What is your favorite CNC and software combination for high volume?
I'm looking to pull the trigger on a new CNC set up for a new shop. Last time with my custom cabinetry shop I went with Busellato Jet Optima paired with cabinet vision. I don't have to use that set up this time. but it would help with the learning curve.

This time around I'm setting up a production casework shop to handle high volume.

What are your suggestions for an auto label push CNC machine and software?

Responded on your other post. Next question is, what is 'high volume"? My default would be lean cell, robotic automation, no human contact until otherwise necessary. As posted in your other post, a shop shipping 2 mil in cabs to a single job, another local job (to me) a single floor re-hab of a medical facility was 250k worth of cabs alone they likely flew out in their sleep. They have tractor and trailer delivery (their own fleet), feeding a several state radius.

If I were looking 5 years down the road I'd be full robotics, AI, machine learning, Amazon level production.

Mark B,

I think Robotics is the way to go but I'm not quite ready to spend that kind of money yet. Our projects are going to be 50k-350k Mostly medical MOB TI and build out projects. I think the robotics and automatic shop will be the 5 year plan.

for now Im thinking 5000 SqFt shop. Maybe gang panel processor, or push CNC, bander, dowlers, case clamp. Minimal operators and assemblers maybe 4-5?

"Mark B Member

Responded on your other post. Next question is, what is 'high volume"? My default would be lean cell, robotic automation, no human contact until otherwise necessary. As posted in your other post, a shop shipping 2 mil in cabs to a single job, another local job (to me) a single floor re-hab of a medical facility was 250k worth of cabs alone they likely flew out in their sleep. They have tractor and trailer delivery (their own fleet), feeding a several state radius.

If I were looking 5 years down the road I'd be full robotics, AI, machine learning, Amazon level production."

Charlie,

You need to be looking at software that can manage all the automated cells now so when you get them down the road you will already have you systems implemented. Not sure if cabinet vision will , but most likely..
5000k sq ft is not nearly enough for what you are proposing. I have your list of machines and a beam saw in 5k sq feet and its tight...
You need more like 15k or 20k .
Have you seen the space these automated cells take up?

Hen Bob, I have not looked at the cells much at all. I really believe that is down the road a ways (3-5years) for me. I agree with you on the software though, It needs to be able to scale up to the automated shop.

"Hen Bob Member

Charlie,

You need to be looking at software that can manage all the automated cells now so when you get them down the road you will already have you systems implemented. Not sure if cabinet vision will , but most likely..
5000k sq ft is not nearly enough for what you are proposing. I have your list of machines and a beam saw in 5k sq feet and its tight...
You need more like 15k or 20k .
Have you seen the space these automated cells take up?"

What are your long term goals, how much work do you have on hand. $350 k is not much work, that won’t even pay for your set up and like mentioned 5000 sq ft is way to small, if you are cranking out tons of product you will need half of your space just for material storage and handling.

As soon as you get into automation down the road you will need at least double what you are thinking..

As for equipment I would recommend equipment that comes with service. I have scm and I love their machines when they are working, if they break down you will be out of business waiting for Scm to do something about it. I am in Canada and their service is beyond terrible, the service manager couldn’t find a donut in a Krispy Kreme store.

Scott, I have a lot of work lined up for the shop. I'm not worried about that. seams like minimum size for what I want to do is 6-7k SqFt.

Thanks for the tip on SCM. Do you have a recommendation of a Machinery brand that has better service?

"Scott

What are your long term goals, how much work do you have on hand. $350 k is not much work, that won’t even pay for your set up and like mentioned 5000 sq ft is way to small, if you are cranking out tons of product you will need half of your space just for material storage and handling.

As soon as you get into automation down the road you will need at least double what you are thinking..

As for equipment I would recommend equipment that comes with service. I have scm and I love their machines when they are working, if they break down you will be out of business waiting for Scm to do something about it. I am in Canada and their service is beyond terrible, the service manager couldn’t find a donut in a Krispy Kreme store."

Charlie,
That is a loaded question, I would guess that everyone’s service would be better than my experience with SCM. I will clarify that SCM has a lot of branches in a lot of different countries, so your location they might be fantastic.
I am in Canada so we don’t hear a lot about the American made machines unless you were to see them at the big shows in Atlanta or Las Vegas.
Some other shops I know have Biesse, Homag, SCM. And weeke. I have only ever used SCM and weeke.
Hopefully James can find some free time to reply, he would have some good suggestions and he knows a lot of the stuff manufactured in the US.

I would lay out a plant to use a beam saw, a drill and insert, air or laser bander, p2p CNC and a nested CNC that was capable of all my custom stuff, you can start out with the nested machine, the drill and insert and edge bander and leave space for p2p CNC and Beam saw for high volume. I would use conveyors and dowels and automatic case clamps in the future but smaller manual case clamps to start.

There are plenty of shops doing high volume custom commercial on CV.

The key is a well laid out plant using a professional with lots of experience that leaves space for the machines and processes you will want / need in the future and who leaves power, air, dust centralized and not after thoughts later.

Paying for a good professional design is the best thing we ever did and we used the same person at least 4 times over 30 years.

Someone recently asked me how we were able to do what we do and a lot it is based on every movement must add value to the product. Any movement that doesn't add value is a waste for money.

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