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Multi-task machining requires advanced CNC tools
Today's manufacturers in the US are faced with numerous challenges from a global market place. Offshore suppliers have various advantages ranging from government subsidies to vast pools of lower cost labor. To many American OEMs, producing parts overseas is often done to just stay competitive as others source parts offshore.
Certainly when it comes to production variables, American manufacturers do not have the option of producing goods locally at the same labor rate of overseas facilities. But there is another option, which is coming into play, which minimizes the advantage that cheap offshore labor offers. American companies are adopting new technologies and leveraging them for a competitive advantage. Multi-tasking machine tools, a new breed of CNC machine tools being developed, minimize the amount of manual operator involvement to produce the part. As a result, multi-task machining is becoming one of the fastest growing segments of CNC machine tools.
The number of machine tools and the number of setups required to produce a part significantly increase the cost, as well as the potential for introducing errors, to produce it.
Multi-task machining CNC machine tools minimize the human factor in production by completely machining a part from start to finish. This is accomplished by an extremely versatile configuration consisting of multiple spindles and turrets or tool groups. The multi-task machining process transfers the stock from spindle to spindle allowing the machine to gain access to all areas of the part. Since the transfer between spindles is handled totally by the machine itself, operator intervention is unnecessary. Inaccuracies introduced through manual setups done by operators are eliminated. Overall part accuracy is maintained to the accuracy of the machine tool.
Multi-task machining gets it name because at any given time, multiple machining operations can be occurring in parallel. These can be either on a single spindle, or across multiple spindles. Some examples of multiple cutting operations occurring on a single spindle at the same time are pinch turning, when two turning tools are applied to opposite sides of the part, or OD/ID turning to minimize deflection and...