Many factors contribute to “who” your company is. Just as individuals must make decisions based on who they are, people in a company must make decisions based on the company’s identity. Company type is the most important factor that contributes to a company’s identity. Another important factor is lot sizes. Most important decisions related to any job must begin with the question: “How many parts are we making?” The number of workpieces made during a single production run (which I am calling a lot size) as well as how many of these workpieces you run per year (the annual quantity) should dictate how several important decisions are made.

The more consistent these numbers are from job to job, the narrower your focus can be and the easier it is to make wise decisions. Unfortunately, most companies find quite a variance here. They might need to run anything from small lots with low annual quantities to large lots with high annual quantities. It is important to base your decisions on who your company is and focus on the majority of jobs you run. So, if 80 percent of your jobs are less than 10 parts and only run once or twice per year, then your decisions should be made according to this lot size.

Machining Process

Some obvious decisions relate to how workpieces are produced. Quantity dictates machine selection, cutting tools, workholding devices and cutting conditions. With small lots, just about any process that makes good parts is acceptable since jobs will not be in production very long. However, as quantities grow, it becomes more and more important to make good parts efficiently. Expenses related to more elaborate workholding devices, higher-quality cutting tools and edge materials, and more aggressive cutting conditions can be justified to machine workpieces more quickly.