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CNC automation technology continues to transform the automotive industry along the entire production chain, from raw materials suppliers all the way to the final assembly line.

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Thanks to automated CNC machining, Tier-1, Tier-2, and other suppliers can deliver higher quality automotive parts to other suppliers or OEMs faster.

Efforts to improve the quality and efficiency of parts machining have continued as engineers at companies like Methods partner with machine shops to integrate new equipment for automated tool-changing, material handling, robotic cell operators, real-time monitoring, and more.

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Automated automobile manufacturing incorporates CNC technology, integrated technology, and flexible automation. This article focuses on how the latest automated CNC solutions are giving precision manufacturers a competitive advantage in the automotive industry.

 

The State of Automation in Today&#;s Automotive Industry

The automotive industry is arguably the biggest adopter of automation technology. In fact, the automotive sector accounts for nearly half (47%) of all industrial robotics sales in North America.

According to a forecast report by Technavio, the automation market share in the automotive industry is expected to increase by $1.95 billion from to , and the market&#;s growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of almost 4%.

CNC automation combines several different machining operations, including turning, milling, and drilling, to produce vehicle components with precision and high repeatability while creating efficiencies by reducing the manufacturer&#;s reliance on human interactions and multiple setups.

Automotive Parts Produced by CNC Machines

Automation systems increase production efficiency for these and other automotive parts:

• Engine components &#; camshafts, cylinder heads, crankshafts
• Drivetrain components &#; gears, shafts, axles
• Suspension components &#; control arms, springs, shock absorbers
• Brake components &#; rotors, calipers
• Exhaust components &#; manifolds, mufflers
• Fuel system components &#; injectors, fuel rails

Due to the intricate workflows involved with modern automotive assembly, incorporating automation into the production of individual components still often requires some human involvement to oversee and control end-to-end operations.

 

Automation Goes Beyond Robots and Conveyors

Robotic arms and chip conveyor systems only scratch the surface of automation possibilities for auto suppliers.

Tool Changing

A fully integrated robot quickly and accurately switches between different cutting tools from a magazine during machining.

What are the benefits of automated tool changing?

• Minimizes the risk of tooling errors, such as incorrect tools used
• Eliminates the time and effort required to change tools manually
• Reduces manual intervention and the risk of workplace accidents
• Adds flexibility for using a wider range of tools

 

Material Handling

Integrated robots, conveyors, automatic pallet changers, and automatic storage and retrieval systems move raw materials, semi-finished products, and finished products. Automation systems may be used on a single machine or within a machining cell when multiple operations are necessary.

What are the benefits of material handling?

• Increases productivity by reducing time and effort for manual material handling
• Minimizes risks of material handling errors, such as incorrect positioning or damaging workpieces
• Maximize floor space for efficient storage and retrieval of materials
• Eliminates the need for manual intervention and reduces the risk of workplace accidents.

 

Automation Options for Automotive Suppliers

The automotive manufacturing process is highly diverse. As such, different types of CNC automation solutions will provide more value for certain automotive machining applications. These types of automation include:

• Automating Existing Equipment &#; CNC equipment that is still far from its end-of-life can benefit from the investment in automation solutions that optimize tool changing, material handling, and other processes integral to automotive parts machining.
• Custom Turn-key Solutions &#; Turnkey automated CNC solutions can be developed and customized for a particular automotive application. These are complete, integrated systems that provide everything needed for producing automotive parts, from the machines and automation equipment to the software and training materials.
• Automating Machine Components &#; Various CNC machines use certain tools and components for specific applications that can be automated when manufacturing automotive parts. For instance, Lathes create pieces from various materials, including metals and plastics. Milling machines cut and shape materials using a rotating cutting tool to create intricate designs and shapes. Other machines under this category include routers, laser cutters, and plasma cutters.
• Automated Production Cells &#; Production cells streamline the automated machining process and minimize setups. They also reduce downtime, increase efficiency, and improve the final product quality. Automotive suppliers can integrate these cells with other production systems, such as ERP systems, to enhance communication and collaboration between different departments and stakeholders.

 

Advantages and Benefits for Automotive Applications

Leading automotive OEMs, and Tier 1, 2, and 3 suppliers are rapidly implementing CNC automation for the many production benefits that deliver a competitive advantage. These benefits can&#;t be overstated, and include:

Removing Pain Points and Bottlenecks

Leading automotive OEMs, and Tier 1, 2, and 3 suppliers are rapidly implementing CNC automation for the many production benefits that deliver a competitive advantage. These benefits can&#;t be overstated, and include:

With CNC automation, vehicle manufacturers and automotive suppliers can solve their common pain points and eliminate production bottlenecks:

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• Production Planning &#; Systems manage production schedules, track the production progress, and allocate resources in real-time.
• Production Set Up &#; Perform multiple setup procedures simultaneously, freeing up resources for other tasks and improving overall production efficiency.
• Workpiece Loading and Handling &#; Load and unload workpieces consistently and accurately, enabling repeatable and reliable production processes.
• Traceability &#; Collect and store production data in real time, creating a comprehensive and accurate record of the manufacturing process to meet manufacturer and regulatory requirements.

Faster Production Speeds

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Speed ranks among the top benefits when incorporating next-level CNC machine solutions in the automotive industry. Automation of part production eliminates fatigue and the need for lengthy and labor-intensive manual machining that can slow down the manufacturing process. Greater speeds increase CNC automation&#;s benefits when producing low-mix, high-volume automotive parts.

Accuracy and Precision

The automotive industry demands high-level accuracies alongside acceptable tolerances that eliminate the malfunction of critical car parts. Autonomous CNC machining removes the risk of human errors, leaving little for defects. The finest machine settings can provide tolerances of ±0.001.

Improved Repeatability

Beginning with CAD, automation ensures consistent processing parameters by storing and reusing tool paths to ensure each piece is produced congruently.

Project Customization

Automation handles a range of parts and quantities better, providing fast and more effortless programming, real-time adjustments, and increased scalability.

Cost Reduction

While the initial cost of acquiring and automating CNC equipment might be high, the benefits compensate for that investment. Greater production capacity offers opportunities for new business or diversifying into other industries. Operational efficiencies, increased production capacity, and higher quality also factors into calculating the ROI of automation solutions.

 

Common CNC Automation Solutions

Other than manufacturing components and parts for vehicles, automated CNC machining equipment offers even more possibilities for automotive parts suppliers:

• Tool-changing systems &#; An automated tool-changing system improves a CNC machine&#;s production and tool-carrying capacity, changing tools quickly without the need for a manual operator.
• Pallet changers &#; A CNC robotic arm with actuators and grippers clamp and release the workpiece from a storage system or rack that holds numerous workpieces. It typically consists of a programmable logic controller (PLC) or a computer numerical control (CNC) system.
• Automated part loading and unloading systems &#; These systems automate the process of loading and unloading parts onto the machine, reducing the need for human intervention and improving spindle time.
• In-process gauging &#; This real-time system eliminates guesswork and reduces opportunities for error when measuring between cutting passes.

 

We Specialize in CNC Automation for Automotive Parts Manufacturing

Methods offers CNC machining solutions capable of supporting even the most complex automation projects for automotive manufacturers and suppliers.

We partner with the world&#;s leading machine builder brands, including FANUC, Kiwa, Nakamura-Tome, OKK, and Yasda, to bring you automation solutions customized for your automotive production needs.

Contact our engineering experts to see how Methods can help you produce the highest quality automotive parts faster and with unmatched precision.

This page explores the best options for automating CNC machining processes like milling and turning . It also considers CNC supportive operations such as deburring, finishing, measuring, marking and more. The question is not &#;if&#; one should automate but &#;what&#; and &#;how&#; to automate. To learn more, keep on reading!

CNC automation means reducing human intervention in manufacturing processes that use machine tools. In practice it can mean transferring workpieces or pallets through the manufacturing process from machine tools to other supportive devices like washing stations or measuring cells. Today CNC automation also deals with more effective management of information like constantly updating production execution plan, based production resource availability and production order priorities.

Automating physical movement and operations requires automation hardware like robots, so that the system can execute the planned production (machining) in practice. This happens by transferring the machining pallets or by direct workpiece manipulation. In addition, the system can also manage the physical movement of cutting tools and integration of supportive processes like deburring, washing, measuring, marking&#; This level is what has been traditionally and exhaustively understood with &#;automation&#; in CNC manufacturing context but is only one side of the coin as we learn in the best practices chapter . It&#;s important to notice that production planning and resource management can be automated independently to physical operations but greatest benefits are achieved only when they are combined.

Automated production planning and resource management calls for a software capable of turning production orders (e.g. from ERP) into a constantly-up-to-date plan on what should happen in the production and when. By managing the production resources like raw materials, NC-programs and tools the software can forecast any problems beforehand. It also guides the operators for right action at the right time. This gives the control fully to the production manager and makes meeting lead time requirements much easier and less stressful. Situational awareness is enabled by automated dashboards. Example of such software is Fastems MMS .

Here are the typical approaches to manufacturing we have observed during the four decades history we have in business. To understand the best practices, it&#;s the easiest to consider how intelligent CNC automation can solve the issues with the two first ways of manufacturing:

Manual Operations

 Doing (something) sometimes

The first approach is the non-automated traditional machine shop where one person controls 1-3 CNC machine tools manually. This if of course a robust and proven way to operate but the disadvantages are obvious. This way, the typical machine tool can be utilized (=cutting chip) for only about - hours out of the yearly . The reason lies in manual set-ups and all of the hassle with manual production planning, non-stable processes and occasionally missing resources like raw materials or tools.

In total this leads to longer lead times, oftentimes to quality issues and creates unnecessary work-in-progress (WIP) as parts are not truly manufactured on demand but in too large batches vs what was the actual order. This is usually because of the need to cope with set-up times.

End result: production does value adding activities only a small portion of the potential time. The production is far away from its full potential.

Traditional CNC Automation

Doing (something) most of the time

The second category just replaces the operator with a robot. This can mean tremendous increases in utilization as the robot/crane is capable of feeding the machine almost 24/7. As positive this sound, we have seen manufactures implementing automating this way to run lots of problems: now that the machine tool is running constantly, we can&#;t keep up in efficiently handling our resources, tools or smartly manage our production orders vs machining capacity. In other words: production planning and resource management become bottlenecks instead of the utilization rate leaving the manufacturing still far beyond its full potential. Before automation, the clock speed of production was slower and handling that was perhaps possible even with pen and paper or simple excel sheet.

End result: the machine tool utilization can be raised by replacing the operator(s) with a robot(s) but often that raises other issues related to production management or resource management leaving the production far from its full potential.

Intelligent CNC Automation

 Doing the right things, at the right time &#; all the time

In the final stage all benefits from the physical automation of efficiently moving parts are combined with the advantages of automated production planning and resource management.

The production orders (e.g. from ERP) set the &#;pace&#; of production and synchronize everything around them. The software, such as Fastems MMS, knows all needed resources and machining capacity and prompts the operators for exactly the right action at the right time. Furthermore, it alarms proactively if what is being planned can&#;t be done &#; because of e.g. missing tool from the machines tool magazine. To make production managers life easy, the production plan is automatically update based on changes such as quick delivery (skipping the production ques) or machine malfunction (re-allocating the works to other machines capable of handling them).

End result: the production as total is always doing the right things at the right time &#; all the time. This means most optimal machine utilization, low WIP, fast lead times, minimal hassle, high quality&#; Read more from the benefits section!

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