Wear and tear due to age, accidents, and breakdowns of machine tools are common occurrences at a manufacturing unit like a shop floor. This increases maintenance cost and affects production causing a huge dent in finances. Keeping the current production volumes in mind, buying a new machine is a serious investment that requires a lot of recovery time. In an industry where capital investment is huge, it seems like there are very few options to choose from as a solution.
But there is another option that takes all these concerns and solves them and that is reconditioning; a part of a CNC machine service that helps restore a machine. The process is generally described as the process of restoring the machine tool to factory condition as per scope.
Reconditioning is often not considered an option when it comes to deciding the fate of a machine’s role on a shop floor.
Reconditioning processes usually encompass thorough check, change of worn parts, cleaning, re-erection, re-commissioning, recalibration, ensuring accuracy and if needed, repainting of the machine as per scope. This includes retrofitting a CNC machine to upgrade it.
Depending on the requirements concluded based on a detailed check on the current condition of the machine, the necessary repairs and replacements will be done to bring the machine back to production capacity.
Why is it better than buying a new machine?
1. Cost-effective
If you already possess a machine that can do the job but has been sitting idle due to operational issues why create an additional expense of buying a new machine?
Studies have shown that the reconditioning of machines costs approximately 30% lesser than buying a new machine which can save lakhs of rupees together.
2. Increased machine life
There is an assumption about a machine’s life. That after a period of usage, the machine will have nothing to give. But with reconditioning that can be changed. After the reconditioning of the machine as per scope and if used properly, it is said that most reconditioned machines can give up to 5 years, if not more, of production usage. This is a huge money saver while increasing the mileage of the return on investment per machine.
3. Better productivity
Reconditioning ensures restoration of productivity, production safety, and precision of your machine. After a long period of discontinued usage and or wear and tear machines tend to lose their accuracy even when left untouched. Time, environment, temperature, dust, rust, etc. will cause the outer structure, as well as the inner critical parts, to undergo wear. Making sure it is back to optimum accuracy will help customers trust the reconditioned machine to produce accurate parts. When you reduce machine downtime by having a machine up and running through reconditioning, productivity automatically goes up.
4. Better machine value
With your machine restored, your machine’s value is also restored. Machine tools are a capital investment and machine resale is a safety net for shop owners looking to upgrade their capabilities with newer machines. When your older machines are in the right shape then it holds the value when they must be resold.
Additionally, getting more in terms of productivity out of a machine that you consider unproductive is always a plus.
This content was originally published on the Ace Micromatic website.