you adopt a a strategy of lean production, that align with the fundamentals of the LEAN MANUFACTURING revolution born in Japan with the TOYOTA method: the lean production!

The question that usually arises at this point is: very nice, but how can change the manufacturing in 15 minutes or less? Is it really possible?

As we said before, even if I have many parts to be worked, ALL the tools stay in the magazine, clearly the part program has been already prepared and the only element to change is the part clamping.

Now I show you with a VIDEO how to change a part clamping in 20 seconds!

This operation is repeated 4 times for the 4 pallet, and then … begin again the production!

WHAT WOULD CHANGE AT YOUR COMPANY IF YOU INSTALLED A MULTICENTER FOR LOTS FROM 500 TO 5000 PIECES?

…AND WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF YOU CARRY ON INSTALLING TRANSFER MACHINES OR MACHINING CENTERS?

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO YOUR COMPANY IF YOU DID NOTHING AND SIMPLY POSTPONED YOUR DECISIONS?

AND REMEMBER THAT…

IT IS NOT THE STRONGEST OF THE SPECIES THAT SURVIVES BUT THE MOST ADAPTABLE!

Write down here your email to immediately see the VIDEO where you’ll see the change of the part clamping in 20 seconds!

Maurizio Porta
Expert in Flexible Production