Figures from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics show that the US manufacturing industry is heading in the right direction after the disruption of the pandemic. The years ahead present significant opportunities for continued growth, but it’s not a case of business as usual.
As Deloitte noted in their 2023 manufacturing industry outlook report, manufacturers must invest in “advanced technologies to help mitigate risk.” One such crucial technology is the flexible tooling system.
Here’s why flexible tooling systems are the future of manufacturing and how they can benefit your business.
Endlessly Adaptable
Few manufacturers have the luxury of running static operations producing one product or component year in and year out. Instead, they need to be dynamic and adaptable. At the same time, they must maintain the very highest standards of quality and precision.
Flexible tooling systems allow manufacturers to adapt to changing market demands on the fly. For example, when new designs require different setups and new materials, you can reconfigure a flexible tooling system to meet the demand.
You can set yourself apart from other manufacturers relying on older technology, giving you the power to say yes to opportunities as they arise.
Reduced Downtime
As Benjamin Franklin wisely said, “Time is money.” This axiom may predate traditional tooling systems by hundreds of years, but it’s like they’ve never heard it. Older systems can be unwieldy, taking hours or even days to reconfigure. All the time, your facility and workers are standing idle, pouring money down the drain.
Product changeovers are simplicity itself with flexible tooling systems. They can be reconfigured in minutes, allowing you to move almost seamlessly into the production of the next item.
The Power to Innovate
To compete, you know you must innovate and open your facility to new designs and new forms of manufacturing. The challenge is that reconfiguring old equipment to meet these challenges can be costly. In addition, some designs may be beyond the capabilities of aging technology.
Flexible tooling systems open a whole world of opportunities to you. You can test out innovative designs and expand the capabilities of your facility. They are endlessly reconfigurable and designed to work with a wide range of materials. This could give you a competitive advantage by increasing your offering and improving the quality of your products.
Repeatable Accuracy
Whether your design is as old as the hills or was completed yesterday, it’s only good if it’s repeatable. Flexible tooling systems are built for accuracy and precision. That’s why they’re the backbone of the aerospace and medical device manufacturing industries.
The most advanced flexible tooling systems use no electronics, motors, or powered parts. This gives them rock-solid reliability, enabling them to produce precision parts in the most challenging environments.
Manufacturing Taken to the Next Level
In the ‘innovate or die’ world of manufacturing, flexible tooling systems are undoubtedly the way forward. The AccuLoc6 is a game-changer, a comprehensive tooling system that is endlessly adaptable to whatever design you’re working on.
Ready to learn more about our flexible tooling systems? Call Advanced Machine Works at (918) 884-3750 or reach out online for more information.