How AccuRod® Improves Manufacturability

Posted on September 26, 2023 by Boston Centerless

Design for Manufacturability, or DFM, is the process of designing products for ease of manufacturing as well as creating a better, more cost-effective product. DFM is a vital product-development step that looks to simplify and optimize the design to ensure high quality and efficiency during production along with integrity once in the field. The goal of DFM is to reduce manufacturing costs and avoid costly disruptions without sacrificing quality or performance.

DFM is an element of lean manufacturing practices as it focuses on getting the design right in order to minimize rework and waste during production and assembly. The DFM approach is an excellent cost-saving strategy for OEMs as it increases operations efficiency and reduces time to market – and often improves quality.

Why Choose AccuRod®?

Products must be designed from the beginning to be manufacturable. The DFM process should consider material selection, tolerancing, and the selection of critical dimensions as all of these factors impact manufacturability. By partnering with the right material supplier, OEMs can create parts that can be reliably manufactured in large volumes with outstanding OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness). This is where Boston Centerless and AccuRod® enter the picture, delivering precision ground bar materials that improve manufacturability and maximize shop throughput for our customers. In fact, yields are estimated to increase between 30-60% with AccuRod® Skilled Material.

Boston Centerless sources material that has superior machinability characteristics from only the highest quality mills. AccuRod® provides precision bar for close tolerance machining applications for various industries including medical and aerospace. All precision bar stock is machined using best-in-class equipment to ensure our customers’ specifications are met every single time. Our team supplies a range of materials including stainless steel, premium medical alloys, plastics, and more. At Boston Centerless, we deliver the most consistent diameter tolerance, roundness, and straightness in the industry. Below are more details on how these characteristics – and more - enable AccuRod® to improve manufacturability.

It is important to note that the incremental investment in AccuRod® bar is more than offset by the reduction in operations personnel needed to manage variations in bar material, while simultaneously increasing OEE and throughput. Further, AccuRod® enable lights-out manufacturing and ultimately lowers the overall cost of CNC Swiss operations.

The Impact of AccuRod® on Machining Operations

Boston Centerless utilizes a method called centerless grinding. This technique provides tighter dimensional tolerances, smoother surface finishes, and higher degrees of straightness and roundness than other machining methods. With 60+ years of experience, our team understands that dimensional aspects such as roundness and straightness can be as critical, if not more critical, than just the diameter size and tolerance.

When CNC Swiss machines operate with AccuRod® precision ground bar, the equipment is machining stock with consistency of diameter and straightness with no inclusions. This has a tremendous impact on machining operations, resulting in significant productivity gains.

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Below are 5 key benefits of utilizing AccuRod® materials that are a result of its improved manufacturability.

Less Vibration Leads to Higher Productivity: vibration is a key metric when assessing the health and operability of a CNC machine. With unparalleled straightness and roundness, precision ground bars cause less vibration and wear and tear on machinery, resulting in decreased downtime. No vibration also results in increased equipment and tooling longevity. Machinery operates best when it has minimal start-ups and shutdowns, maximizing efficiency. Due to its quality and consistency, AccuRod® can be fed at higher speeds, leading to faster cycle times and quicker speeds to market for our customers. Longer and more stable tooling lifetimes also enable shops to keep less inventory on hand, another cost savings from using precision ground bar.
Improved Feeding with Dual Chamfered Ends: this feature of AccuRod® precision ground bar helps facilitate bar feeding. Our team provides cut and chamfered bars for our customers. Chamfered bars are beneficial in machining because they help feeders run more efficiently, saving valuable time and money during your CNC operations. Since our customers use different types of machining equipment, we are prepared to meet any bar chamfering dimensions that your project requires.
Less Time Validating, More Time Operating: when companies procure bar that is not precision ground, there is significantly more variation within the bars. This requires operations personnel to spend time measuring and sorting the bars by size in order to adjust the machine settings to accommodate the variations. This step is eliminated for Boston Centerless’ customers as our AccuRod® bar is so consistent in size that all bars are able to be machined with the exact same operating parameters – saving our customers’ valuable personnel time and minimizing machine downtime.
Lower Risk Leads to Higher Quality: precision ground bars with an optimal surface finish will reduce friction and have fewer surface defects. Manufacturers that utilize AccuRod® stock get it right the first time – minimizing potential for defective or out-of-spec parts and increasing material yields. CNC Swiss equipment that operates with AccuRod® material are less prone to product variations and more consistently deliver higher quality products – with less waste generated along the way.
Gain Labor and Machinery Efficiencies: as noted, CNC machines operate more efficiently with AccuRod® precision ground bar, which means a given operator can oversee a higher number of machines. It is estimated that the number of machines per operator increases from around 3 to 4+ machines per operator when using AccuRod® Skilled Material. Not only does AccuRod® enable a single operator to manage more machines, it also enables lights-out manufacturing without concern for product quality issues. The use of AccuRod® precision ground bar is a game changer and can help your business expand and reach its full potential.

Would your operations benefit from the outstanding manufacturability that AccuRod® delivers?

Contact our team to learn more about our precision ground bar and the range of value-added services we offer in-house.

About Boston Centerless

Boston Centerless provides solutions that enhance our customer’s manufacturing processes. With over 60 years of experience, we grind the tightest tolerances in the industry. When we were established, we were primarily a centerless grinding company, and over time we expanded our offerings to include manufacturing and distribution of precision raw materials and material preparation services.

We are a fully integrated product and service provider that can assist you with material selection, procurement, grinding, material testing and validation, customized inventory programs and supply chain management. Since we can procure and grind your material, we serve as your “one-stop shop” – saving time and money, and reducing risk, across your supply chain. We have proven experience with an extensive range of materials, and our manufacturing solutions include:

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