An empirical study to evaluate machine tool production readiness and performance

Abstract

Purchasing the correct machine tool can have strategic implications for manufacturers, because incorrect selection will eventually lead to quality and productivity losses. Prior research has concentrated on developing an analytical decision support system to select and compare machine tools based on machine functionality—not capability. Machine tool selection decision analyses concentrate on machine specifications and characteristics, which disregard the actual machine accuracy and dynamic performance. In this paper, the need to include machine accuracy and performance in terms of cycle time, tool wear, and surface finish is described with a case study of manufacturing a typical aerospace component using three different production methodologies on three computer numeric controller milling machines. Even though the three selected machine tools have similar technical specifications, which are adequate to manufacture the sample aerospace part, the machine accuracy and dynamic machining performance of the machines is significantly different. We conclude that it is necessary to include machine tool performance and production readiness attributes and not solely rely on the specifications when considering machine tool selection and purchasing.