CNC work arounds are possible. The larger question is how much they will affect business productivity.
In a CNC machine that can not be used at all because the date can not be reset to a non-negative number, there is no work around. Though there will be some machines that become useless this will not be the majority of machines. In most cases, management will simply shut the useless machine off until time and money can be focused on it later. They will take the hit in productivity loss in order to stay in business.
Fortunately, most CNC machines do not use the date function as part of their process. They don't care what the day or shift/time is, they punch out product when someone hits the GO button.
Work around efforts on the machines that remain functional will vary. Off set constants can be calculated and integrated into new tapes to produce/punch/inject/... product -- and business can continue. It will take some time to calculate and test the off set, which may be different for each machine. New tapes will be needed for each product produced and they will need to be identified with the individual machine that they are known to work with. Mixing tapes and machines will be a problem, possibly a bad one, but can be solved enough to keep production limping along.
In some cases, process modification will be able to compensate for bad date effects. This will require time and effort. Some re-tooling or redesign of the line may disrupt production for a time. The work will be done and production resumed, though.
My point is that there are work around scenarios for some (probably most) CNC operations. There will even be some machines that will continue to work blissfully ignorant of any date problem!
The disruption of production; the effect on workers (unpaid time off, etc); the increase in waste (out of spec product); the inability to meet production quotas (? maybe demand will lessen as upstream problems reduce need?) will be the problem. In the mean time, a whole new work force (TAVA and its franchises) will be busy upgrading, replacing and improving systems that haven't changed in 30 years. What is happening in Coke's syrup production plants will be happening in base unit production shops around the country/world.
Yes, Our 70 mph economy will be jerked back to 55 mph overnight, but it won't be stopped. We'll still get there. Be careful you don't underestimate the inventiveness and creativity of the American worker. Their ability to rally to the challenge and "find a way" to keep things working is what is going to allow us all to get through the year 2000 and into 2001. We will get back to 70 mph. It may not be on all highways. It will not be without a cost, but we will get things back up to speed again.
Then again, maybe some of us will find out that we like smelling the roses and don't need to drive 70. We might even discover our families again! |
