At the time, the manufacturer performed bore finishing using two single-pass, single-spindle machines. The task was time-consuming and created a bottleneck in the machining process. The chief engineer of the company’s manufacturing technology division had been entrusted with improving the process. He explains the issues presented by the existing bore finishing process:
“The process required manual fine adjustment to ensure bore dimensions were consistently accurate. The biggest problem was that because the adjustment was an extremely subtle one, it could only be entrusted to experienced operators.”
Despite the fact that the task was performed by experienced operators, it still took an average of 3 minutes to process each component, resulting in increased overall production time per workpiece. Because the level of processing required varied from workpiece to workpiece, the manufacturer also needed a solution that was flexible. Furthermore, because the manufacturer’s original machines were decades old, it took a long time for faults to be attended to, as parts, or engineers with experience in repairing the machines, were often unavailable.
Feeling that things were at breaking-point, the chief engineer began considering the purchase of a new single-pass machine. However, while he looked at the websites of machine manufacturers, ordered catalogues, and talked to salespeople, he had difficulty narrowing down the options. One reason for this was that his company had never used any other brand of machine before. He therefore had trouble visualizing how the production line would look with new machines. At the same time, if he didn’t act soon, productivity would only worsen. The engineer continued to gather information, growing more anxious by the day. While he also considered purchasing a honing machine to replace the single pass machines, he was unable to narrow down the honing machine options either, not knowing which option would be best.
