Hillary Machinery supplies automated turning centers for high-production CNC turning with reduced operator intervention. These systems combine CNC lathes with gantry loaders, robots or other automatic part-handling equipment to load and unload workpieces, helping manufacturers increase machine utilization, reduce repetitive labor and support extended production.
Automated turning centers combine CNC turning capability with automatic workpiece loading and unloading to reduce manual part handling and increase productive spindle time. Depending on the application, automation can be provided by an integrated gantry loader, industrial robot or other material-handling system.
These systems are particularly valuable for repetitive production where operators would otherwise spend significant time loading raw parts and removing completed components from the CNC lathe.
An automated turning system coordinates the CNC machine with part-handling equipment. Raw workpieces are presented to the automation system, loaded into the chuck or workholding device, machined and then automatically removed when the cycle is complete.
Depending on the application, the automation system may also perform part orientation, transfer between operations, part flipping, gauging, washing, marking or finished-part placement.
Gantry-loaded turning centers use an overhead loading system to move workpieces into and out of the CNC machine. Gantry loaders can provide a compact, repeatable automation solution for high-volume production of parts with consistent size and geometry.
Because the loader is integrated with the machine and operates above the machining area, gantry automation can preserve valuable floor space while providing fast and consistent part transfers.
Industrial robots provide another method of automating CNC turning. A robot can pick raw components from trays, conveyors, drawers or other part-presentation systems and load them into the turning center.
Robotic systems can provide additional flexibility when part families, orientations or secondary operations make a fixed gantry loader less suitable.
CNC turning automation is generally justified by increasing the amount of productive machining time generated by each machine and operator.
Automated turning is particularly well suited to repeat-production components where raw workpieces can be presented consistently to the loading system.
Hillary Machinery offers FUJI automated turning centers engineered for production turning applications where integrated part handling, fast cycle times and reliable automation are important.
FUJI turning systems are designed around automated production and can provide an integrated alternative to adding automation around a conventional CNC lathe.
Explore FUJI Automated Turning Centers
Manufacturers can approach turning automation in two ways. One option is to purchase a turning center designed with integrated automation such as a gantry loader. Another is to automate a conventional CNC lathe using an external industrial robot or cobot.
The best approach depends on production volume, cycle time, part mix, available floor space, required flexibility and whether the machine will be dedicated to a specific family of parts.
When an integrated automated turning center is not the best fit, robotic machine tending can provide another path to CNC automation. Robots can be integrated with new equipment or, when the application and machine permit, with existing CNC lathes.
Hillary Machinery provides CNC machine tools and in-house robotic integration, allowing manufacturers to evaluate both integrated automated turning centers and robot-tended CNC solutions.
Automation should be selected around the complete manufacturing process, not simply the CNC machine. Hillary Machinery can help evaluate:
A conventional CNC lathe may be the most economical solution when production quantities are low, parts change frequently or operators can efficiently load the machine while performing other tasks.
Automated turning becomes more attractive as production volume increases and repetitive loading begins to limit spindle utilization or consume significant operator time.
An automated turning center is a CNC turning machine combined with equipment that automatically loads and unloads workpieces. Automation may use a gantry loader, industrial robot or another part-handling system.
A gantry-loaded CNC lathe uses an overhead mechanism to transfer workpieces into and out of the machine automatically. Gantry systems are commonly used for repetitive production turning applications.
A gantry loader generally follows a dedicated linear material-handling path and can be highly effective for repeat production. Industrial robots provide more flexible motion and can perform additional handling operations when the manufacturing process requires them.
Many existing CNC lathes can potentially be automated with robotic machine tending, depending on the machine, controls, workholding, guarding, part geometry and production requirements.
Automated loading can support extended unattended operation, but reliable lights-out production also depends on tool life, chip control, workholding, part inspection, material supply and overall process stability.
Automation becomes increasingly attractive when production volumes are repetitive, loading consumes significant operator time, the CNC spindle regularly waits for an operator or additional production is needed without a proportional increase in labor.
Hillary Machinery can help evaluate your workpiece, cycle time, production volume, loading requirements and labor constraints to determine whether an integrated automated turning center, gantry-loaded CNC lathe or robot-tended CNC system is the appropriate solution.
View Available Automated Turning Centers or contact Hillary Machinery to discuss your turning automation application.
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