Moving heavy machinery will always cause some type of commotion. It’s very important to figure out how to avoid any production bottlenecks, and how adequate alignment can keep those issues away. Improper alignment and leveling after relocation is never a major challenge, but it can lead to concerns. That’s why you want to narrow down how to address the production bottlenecks, and how these can provide better results in the long run.
What is a production bottleneck?
At its core, the production bottleneck is a point where the flow is restricted. That will lead to a lower output. There can be a variety of problems, like one of the machines running slower, being frequent stoppages, and also dealing with material that is backing up before a process. You can also have downstream operators waiting on output from upstream, or having too much scrap or rework at one stage.
Machinery moves will introduce alignment risks in a multitude of ways. For example, there can be lifting stress, structural flexing, but also reinstallation onto some new foundations, maybe even vibration happening during transport. Even changes in the slab integrity and floor flatness are crucial, and you have to address them wisely.
Alignment and leveling impact on throughput
Why do these matter a lot? They impact the output, consistency and speed. Local distribution changes are problematic, because if the machine is not level, that leads to higher resistance and friction. Reducing efficiency will lead to a slower cycle time. If the vibration increases, that leads to frame distortion, shaft misalignment, as well as imbalanced rotation. And then there’s mechanical binding. If you have minor misalignment on conveyors, automated systems, presses and so on, misalignment leads to tracking drift, side loading and premature wear, among many others.
CNC accuracy sensitivity
The thing to note about CNC machines is they are very sensitive to any alignment problems. Most brands will try to design machines that operate with very specific tolerances. If you make any movement, even some small changes to the foundation, those can be problematic. They might affect things like the axis straightness, tool repeatability, any backlash compensation or anything of that nature.
Does misalignment create bottlenecks for the CNC operations? Of course, and one example is the dimensional drift. For example, if the machine is not leveled, that leads to axis geometry shifts, the thermal growth is uneven and the cutting forces are deflecting in a different way than intended. Sure, parts will be passing inspection, but they will fail any assembly checks later on and the rework will increase.
And not only that, but there might be increased tool wear as well. That will lower the tool’s timespan, vibration chatter, and even uneven cutting forces. The more tool changes you make, the more downtime you will have to deal with here. Slower feed rates are a problem as well, mainly because these will lower the feed speeds or the depth of cut. Over weeks, that will lead to major output loss, which is a thing that you need to avoid the best way that you can.
So yes, misalignment will lead to bottlenecks in these CNC operations. No matter if we are talking about dimensional drift, increased tool wear or slower feed rates, those will become a problem. Knowing how to manage all of that is important, and it’s certainly a thing to take into consideration. At the end of the day, the last thing you want is to deal with any production bottlenecks, so avoiding any misalignments is a major part of the process.
Conveyor and material flow alignment
Moreover, a lot of the time, production flow will depend on having the right alignment between machines. Whenever a relocation happens, you can have shifted transfer points, the guard rails might be skewed a little, roller beds will not be parallel and the conveyor heights might mismatch. These are normal problems that arise, so knowing how to manage that is super important, and it will only make the process better every single time. The last thing you want are any discrepancies that lead to flow disruptions, and that’s something you want to avoid.
- Product tracking problems come from misaligned conveyors. That can lead to edge damage, products drifting to one side, the sensors are not working correctly, or there might even be some jams at the transfer points.
- If the conveyors are not square, then the belt tracking will shift, the chain drives will wear unevenly and the guides will rub excessively.
- And of course, there is also a timing mismatch between stations. If the material flow has a lack of consistency, then the downstream equipment will cycle without the product, wait for the product or even fault out because there’s irregular spacing, which can be a problem to deal with here.
There can also be floor and foundation variables that happen after a move. A common mistake is that you assume the new floor is matching the old one. But there can be slope differences, reinforcement differences, even the concrete thickness will vary. And that will cause misalignments which will potentially cause a variety of small issues to deal with.
Even a 5% decline in the key stations is problematic. The labor costs per unit will increase, the inventory buffers will glow, and the delivery schedules will not be followed properly. Not only that, but the overtime will increase and the shift output will decline. Knowing how to manage this stuff is extremely important, and it will address these challenges in more ways than expected.
Post-move verification
A post-move verification is not just an option. Instead, it’s mandatory as it will unlock a variety of potential issues and concerns that normally arise from this type of problem. Precision leveling is crucial mainly because it will help you avoid any alignment problems. You want to use a precision level, even a laser leveling system.
Another thing to focus on will be the torque verification, tighten the bolts in the right sequence, set the right torque and check again after 2-3 days. Geometry checks are just as important here, especially for precision machines. Here you want to check the axis straightness, verify the squareness, confirm the spindle alignment and also do some test cuts.
When it comes to the vibration analysis, you want to capture vibration numbers before installation and then compare to see if everything is identical. You also want to do conveyor alignment checks, since you can verify the frame parallelism, belt tracking, guard spacing, sensor alignment, along with other similar things. Try to do a full load test, not just a simple belt run.
Conclusion
Clearly, adequate alignment is crucial if you want to avoid any production bottleneck. The truth is that alignment will bring even load distribution, stable sensor feedback, it will boost the equipment lifespan, provide consistent product flow and many others. If you don’t have alignment, then the production will have less stability and that is something you want to keep in mind here. At the end of the day, you always want to keep any production bottlenecks in check, and ensuring the machinery is aligned will help prevent any downtime in the future!
This is incredibly valuable