By Marshall Taylor
The two primary processes in machining are turning and milling. In layman’s terms a lathe uses a static tool to remove material from a rotating workpiece (usually cylindrical), while a mill uses a rotating tool that removes material from a static workpiece. Often, though, parts require a combination of these machining strategies and commonly will be setup on separate machines to accomplish the tasks. This is where a machine capable of turning and milling becomes the best fit for the job. Let’s discuss five of the benefits of turn/mill machines.
Setup Reduction – One of the apparent benefits of turn/mill equipment is eliminating setups by consolidating machining operations to a single machine. Whenever we can reduce setup and part handling, it equates to lower production costs.
Reduced Fixturing – Because multiple operations are performed on a single machine in fewer setups, required fixturing is also reduced. Parts with features on multiple sides can easily be programmed to precise orientations in the spindle rather than designing custom fixtures which is often the case with traditional machining strategies.
Reduced Spindle Time – One of the biggest advantages is that it frees up a machine to be utilized for other parts. This means the supplier can increase their overall throughput, which benefits both the supplier and the customer.
Multi-Axis Features – This type of equipment has the inherent ability to machine complex multi-axis features. Features such as helixes and wrapped pockets can be accomplished with a programmable C-axis combined with live tooling.
Lights-Out Operation – One factor that must be considered when pricing a job is labor costs. Being able to run a job on the lathe means that it can potentially be bar-fed instead of requiring an operator to load and unload single pieces of stock, sometimes completely unattended.
Some parts that don’t have any turned features still make sense to manufacture on a multi-axis turn/mill machine because of the above benefits. Of course, several factors are considered in determining the best machine for a job, but having the technology gives us a lot more tools in our toolbox.
Would you like to meet us? Please call us at (208) 748-6600 or email sales@marvelmanufacturing.net
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