CNC machine capacity is the maximum workload or throughput your CNC machines can handle. This can be measured in different ways, like parts-per-hour, or the number of hours cutting per day.
Capacity is integral to a manufacturer’s production speed, costs, and overall efficiency. In general, an increase in capacity allows for more work to be completed, raising profits.
Greater production capacity can help eliminate bottlenecks. While all engineers aim to keep machines working as much as possible, overburdening critical machines can damage throughput, especially if parts are waiting.
Manufacturers with more work than capacity can quickly find lead times extending as work piles up. This can mean delayed deliveries and rushed work. Limited CNC machine capacity often translates into costly overtime and overworked machines, increasing the cost it takes to create a part.
So, what factors can cause insufficient machine capacity?Additional machines are a big investment for a manufacturing facility in terms of time, money and space. These additional machines will need the production hours to justify their existence, and you may need more staff to help manage.
It's worth first looking at optimizing your existing processes. Smart software, stronger tooling, and process improvements can free up capacity and increase throughput without investing in more machine tools.
Vericut offers a host of optimization software that can refine workflows, and help you get the most from your existing machines.
CNC simulation software, like Vericut, can simulate a CNC machine and programs in a virtual environment. This digital twin is used to prove processes, catch errors, and identify setup concerns before any actual machining starts.
Manual prove-outs in a digital space are fast, and free up valuable machine capacity. They also prevent collisions and scrap.
Crashes on CNC machines are expensive and time-consuming to deal with. Any collision or over-travel halts production and eats up valuable capacity. Vericut identifies issues along the entire path of travel to prevent real-life incidents. The result is machining that is always right first time, ensuring capacity is used for production and production only.
While Vericut Verification prevents issues from occurring, Vericut Force improves cutting processes.
Advanced optimization software figures out the best feed rates and toolpath for peak efficiency. With Force, you can perfect your feed rates, chip load, and surface finish for smooth, consistent production and reduced cycle times.
Force users can find 25% savings on their cycle times and double the tool life, giving you back precious machine capacity.
Importantly, Vericut’s technologies link the different operations in an entire machining process together. This holistic view is an essential asset for manufacturers looking to free up much-needed capacity.
Armed with these wide-reaching, detailed analytics, your engineers can tweak toolpaths and other processes in real-time to keep the spindle running as much as possible.
There are multiple ways to improve your milling, drilling, and turning operations to make them more efficient and use less capacity.
Planned correctly, and with the right toolpaths, milling with high feeds and speeds can dramatically reduce roughing time and speed up production.
Similarly, enabling Constant Surface Speed (CSS) when turning keeps cutting conditions fast and efficient as diameters change, reducing production time.
How best to optimize your machine and process selection depends on what you’re producing.
Finally, choosing the right tools and fixturing can make the difference between a great process and an inefficient one.
Higher quality, advanced tooling designed for specific materials or processes offer extended tool life and faster cutting speeds. But in some cases, multi-function tools are suitable, slashing tool changes and space in magazines.
Similarly, fixturing choice plays a big role in production efficiency. Manufacturers who invest in faster technologies like zero-point clamps find they spend less time setting up jobs, and more time cutting.
Vericut’s superior simulation software can suggest improvements to tool selection to help you get the most out of your machines.
Before committing to the cost and complexity of a new machine, it’s worth exploring how much more your current setup can deliver.
Vericut’s powerful simulation and optimization tools help manufacturers unlock hidden CNC machining capacity, cut cycle times, and improve part quality, all without adding hardware.
Investing in Vericut means smarter use of what you already have, making it a cost-effective first step toward greater productivity.
Talk to us about your machining capacity.