The competition is coming at you from down the block, up the street and around the world. Welcome to the global economy. The pressure is on to become more productive and cost-effective while improving product quality and working with shorter lead times.

So how do you get more quality product out the door, on time and with less labor cost? One answer is unattended operation made possible by the reliability and repeatability of ONA EDM machines.

With ONA wire EDMs you are assured of conformance to dimensional tolerances, precise surface finish and cutting time before loading the part into the machine. Whether you’re making one or thousands of parts, each will be identical and burr-free.

All of which means your operators can simply set up an EDM operation and then go on to other duties. They know how long the job will take and that no in-process adjustments are necessary. Which translates into a quantum leap in productivity.

To get the most out of your wire EDM, schedule shorter jobs during the day and longer operations to run overnight, for true "lights out" production. Sometimes a number of different jobs are put on the worktable at the same time, using the ONA Automatic Wire Threader (AWT) so each job or opening is cut independently.

Jobs requiring longer cuts such as die blocks with many openings or punch blocks with multiple punches are often set up to run overnight – or even over a weekend. This unattended operation is almost like having an unpaid employee working for you around the clock. So you increase productivity while reducing payroll costs.

ONA wire EDMs are designed at the outset for longtime unattended operation. Standard equipment includes wire supply spools to 100 lbs., wire chopper units, dependable automatic wire threaders with tip disposal units, and advanced, automatic, 3-micron filtration systems that don’t use consumables.

But what if something goes wrong? Or you’d like to run even more "lights out" jobs? ONA EDM machines have RJ45 connectors and Ethernet cards so users have remote access – in real time – to messages the EDM sends to an e-mail address, PC or even a cell phone. These messages let them know that a job is completed, the machine has stopped or that a problem exists. You can even have cameras mounted over the work tank for viewing from a remote location.Precision tooling companies can provide fixtures that let you preset parts outside the machine. This way you can put a new job in proper position and location without additional set up as soon as the current job is completed, thus minimizing idle machine time between jobs.

And if you have a really big job, ONA manufacturers the world’s largest submersible wire EDM with table travels of approximately 40 x 60 inches. This machine is capable of cutting 24-inch thick parts weighing up to 22,000lbs.

The next step to having a complete automation package is incorporating automated handling devices – such as pallet systems – to change parts in the machine. This approach is normally used for high production runs and often uses a robot to change the part or remove and load a new pallet after a machining operation.

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Discover how other manufacturers are using proven ONA EDM technology for unattended operations that make them more productive and profitable. Click here to find your local ONA representative.