Five Reasons Why SPEEDIO Blue Technology Reduces Time Loss

What Is the Time Loss That Occur During Cutting?

Cutting carves out materials into the required shape using machine tools, which generates various wastes in the process. One of these is "time loss." Reducing time loss in the cutting process leads to shorter cycle times, making it an important issue for many companies.

Cycle time refers to the net time it takes to create a single product. Shortening the cycle time not only improves production efficiency, it also brings operational benefits such as reduced energy consumption and labor costs.

Reducing Non-Cutting Time Is Important for Shortening Cycle Time

To shorten the cycle time in cutting, it is important to work on reducing both cutting time and non-cutting time. Cutting time is the time when the machine tool is machining the workpiece. Non-cutting time refers to the time when the machine tool is not machining the workpiece.

To reduce the cutting time when the machine tool is machining the workpiece, the adoption of a machine tool with optimized cutting conditions and advanced automation function may be considered. For non-cutting time when the workpiece is not being machined, the cycle time can be shortened by working to reduce various wastes in the work process.

One way to do this is to thoroughly implement the 5S (sort, set in order, shine, standardize, and sustain the discipline) and consider the placement of workpieces and tools. Identify areas where improvements can be made in the work process and in the work space.

In addition, cycle time can be significantly shortened by reducing the time lost due to replacing parts and tools, recovering from mechanical problems, and other factors. Although it does not take much time to replace parts or tools, shortening the amount of time it takes each time will have a big effect in the long run.

When it comes to mechanical problems, it is important to work on reducing the time it takes to recover from machine downtime and to conduct preventive maintenance to stop problems from occurring in the first place.

Machine tools consume electricity even when they are on standby and not cutting. For companies with a large number of employees, the labor costs incurred even during non-cutting time increase as the non-cutting time increases. Efforts to reduce non-cutting time in various ways are also important from a cost reduction perspective.

SPEEDIO Blue Technology Reduces Non-Cutting Time to a Minimum to Eliminate Time Loss

Brother's SPEEDIO Blue Technology uses machine tools to reduce various time loss from non-cutting time.

Even when manufacturing the same product, cycle times vary greatly depending on the machine tool. The latest SPEEDIO has achieved shorter cycle times through performance improvements.

The table compares machining time for one cycle using competitor products. For inverter case machining, time is reduced by 33% compared to the competitor's BT40 machining center and by 15% compared to the competitor's BT30 machining center.
There are three main reasons why SPEEDIO can reduce cycle times, as shown below.

Non-Stop ATC

Performance improvements in the automatic tool changer (ATC) has resulted in faster tool changes. High-speed tool change, achieved through faster and optimized spindle start/stop, Z-axis up/down, and magazine operation, have shortened the time required for tool changes.

The S500Xd1, which comes with a 14/21-tool magazine, enables tool changes in 1.2 seconds chip-to-chip and 0.6 seconds tool-to-tool.

In addition, Brother's proprietary tool change command, G100, can perform tool change, positioning, and spindle start with a single command line, which has the benefit of reducing the effort required for programming.

High Acceleration/Deceleration Spindle

The low inertia spindle and high acceleration/deceleration spindle motor also shorten the time to start and stop the spindle. With the S500Xd1, the time it takes to start and stop the spindle is just 0.15 seconds or less (*high-torque spec.).

Simultaneous Operation

SPEEDIO reduces non-cutting time by simultaneously performing tool change and positioning X/Y and additional axes.

The graph shows the time required for positioning and drilling when the Z-axis is operating alone.
Comparing a BT40 horizontal machining center with the SPEEDIO, the SPEEDIO can perform positioning and drilling without stopping, shortening non-cutting time.

Reduce Time Loss Further by Reducing Setup Time and Downtime

As discussed above, when thinking of reducing non-cutting time, it is also important to setup before starting to machine, prevent sudden mechanical problems, and reduce downtime due to mechanical problems. Specifically, SPEEDIO achieves reductions in setup time and downtime through the following functions and support.

Reduce Wasted Time Through Setup Support

When setting up before starting to machine, the SPEEDIO Setup Tools help reduce the time for tool setup.
Among the SPEEDIO Setup Tools, the ATC Tool App and Tool Life App help speed up the setup and change of tools.

The ATC Tool App is a tool to effortlessly register magazine tools, edit tool data, and attach or detach magazine tools on a single screen.

The Tool Life App not only enables tool life setting and editing, it also automatically displays tools in order from the tool with shortest tool life on the home screen. By looking at the screen and preparing in advance to replace tools that are close to their end of life, even sudden breakage may be addressed with little time loss.

During programming, entering each item while following the guidance displayed on the screen to complete the input of G and M codes is another benefit. This eliminates the hassle of having to pull out the manual to check a forgotten code.

Furthermore, it comes equipped with accessories that support work, such as a notebook and a calculator. It can also display the manual or any PDF file on the screen.

Recovery Support

SPEEDIO Recovery Tools support rapid recovery from mechanical problems and help prevent breakdowns. When a machine malfunctions, it can take a lot of time and effort to perform recovery work while checking the manual or to contact the manufacturer.

The Recovery Support App displays a guidance on how to recover from a malfunction. Machine downtime can be reduced by following the guidance to perform recovery work.

It is also equipped with a program alarm position memory function and an automatic backup function that automatically stores the position when an alarm sounds and can restart from the alarm position. All these functions also help reduce downtime.

To reduce non-cutting time, it is important not only to recover from breakdowns, but also to conduct preventive maintenance to stop breakdowns from occurring in the first place.

SPEEDIO can prevent breakdowns before they occur. This is achieved by an overload prediction function that predicts overloads during mass production from a single machining run and prevents machine stoppages from occurring, an ATC monitoring function that detects the presence of tools and riding over of the tool holder, and a maintenance notice function that sends a notice when maintenance is required.

SPEEDIO Blue Technology Continues to Evolve, Dramatically Shortening Cycle Time

SPEEDIO has achieved dramatically shorter cycle times through pursuing and evolving high speed, high acceleration, and high responsiveness. Compared to the cycle time of TC-S2A released in 1999, set as 100%, the S500Xd1 released in 2022 has reduced cycle time by 35.3%.

Continuing efforts to improve productivity is important for the sustainable development of companies in the manufacturing industry. Reducing waste in non-cutting time is expected to improve productivity and reduce costs. SPEEDIO continues to evolve as a machine tool that helps reduce time loss during cutting. Let's aim to achieve more efficient and waste-free machining by focusing not just on cutting time but also on non-cutting time.
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