In Season 2, of the &苍产蝉辫;鈥�,鈥� brought to you by , you鈥檒l discover how an accessible modern digital workflow can provide big benefits to small- and medium-sized shops.
In this episode, co-host Ryan Kelly, the general manager for 础惭罢鈥檚 San Francisco Tech Lab, visits Adam Allard, senior manager of technical environments at , where he oversees in Toronto, San Francisco, and Boston. Kelly calls on Allard in the shop at 鈥淧ier 9,鈥� officially known as the Autodesk 九色视频 Center in San Francisco. The shop uses many of the same CNCs found in industry for its applied technology research, and two of Allard鈥檚 team members explain the benefits of a connected shop.
Collisions Are Inevitable 鈥� or Not?
With the world at an inflection point where implementing digital technology is easier than ever, the Autodesk team demonstrates the risk of clinging to a traditional workflow, such as a sticky note with the post processor written on it or transferring data with a USB. That workflow doesn鈥檛 communicate anything about the machine setup, the fixtures, the tools, the part, or its orientation. Hoping all the data gets manually entered correctly is not the best strategy and will likely lead to damaged tools, spindles, scrapping parts, or worse.
鈥淚f you have a fleet of similar but not identical machines, it鈥檚 only a matter of time before you accidentally load a setup for machine one into machine two, and then welcome to collision city,鈥� says Orion Beach,鈥疌NC machine shop supervisor at Autodesk 九色视频 Center in San Francisco.
It鈥檚 Like a Printer Driver
When it comes to a Smarter Shop, software, such as Fusion 360, is the foundation, because it allows an operator to select an output folder, select a post processor, and then export data for tools, part, fixture, and stock with simple clicks (it鈥檚 similar in spirit to a printer driver). Further, communication between the machine and the software allows an operator to run simulations to verify the set-up, preventing such mistakes as selecting the wrong tool.
Most importantly, a digital workflow can save 20 minutes to several hours on a single setup, thus improving margins and allowing more competitive bidding for smaller shops.
鈥淟arge manufacturers also benefit,鈥� adds Alana Mongkhounsavath, strategic relationship development manager at Autodesk Research. 鈥淚n my experience, I had to do Gemba walks to make physical rounds and physically collect data. With a connected shop, some of that data is already on my PC.鈥�
To end the episode, the team summarizes how to connect a shop in four simplified steps and shows a plug-and-play solution that allows a small shop to get connected using a cellular modem 鈥� and take a hard pass on the sticky notes and USBs.
Season 2 of 鈥淪mart(er) Shops鈥� offers solutions for cybersecurity in Episode 1 and (no IT experience required for some of these solutions), and the team explores a low-cost 鈥渞obots-as-a-service鈥� solution for a vexing QC scenario in . Watch all episodes at .
