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Five-Axis Turnkey Machine Halves Medical Shop’s Cycle Times | Modern Machine Shop

Cumberland Additive’s CNC programmer in Pennsylvania spends most of his time writing programs for machine tools in Texas.

Pairing a shoulder mill with a five-axis machine has cut costs and cycle times for one of TTI Machine’s parts, enabling it to support a niche racing community. Cnc Machine Tools

Five-Axis Turnkey Machine Halves Medical Shop’s Cycle Times | Modern Machine Shop

Small details and features can have an outsized impact on large parts, such as Barbco’s collapsible utility drill head.

After more than 40 years in business, this shop has learned how to adapt to stay profitable.

Recognizing the demand for automation solutions in grinding and finishing applications, this abrasives manufacturer is providing free consulting services to help shops develop automated processes.

At its 2024 Music Motion Meeting, Studer AG showed off its entry-level line of grinding machines, as well as its newest universal loading system.

Pairing a shoulder mill with a five-axis machine has cut costs and cycle times for one of TTI Machine’s parts, enabling it to support a niche racing community.

A study in repeatable and flexible workholding by one OEM for another. 

Intech Athens’ inventory management system, which includes vertical lift modules from Kardex Remstar and tool management software from ZOLLER, has saved the company time, space and money.

To cut out laborious manual processes like hand-grinding, this briquette manufacturer revamped its machining and cutting tool arsenal for faster production.

Adopting PCD tooling has extended FT Precision’s tool life from days to months — and the test drill is still going strong.

Moving to five-axis machining enabled this shop to dramatically reduce setup time and increase lights-out capacity, but success relied on the right combination of workholding and automation.

Shops need to look at their people, processes and technology to get the most of out their automation systems.

Controlling variability in a closed-loop manufacturing process requires inspection data collected before, during and immediately after machining — and a means to act on that data in real time. Here’s one system that accomplishes this. 

Wolfram Manufacturing showcased its new facility, which houses its machine shop along with space for its work as a provider of its own machine monitoring software and as an integrator for Caron Engineering.

Global manufacturer Fictiv is rapidly expanding its use of data and artificial intelligence to help manufacturers wade through process variables and production strategies. With the release of a new AI platform for material selection, Fictive CEO Dave Evans talks about how the company is leveraging data to unlock creative problem solving for manufacturers.

Implementing ProShop has led to a massive process overhaul at Marzilli Machine. From 2020 to 2021, revenue increased 64% without capital investment.

Hexagon has rearranged its software portfolio into five process-based suites, which include software for every step in the workflow as well as a new program that connects everything, increasing automation and collaboration.

Verisurf will offer complete metrology solutions that combine its model-based inspection and measurement software, training and live technical support with Hexagon CMMs.

Understanding the differences between measurement methods means their discrepancies can be explained and used as an advantage to produce better correlation.

Zeiss Quality Innovation Days brings together quality and metrology experts from all over the world to take part in industry-specific sessions.

Understanding all the things that contribute to a machine’s full potential accuracy will inform what to prioritize when fine-tuning the machine.

Fixed-body mechanical plug gages provide fast, high-performance measurement for tight-tolerance holes.

Thanks to ballbar testing with a Renishaw QC20-W, the Autodesk Technology Centers now have more confidence in their machine tools.

Robotic applications are expanding thanks to rubber and silicone-based systems that can handle fragile materials or parts in varying sizes and shapes.

Shops need to look at their people, processes and technology to get the most of out their automation systems.

Recognizing the demand for automation solutions in grinding and finishing applications, this abrasives manufacturer is providing free consulting services to help shops develop automated processes.

Controlling variability in a closed-loop manufacturing process requires inspection data collected before, during and immediately after machining — and a means to act on that data in real time. Here’s one system that accomplishes this. 

With the acquisition of PushCorp, Walter aims to help customers be more productive with robotics and automation for their material removal processes.

At its 2024 Music Motion Meeting, Studer AG showed off its entry-level line of grinding machines, as well as its newest universal loading system.

Across a range of technical presentations aimed at small and mid-sized job shops, the first-ever Automated Shop Conference (TASC) offered insights into several automated technologies, implementation strategies, shopfloor training tips, and even the untapped power of automated coolant delivery.

Automation is no longer a luxury in manufacturing today – it’s a necessity. The Automated Shop Conference (TASC) will connect job shops with experts who offer advice and considerations for this process.

The Automated Shop Conference (TASC) will give shops of all sizes and production volumes key insights and practical guidance on how to implement automation.

Looking to automate your shop floor? The Automated Shop Conference (TASC) will connect shops with experts who can advise them through this transition. 

Attend TASC, The Automated Shop Conference, in Novi, Mich on Oct. 11, 2023 for a comprehensive look into how to use automation to transform your machine shop.

Staying adaptable and leading through change for 95 years and counting, Modern Machine Shop celebrates its 95th Anniversary since its first publication in 1928.

The advance toward increasingly automated machining can be seen in the ways tooling, workholding, gaging and integration all support unattended production. This is the area of innovation I found most compelling at the recent International Manufacturing Technology Show.

The renewal of collaborations, partnerships and networking opportunities created a new level of excitement at IMTS 2022 for 86,307 registrants.

Manufacturing has a multi-talented bunch of people, but who knew so many were adept in the facial hair industry? Check out the best of the beards at IMTS!

This year’s show celebrates 10 years of co-location between IMTS and Hannover Messe.

Brent Donaldson of Modern Machine Shop sits down with Supertec's Don Staggenborg to discuss what the IMTS veterans brought to this year's show.

Meet NASA mission system engineer Mike Menzel and learn more about the James Webb Space Telescope at Mitsui Seiki USA’s booth (338700) in the South Hall from 11:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. on Thursday, September 15.

You cannot begin to take advantage of an available feature if you do not know it exists. Conversely, you will not know how to avoid CNC features that may be detrimental to your process.

Understanding the differences between measurement methods means their discrepancies can be explained and used as an advantage to produce better correlation.

The decision to gain or retain status as a defense supplier by pursuing CMMC compliance is especially difficult for small- to mid-sized machine shops, and the complexities and misperceptions tied to the program certainly aren’t helping. To break down those complexities, here are five key issues that small- and mid-sized job shops need to know about CMMC.

Understanding all the things that contribute to a machine’s full potential accuracy will inform what to prioritize when fine-tuning the machine.

Fixed-body mechanical plug gages provide fast, high-performance measurement for tight-tolerance holes.

Safety commands help safeguard CNC applications from common programming or operation errors.

Legacy Precision Molds takes us on a tour of their moldbuilding facility. They've recently implemented two automated 5-axis cells for metal and graphite machining that run lights out during nights and weekends.

Verifying parts is essential to documenting quality, and there are a few best practices that can make the quality control process more efficient.

Take a look inside James Engineering, a high-end CNC Deburring OEM that became a job shop when they decided to produce their own parts in-house.

Tool-holder-spindle-machine combinations each have a unique dynamic response in the same way that each person has a unique fingerprint, which can be revealed using modal testing.

Explore Tech-Max, a CNC machine shop that specializes in precision machining large and complex parts ranging from 10 in. to over 10 ft.

Jrlon, Inc. is recognized as a dependable source and leading supplier of plastic and specialty metal products. They are one of the premier PTFE processors in the United States. Jrlon's expertise also covers a wide range of other performance plastic materials and alloy steels for custom molding, machining, gear manufacturing, technical industrial coatings, welding, and sheet metal fabrication. Driven by innovative designers and engineers, Jrlon manufactures unique products vital to a wide variety of industries.

In this episode of Made in the USA, several executives and senior staff at Hardinge give their first-person account of how they formulated the plan to shift the manufacturing of its milling and turning product lines from its Taiwan plant to its plant in Elmira, New York, the major challenges they encountered and the rewards that made it worth the effort.

The L.S. Starrett Co. has been manufacturing precision measurement tools in Athol, Massachusetts, since 1880. Attention to U.S. manufacturing often focuses on reshoring manufacturing from other countries, but Starrett never left. The facility in Athol employs hundreds and produces thousands of tools that remain vital for measurement in machining and other fields.

The latest episode “Made in the USA” podcast explores a company that uses collaborative robots, one of the key tools helping US machine shops and other manufacturers compete with lower cost countries by automating production.

When Puneet and Neelam Neotia moved from India to the United States several years ago, they brought with them a family background in manufacturing and CNC machining. Now the couple is working to get their startup machine shop off the ground, sourcing new customers and getting the word out about their shop in Clarksville, Indiana. The couple — proud to publicize their "Made in the USA" parts — is leveraging family connections and manufacturing capabilities back in India, but not in the way that some people assume. 

Entrepreneur Scott Colosimo found early success in China producing parts for his Cleveland-based motorcycle company in the mid-2000s. This is the story of how IP theft issues overwhelmed the business, prompting Colosimo and his team to start over from scratch — and move production back to the United States.

So far, Made in the USA has looked into system-wide effects of broken supply chains, automation, skilled workforce issues and our perception of manufacturing jobs — examining each topic through a prism of individual experiences. For this final episode for Season 1, let’s look at one more system-wide question and bring it back to personal perspectives: Is there today a new dawn, a new moment for American manufacturing?

The Top Shops 2024 survey for the metalworking market is now live, alongside a new homepage collecting the stories of past Honorees.

To combat the skilled labor shortage, this Top Shops honoree turned to partnerships and unique benefits to attract talented workers.

Doubling sales requires more than just robots. Pro Products’ staff works in tandem with robots, performing inspection and other value-added activities.

From cobots to machine monitoring, this Top Shop honoree shows that machining technology is about more than the machine tool.

Deciding to narrow down its jobs and customers was a turning point for 2023 Top Shops Business Strategies honoree Manda Machine that has led to improvements in the front office and on the shop floor. 

Thousands of people visit our Supplier Guide every day to source equipment and materials. Get in front of them with a free company profile.

Legacy Precision Molds takes us on a tour of their moldbuilding facility. They've recently implemented two automated 5-axis cells for metal and graphite machining that run lights out during nights and weekends.

Verifying parts is essential to documenting quality, and there are a few best practices that can make the quality control process more efficient.

Take a look inside James Engineering, a high-end CNC Deburring OEM that became a job shop when they decided to produce their own parts in-house.

Tool-holder-spindle-machine combinations each have a unique dynamic response in the same way that each person has a unique fingerprint, which can be revealed using modal testing.

Explore Tech-Max, a CNC machine shop that specializes in precision machining large and complex parts ranging from 10 in. to over 10 ft.

Jrlon, Inc. is recognized as a dependable source and leading supplier of plastic and specialty metal products. They are one of the premier PTFE processors in the United States. Jrlon's expertise also covers a wide range of other performance plastic materials and alloy steels for custom molding, machining, gear manufacturing, technical industrial coatings, welding, and sheet metal fabrication. Driven by innovative designers and engineers, Jrlon manufactures unique products vital to a wide variety of industries.

Verisurf will offer complete metrology solutions that combine its model-based inspection and measurement software, training and live technical support with Hexagon CMMs.

The MMC Mini-Mini collet chuck is well suited for high-speed machining applications where clearance is needed, such as die mold, aerospace and medical parts.

Onik Bhattacharyya will oversee the GF Machining Solutions product portfolio for the North American market region.

The Pre-Allocation feature simplifies the purchasing and material planning process and prevents unnecessary inventory from sitting on the shelf.

The company’s retention knobs are manufactured from American-made 8620 alloy that is treated with hot black oxide to military specifications for protection against corrosion.

The Girls Take Over Tech event enabled more than 65 students to interact with Sandvik Coromant experts and tour of the company’s advanced manufacturing facility.

Titanium and high-nickel alloys burn through inserts and cutting tools more than other materials, especially during roughing. Tools are frequently changed earlier than required in titanium machining as a precaution. Learn about new metalworking fluids engineered to significantly extend tool life without risking costly aerospace parts. Agenda: Learn to select the right metalworking fluid for your aerospace application Understand the impact of fluid selection during initial new product planning Discuss challenges of obtaining metalworking fluid approvals from OEMs Consider how supplier service and support can significantly impact the bottom line

Prepare for a transformative journey into the future of your manufacturing. Join ECI Solutions for a dynamic panel discussion featuring change management and manufacturing ERP experts. This webinar will equip you with the essential tools and tactics to navigate the human side of change and ensure a smooth, high-impact rollout of your new ERP system. The presenters will cover their expert insights on ERP implementation, some pitfalls during the implementation process and how to manage them, and recommendations on building a culture of change. Don’t miss this opportunity to unlock the full potential of your ERP investment and propel your manufacturing business forward. Register now for a transformative discussion on change management for manufacturers. Agenda: Gain perspectives from leading change management professionals on strategies tailored to the unique challenges faced by manufacturers during ERP implementation Navigate the common roadblocks associated with change and discover practical solutions to overcome resistance, boost buy-in and user adoption, and maximize the ROI of your ERP as soon as it is in your business Learn how to foster a culture of openness, communication and collaboration within your organization, laying the foundation for a successful ERP transition Walk away with a clear roadmap for change management excellence in your manufacturing operations

Adding robotic automation to machine tool processes can bring a level of apprehension and confusion on how, when and where to begin. Kuka offers a wide range of automation technology and industrial partnerships to efficiently and effectively bring a project from conception to completion. Considering automation early on in your machine tool buying process can not only save you money and time but it can also ensure that your machine will be efficient when it arrives at your shop. Agenda: Save time and money by automating before you get your machine tool Simplify the process: simple PLC programming, mobile robots, articulated robots and planning simulation Finding the right automation integration partner What to expect out of your automation supplier and the questions to ask Example applications and use cases

While machine data is critical to understanding asset performance, manufacturers need additional context to develop a complete picture of production performance. By capturing operations and work order data in real-time, users can finally visualize and understand not just how their machines are doing but the true status of work-in-process (WIP). In this webinar, MachineMetrics will demonstrate the power of their work order tracking and scheduling analytics releases. Powered by cutting-edge AI, users can now monitor, track, analyze and adjust their production schedules to maximize capacity and get every order shipped on time. It’s time to stop monitoring machines, and start monitoring production. Agenda:  The difference between machine monitoring and production monitoring The importance of connecting machine data with operations and work order information Key features MachineMetrics are unveiling to enable next-gen production monitoring

In today's rapidly evolving manufacturing landscape, job shops face unique challenges stemming from a severe labor shortage and the growing demand for faster job setup times. This presentation delves into the crucial importance of automation for job shops and highlights ProCobots as a provider of high-mix, low-volume automation solutions. The discussion begins by addressing the pressing issue of labor shortage, which has compelled job shops to seek efficient and cost-effective alternatives. One of the key solutions lies in the extremely fast job setup time offered by automation systems, which streamline processes and reduce reliance on manual labor. The benefits of collaborative robots (cobots) over traditional industrial robots are also highlighted, emphasizing their versatility, safety, and ease of integration into existing workflows. This presentation showcases ProCobots as a provider of effective high-mix, low-volume automation, pointing to how it can cater to the diverse needs of job shops that handle a wide range of parts and projects. Throughout the presentation, attendees are taken through the step-by-step process of automating a part for a Hurco CNC mill using ProCobots' automation software. From initial planning to seamless integration with the Hurco control, participants gain valuable insights into how automation can revolutionize job shops and drive efficiency, productivity, and profitability. By showcasing real-world examples and practical applications, this presentation aims to inspire job shop owners and operators to embrace automation as a strategic imperative for staying competitive in today's dynamic manufacturing environment. Agenda: Why automation? Collaborative robots vs. industrial robots Why ProCobots: system components and the Hurco Automation Job Manager

Learn about the benefits of using fully integrated CAD and CAM software and the automation tools available. Agenda:  Learn how to start using the CAM software included with SolidWorks See how a fully integrated CAD/CAM system saves significant amounts of programming time Watch presentations of the automation tools available Gather information on the levels of fully integrated CAD/CAM to fit your machining needs Gain an understanding of how other machine shops have benefitted by using a fully integrated system

Explore integrated solutions that make manufacturing more efficient at ZOLLER Inc.'s 2024 Open House and Technology Days. This two-day event June 12 and 13, 2024, at the company's North American headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan, will highlight real customers who have leveraged ZOLLER technology to optimize their manufacturing processes and boost profits.

RAPID + TCT is returning to the west coast after a decade away! For more than 30 years, RAPID + TCT has defined the crucial role of additive manufacturing and empowered the establishment of an industry that continues to conceive, test, improve and manufacture new products at a faster, more cost-efficient pace. SME and Rapid News Publications have teamed up to produce the annual RAPID + TCT event, which takes place June 25-27 in Los Angeles, California. The event is for those who provide technology and for those who need to understand, explore and adopt 3D printing, additive manufacturing, 3D scanning, CAD/CAE, metrology and inspection technologies.

Laser powder bed fusion is the most widely used additive manufacturing method for metal part production, and electron beam melting is a closely related technology. For metalworking facilities contemplating a move into metal AM using technologies such as these, here is a road map for success. Speakers will cover materials, safety, part design, production workflow and differences between laser and electron beam metal powder bed fusion systems.

FABTECH 2024 will be held October 15-17, 2024, in Orlando, Florida, at the Orange County Convention Center. FABTECH provides a convenient ‘one-stop shop’ venue where you can meet with world-class suppliers, discover innovative solutions, and find the tools to improve productivity and increase profits. There is no better opportunity to network, share knowledge and explore the latest technology, all here in one place. Future U.S. Show Dates and Locations 2023 – September 11-14 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL 2024 – October 15-17 at Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL 2025 – September 8-11 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL 2026 – October 21-23 at Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV 2027 – September 13-16 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL

Understanding all the things that contribute to a machine’s full potential accuracy will inform what to prioritize when fine-tuning the machine.

While there are many changes to adopt when moving to five-axis, they all compliment the overall goal of better parts through less operations.

Consider what types of implementation your shop prefers when deciding between workpiece-handling and pallet-handling automation solutions.

When getting a grip on stainless steel, make sure you are very specific in how you talk about it and understand the pertinent information you need.

Consider these spindle attributes to make a choice that is balanced, usable and compliments your processes as best as possible.

While nearly all ER systems will have cross compatibility, they’ll have small differences across manufacturers that make their implementation at the shop level not as standard.

Horizontal five-axis machines cut cycle times in half at ARCH Medical Solutions – Newtown. But its leadership gives equal credit to a surprising factor: the OEM’s service department.

The G550 was ARCH – Newtown’s first Grob machine, and first five-axis machine. It combined work previously requiring two turning operations and one milling operation, completing the job in half the time of the original process. The machine’s expanded capacity from its pallet system has also enabled the facility to use the G550 for other large parts, where it often cuts cycle times by as much as 50%. Images courtesy of ARCH Medical Solutions – Newtown.

Medical parts take high-precision to extreme levels — in ARCH Medical Solutions’ case, oftentimes to tolerances as strict as a few ten-thousandths of an inch. Meeting this level of quality requires meticulous machines. Meeting it promptly requires an equally meticulous process. In 2020, ARCH’s Newtown, Connecticut, facility bought a five-axis Grob machine to consolidate operations for a medical robotics part from several machines to one. When this proved successful, the facility invested further into Grob with a turnkey machine. This second machine lowered cycle times for several applications by 50% — but to the staff, the technology in the turnkey machine is equaled in importance by the facility’s experience with Grob’s technicians and process engineers.

ARCH Medical Solutions operates over 20 manufacturing facilities across the U.S., with the majority working on orthopedic implants. The Newtown facility is one of about 30% that instead focus on medical capital equipment — centrifuges, clinical analyzers and robotic surgical devices, for example.

The Newtown facility began to investigate Grob machines in 2019 to produce a surgical robot component. Work on a centrifuge rotor required two turning operations and one milling operation, the latter on one of two old four-axis horizontal machines. When management encountered the five-axis horizontal Grob G550, they found the size of the table more than fit the 630-mm by 630-mm pallets for the rotors. Equally important, the pallet system and axis layout struck them as useful for consolidating operations and facilitating lightly staffed third-shift production.

After visiting other shops and hearing positive feedback about the G550, the facility moved forward with the machine in early 2020. Combining setups and operations decreased work-in-process and throughput time by half, while the combined operations freed up the older machines and made the job much easier to schedule. The improvements were drastic enough that the facility also found additional capacity on the G550 machine, which it can use for its other large parts.

In 2022, the shop returned to Grob to purchase a turnkey G350 that could specialize in the facility’s smaller parts. The same benefits from the G550’s pallet system and five-axis setup held true for this machine, even with a smaller work envelope and pallet size (this one 400 mm by 400 mm). ARCH presented Grob with two applications it wanted to complete on the machine, targeting a 50% improvement in cycle time.

When Grob delivered a presentation to ARCH proving that “they had a workable vision that they could attain,” as put by ARCH Medical Solutions – Newtown’s VP of Operations, Don Stankus, ARCH asked Grob to produce test versions of the parts the machine would need to run. After designing the fixturing and tooling the machine would need for optimal performance, Grob ran the parts at its facility and tested them with a CMM, rather than sending them to ARCH for initial inspection. Stankus says this was a pleasant surprise, as most turnkey providers the company had worked with in the past did not have ways to inspect parts on-site, and Grob’s ability to do so shortened the turnkey development process.

While all of ARCH Medical Solutions’ production facilities are involved with medical parts, each location has unique areas of expertise and fleets of machines. This combination of many specialties under one banner continues the precedent set by the company’s origin — and its name. The ARCH name reflects the two companies which founded the brand and their initial specialties: Automotive, Richards Micro Tool, Cutting tools, HiVol.

Grob’s thorough testing of the turnkey solution prior to sending it for installation at ARCH also cut a lot of difficult process development work for the shop. In the past, Stankus says, turnkey partners tended to step away from projects after making a viable part, not a viable process. This often left ARCH to redevelop the process, usually causing about as much work as if the company was designing a process from scratch. “Most of the time we seem to get to 80% of a complete part, then it becomes difficult and it takes a long time to finish it,” Stankus says.

“That last 20% takes 80% of the effort to get it across the finish line,” agrees Joe Young, president of ARCH Medical Solutions – Newtown. But Grob handled this last 20% on its own before handing it off to ARCH, surpassing the initial cycle time targets for the turnkey project in the process.

To install the machine, Grob sent a technician who would not only set it up, but spend three weeks training Brian O’Leary — the shop’s process engineer — in designing five-axis programs and using the Siemens Sinumerik 840D control, which was new to everyone at the facility. “Helping us develop our talent is just as critical as having a good piece of equipment,” Young says, and he credits the technician with helping O’Leary and the ARCH team upskill quickly enough that the facility could transfer its parts to the machine almost seamlessly.

Process Engineer Brian O’Leary (left) spent three weeks training with a Grob technician to learn how to use the Grob G350’s Sinumerik control. After O’Leary shared this training with his team, Lead Machinist Jonathan Urvina Palmer (right) has been able to prepare difficult operations with ease.

Training on the Siemens control swiftly spread across ARCH’s shop floor, and according to O’Leary, the control’s preloaded cycles for difficult machining maneuvers (such as swivel cycles) and its graphical interface have won over most of ARCH – Newtown’s operators. Several features have also caught management’s eye, with Stankus pointing to the control’s ability to track parts by their position in a lot or pallet as a great boost to traceability. He also notes that the shop has benefited from functionality that enables operators to to freely add subroutines to perform operations like engraving.

Performing this sort of experimentation in the medical manufacturing sector may seem reckless and foolhardy — but the benefits go beyond the Newtown facility to other machine shops under the ARCH brand. Namely, an ARCH facility in Sonora, California, also uses Grob machines to create components for medical robots, enabling both facilities to share their optimized part programs for greater cycle time gain. The Sonora team has also been able to provide stopgap training and support when required until Grob is able to send one of its technicians.

According to Stankus and Young, ARCH typically doesn’t need to wait long for that technician. The facility uses Grob’s web-based support service for most minor questions or repairs, with a technician arriving relatively promptly for more difficult repairs. What’s more, this technician is typically the same one who installed the G350, so he has a familiarity with ARCH’s equipment and a rapport with the staff.

“That’s just as valuable as the equipment, because if you can’t make the thing sing, then you aren’t going to make money on it,” says Young. “They do a great job of helping us to fully utilize the capability.”

Once seen as a specialty machine tool, the CNC Swiss-type is increasingly being used in shops that are full of more conventional CNC machines. For the newcomer to Swiss-type machining, here is what the learning curve is like.

One potential source of serious injury in grinding comes from an oversight that is easy to make: operating the wheel in an over-speed condition.

By employing advanced high efficiency milling techniques for the entire machining routine, SolidCAM’s iMachining technology can drastically reduce cycle times while vastly improving tool life compared to traditional milling.

To meet the extreme tolerance of the telescope’s beryllium mirrors, the manufacturer had to rely on stable horizontal machining centers with a high degree of consistency volumetric accuracy.

A mill-turn machine that can rotate a large, bell-shaped workpiece in a horizontal orientation enabled this manufacturer to hit tight tolerance and cost targets. Minimizing non-value-added time and running lights out were also essential for success.

Universal machines were the main draw of Grob’s 5-Axis Live — though the company’s apprenticeship and support proved equally impressive.

To meet an increase in demand, this shop invested heavily in automation solutions and five-axis machines to ramp up its production capabilities.

Five-Axis Turnkey Machine Halves Medical Shop’s Cycle Times | Modern Machine Shop

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