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While there certainly is value in collecting and displaying this data gathered from machine monitoring, identifying and tracking green time is only part of the continuous improvement initiative for J&R Machine. The company uses the machine data it collects to develop a monthly productivity index: a ratio of machine green hours to the payroll hours of the person tending the machine. In essence, this metric demonstrates how well the shop uses its payroll hours compared to its machine hours. It helps shape a number of key business decisions and ultimately reveals true shop costs and profit.

Also in this issue of Modern Machine Shop:              

• In an era when manufacturers of all stripes seek to consolidate operations on fewer pieces of equipment, Unisig has taken the position that a gundrill does not have to be just a gundrill.
• Here are some frequently asked questions and answers about applying a PVD coating to medical devices—a process that can offer both aesthetic and functional advantages.
• To push past the limits of conventional EDM equipment, this German injection molding company adopted atypical micro-EDM “milling” technology to machine small molds for tiny, critical, injection-molded parts.
• What is roller burnishing? Take an in-depth look at the process that enables fast and repeatable finishing of metal surfaces to mirror-like quality without removing any metal.

Read or download the digital edition of Modern Machine Shop’s February issue.