When searching for the right manufacturing partner, selecting a company that uses a Flexible Manufacturing System or Lights-out Manufacturing can be a competitive advantage. Both are different strategies of advanced manufacturing utilized by CHawk Technology to produce complex components and modular assemblies for the semiconductor, medical device, and industrial technology industries.

Flexible Manufacturing

A Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS) can react to changes that are both predictable or unplanned. The FMS delivers significant advantages, including its ability to manage resources like time, process, and tooling to manufacture a new component or assembly. With an FMS, you get better efficiency and lower production costs.

At CHawk, we plan for variability due to the nature of the components we build. Two critical types include:

• Routing flexibility which allows the system to be changed to produce new product types and change the order of operations executed on a component.
• Machine flexibility gives us the ability to use multiple machines to perform the same operation on a part, as well as the system’s ability to absorb large-scale change.

Other FMS advantages include:

• Increased spindle time
• Software capability to automatically reschedule job priorities on the fly based on shifting demands
• Smart tooling system that automatically checks cutting tools required for scheduled work and have adequate cutter life remaining to complete the work.

Lights-out Manufacturing

Another advantage to using an FMS is the ability to utilize “lights-out shifts.” CHawk Technology can meet increased demand and help you save money on your manufacturing costs with our lights-out shifts. We feature unmanned machining that can run entirely automated saving significant cost on production and enabling greater flexibility for increased demand.

CHawk offers you multiple advantages for manufacturing your next part or assembly. We feature leading-edge manufacturing methods with the right geographical footprint. Our customer-driven focus and performance management will help you from rapid prototyping to your long-range capacity planning.