Manual tool changes vs auto tool changers on small production runs

I ran a job last month with 12 different tools and 40 parts. Switching tools by hand took forever, like 4 hours of setup time. My buddy has a Haas with an automatic tool changer and he did the same job in 90 minutes flat. For high volume stuff I get it, but for short runs I always thought manual was fine. Now I'm not so sure. Anyone else feel like auto tool changers are worth the extra cash even for small batches?

2 comments

2 Comments

dakota78717d ago

Quit kidding yourself and buy the ATC already.

ryan_kim6317d ago

Man, I went back and forth for like two months before I finally pulled the trigger on mine. I kept thinking I could get by with cheaper alternatives or just wait for a sale that never came. But once I actually got it and used it for a week, I realized I was just wasting time and energy trying to avoid spending the money. It just worked so much better than anything else I tried, and the extra cost was totally worth it for how much smoother everything felt. Looking back, I wish I'd just bought it from the start instead of all that hemming and hawing.