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OEE for machining centers with long cycle times

In aerospace machining, a single part can stay on a multi-axis machining center for most of a shift. A stop in the middle of that cycle is costly, and on a paper log it is easy to miss.

For every machine, Fabrico's OEE software splits OEE into Availability x Performance x Quality, on one dashboard, live or for a past period.

  • Availability: run time against planned production time, with each stop listed by its start and length.
  • Performance: actual cycles against the ideal cycle time, which shows a machine that runs slower than it should.
  • Quality: good parts against all parts, so a scrapped part counts against the machine that made it.

Machine monitoring on older and newer CNC machines

An aerospace shop often runs a new multi-axis machine next to a CNC lathe that is decades old. Fabrico connects each machine in the way it allows, and all of them report into the same OEE view.

  • PLC connection: run status, stop signals and cycle counts read from the controller of a machining center or a lathe.
  • IoT sensor: for an older CNC whose controller gives no usable output, a sensor fitted to the machine reports when it runs and when it stops.
  • Camera: on manual work, such as a deburring or hand-finishing bench, computer vision counts the output and sees when work stops.

Because each stop comes from the machine signal, it is on record even when nobody stands at the machine during a long program. The machinist only adds what the signal cannot know, such as the cause.

The details of each connection type, and what it needs on the machine, are on our machine monitoring software page.

Downtime tracking for high-mix, low-volume machining

In a high-mix, low-volume shop, breakdowns are only part of the lost time. Time also goes into setups, program changes and waiting, and each of those needs its own name in the downtime data.

Stops are recorded from the machine data, and the machinist picks the cause on a tablet or phone. Downtime by cause then ranks the reasons each machine stands still.

Setups and fixture changes

Loading a large fixture and setting up a new part number are part of the job, yet both stop the spindle. Tagged as setup, that time is shown per machine apart from breakdowns, so you can see whether a new setup routine shortens it.

Waiting for inspection, programs or material

A part held for first article inspection, a proven program that has not arrived, material still on its way: none of these is a fault, but each stops the machine. With their own causes, these waits appear next to breakdowns for each machine.

Micro-stops on machining centers

Short stops to clear chips or check a tool rarely reach a paper log. Fabrico detects micro-stops, so the time they take on each machine adds up to a figure the team can see.

Stop reasons, cause lists and downtime analysis are covered in more depth on our downtime tracking software page.

Spindle maintenance and machine history, CMMS built in

When the spindle of a high-value machining center fails, the work that only that machine can do stops with it. The repairs behind those stops are handled in the built-in CMMS, and each one is logged against the machine.

Preventive maintenance: spindle checks, lubrication and coolant service as recurring tasks in an annual PM plan, dragged to another day on the calendar when a long job is still on the machine.

Breakdowns: a technician opens a work order from the stop, while the emergency flow tracks reaction time.

Machine history: each machine has its own record with its files, such as manuals, and its repair history. A QR code on the machine opens that record in one scan.

Spare parts: spindle bearings, belts and other wear parts kept in the parts catalog with min/max levels, and each part used is booked against its work order.

MTTR and MTBF: per machine, with a list of the machines repaired most often. Maintenance and production then use the same figures to decide which machine comes first.

Multi-site OEE and ERP integration for aerospace suppliers

Aerospace suppliers often machine the same part families in more than one plant. With a group account, the plants share one multi-plant view, and cross-plant benchmarking reports show how they compare.

Access: role-based access control gives plant managers, cell leads, machinists and technicians the screens their job calls for. An audit log shows who changed what, and SSO through SAML is available as a custom integration.

APIs and exports: REST API and webhooks, Zapier, Excel bulk import, and Excel or CSV export of any list.

ERP: SAP PM synced in both directions, SAP S/4HANA connected, and Dynamics, Oracle or another ERP through a custom integration.

Security: Fabrico itself holds ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO 9001 certificates and keeps your data in the AWS EU region, with encryption at rest and in transit.

To compare tools, see our OEE software comparison.

Questions aerospace manufacturers ask about OEE

Is Fabrico a complete MES? No, it is the monitoring and OEE layer of an MES, with the repairs behind the stops handled in the built-in CMMS.

It does not plan or dispatch jobs, and production planning is on our roadmap.

How long does a rollout take? About 1 month to install and connect the devices on your machines, then 3 to 4 months to the full rollout.

Do machinists need a PC at the machine? No, the iOS and Android apps run on a tablet or phone and the web app in a browser, with push, in-app and email notifications.

The interface is available in English, Bulgarian, German, French and Polish, and more languages can be added.

How is our data protected against loss? Backups run daily, the recovery targets are 4 hours for both RTO and RPO, and the platform sits behind Cloudflare DDoS protection.

What does an hour of downtime cost us? Our cost of downtime calculator puts a price on the production losses of your own lines.

Who trains our team? Fabrico gives live and on-site training, and support by email or phone callback answers in under 2 hours.

What does a demo involve? It is a 30 minute conversation with a Fabrico consultant, no commitment, about where your machines lose time.

Anything you share with us is handled under ISO 27001.

Questions about your own machining centers? Contact us.

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