Automation

Short Bar Loader Helps Job Shop Meet Tolerance Specs And Throughput Goals

Maintaining high accuracy and repeatability in production parts requires precision workholding systems as well as precision machine tools. To help machine a particularly complex, high volume part, the company has installed magazine short bar load systems to complement production lathes.

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Automotive

It's A Machine Tool Robot

This machine has a dual identity. It looks like an industrial robot. In some applications, such as assembly, it is. However, put a spindle and cutting tool on the end of this five-axis machine and it becomes a machining and drilling center. The inherent stiffness of the machine's tripod design makes it accurate enough to machine aerospace and automotive applications.

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Automation

Flexible Automation Takes Over Piston Machining

This manufacturer of power garden equipment implemented a flexible transfer line and found it cost significantly less than one third the price of a traditional line.

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EDM

Arizona Manufacturer Finds Night And Weekends No Problem For Automated EDM

A Mitsubishi VX10 working in conjunction with a System 3R Workman Robot routinely operates unattended from Friday afternoon until Monday morning for this Arizona manufacturer.

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Automation

Of Pogs And Shops

A few years ago, I came back from IMTS (I think it was 1994) with a give-away that Haas Automation had in its booth. It was a game called pogs.

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Automating Milling Machines Expands List Of Machinable Projects

Find out what this manufacturer chose when they decided to automate their milling machines.

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Automation

Low Cost Turning Automation Yields A High Rate Of Return

Two CNC lathes, with live tooling, tool monitor, and auto-load short-bar bar feeders are helping this California manufacturer compete. They've seen impressive reductions in throughput time and manufacturing costs. And, they're just getting started.

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Basics

Pushbutton NC Programming

With numerical control (NC), shops learned how to automate the machining process. Now, with today's CAM software, they are learning how to automate the NC programming process.

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High Automation for Low Volume

Many people think flexible machining cells are for high production, but this shop finds just the opposite. Here's how they've grown their cell to meet the needs of their work.

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Oil & Gas

EDM And Automation: Not 'Oil And Water' Any Longer

Electrical discharge machining (EDM) was developed in the 1940's, used sparingly for burning out broken taps and dies until the 1970's, then utilized for single part operations, moldmaking and punch-die production in small lots until about ten years ago. This is when the first CNC versions emerged from several manufacturers, including Mitsubishi. Mitsubishi was said to lead primarily because they were the only EDM builder who also built their own machine controllers (through a sister division of the company). Today, CNC and manual machines are still produced, with several thousand units sold each year.

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MMS Leaders in CNC Machining