How to reduce CNC setup time when every job is a short run

Question

Short-run machining is where setup time quietly eats the whole day. The machine may only cut for twenty minutes, but the job still needs material checked, fixture cleaned, tools touched off, offsets confirmed, first piece measured, and the next job staged. When the schedule is full of small batches, the setup becomes the real bottleneck. I have seen shops try to speed this up by pushing…

jet · Answer

Repeatable setup notes are underrated on short runs. If the next operator has to rediscover jaw position, probe point, and first-piece checks, the setup time comes right back.

charles · Answer

For short runs, staging the next job before the current one finishes helps a lot. Tools, material, fixture, inspection sheet, and program notes should be ready at the machine, otherwise the spindle is waiting on basic prep.