Large Travel Size Increases Shop Productivity
By purchasing a Feeler bridge mill with a large travel size, Elite Tool increased productivity by reducing setups and doing more work in-house.

Ivy Tech Community College Receives Two Machines
Two new Methods Feeler machines have been installed.

Multitasking Machine Increases Efficiency on Angular Features
The Nakamura-Tome NTJ-100 multitasking turn-mill center from Methods Machine Tool is designed for medical, aerospace and general job shop components applications.

Vertical Turning Lathe for Large, Heavy Parts
Methods Machine Tools’ high-performance Feeler FVT-600 vertical turning lathe is designed for machining large, heavy parts such as those used in the aerospace and power-generation industries.

Multitasking Machine Features Fast Cycle/Tool Change Time
Methods Machine Tools Inc.’s Nakamura-Tome NTJ-100 multitasking turn/mill center is well-suited for a range of production needs.

VMC Series Enables High Speed Processing
The FANUC D21 RoboDrill series of vertical machining centers from Methods Machine Tools features a FANUC 31iB control for high speed processing.

Straight Talk about Cutting Steep Tapers with Wire EDM
The RoboCut C400iA and two sizes of the larger C600iA wire EDM machines from Methods Machine Tools enable unusually steep tapers to be cut with the wire EDM process by positioning the workpiece with a rotary-tilt table.

VMCs Have CNCs With High-Speed Processing
The FANUC D21 RoboDrill vertical machining centers from Methods Machine Tools are available in three models, including the D21-S (small), D21-M (medium) and D21-L (large) sizes, which are configurable for three- and five-axis operation.

Integrated Automation Cell for High-Volume Jobs
Methods Machine Tools offers a pre-engineered integrated automation cell for manufacturing and deburring a high volume of like parts.

Five-Axis Machining Center for High-Precision Applications
Methods Machine Tools’ Matsuura LX-160 two-pallet, five-axis VMC features 19.7" × 9.8" × 11.8" (500.38- × 248.92- × 299.72-mm) travels and a 46,000-rpm FANUC control.

Methods to Host November Open House
The event is scheduled for November 7 and 8 at the company's technology center in Tempe, Arizona.

Series of Digital Optical Comparators for Smaller Parts
Methods Machine Tools offers the 300 series of VisionGauge digital optical comparators developed by Visionx.

CNC Turning Centers Feature an All-Boxway Design
Methods Machine Tools’ Feeler FT-series high-performance CNC turning centers feature an all-boxway design to increase cutting capacity.

Simulate, Optimize, and Verify Turn-Mill G-Code
Methods Machine Tools offers CAMplete TruePath turn-mill software for the Nakamura-Tome line of turn-mill machines.

Digital Optical Comparators for Inspecting Smaller Parts
Methods Machine Tools has introduced the 300 series VisionGauge digital optical comparators developed by VisionX at IMTS 2012.

Three-Turret Turn-Mill Accommodates 72 Tools
Methods Machine Tools introduces the Nakamura-Tome NTY3-250 turn-mill.

Two-Pallet, Five-Axis VMC Features High Spindle Speeds
The Matsuura LX-160 available from Methods Machine Tools is a two-pallet, five-axis VMC.

Wire Machines Feature Speed, Accuracy, Efficiency Upgrades
Methods Machine Tools’ will introduce the FANUC RoboCut α-CiA series wire EDMs, including the C400iA and C600iA .

Methods Deems Open House a Success
Approximately 1,500 attendees from 450 companies throughout North America gathered June 13 and 14 for Metal Storm, an open house event at Methods Machine Tools’ headquarters and northeast regional technology center in Sudbury, Massachusetts.

Open House Reflects Demand for Automation
Automated cells were front and center at Methods Machine Tools’ “Metal Storm” event, which also highlighted machine models that represent a new direction for the company.

Wire EDM Machines Boost Accuracy, Efficiency in Challenging Materials
Methods Machine Tools’ Fanuc RoboCut iE wire EDM series features a new power supply to increase accuracy and efficiency when cutting challenging materials.

“Metal Storm” To Offer Machine Demos, Seminars and More
Methods Machine Tools announces Metal Storm 2012, an open house event that will feature 50 machines under power at the companies Sudbury, Massachusetts headquarters and northeast regional technology center from June 13-14.

Multitasking Turning Center Offers High Speed, Rigidity
Methods Machine Tools’ Nakamura-Tome WT-150 II eight-axis, multitasking turning center features opposed twin-spindle, two-turret construction for increased speed and rigidity.

Improved Break-Out Detection for Small-Hole EDM
The Current EDM RT6050 features software and hardware upgrades that improve the ability to detect when the electrode breaks out of the bottom of a hole.

Automated VMC Fills Capacity Gap
A new Feeler VMC from Methods Machine Tools has not only met this manufacturer’s need for additional capacity, but also taken on more work than initially expected.

Machining Cell Provides Affordable, Five-Axis Automation
Methods Machine Tools, Inc., a supplier of precision machine tools, offers pre-engineered automation solutions.

Tools Enable Automatic Part-to-CAD Verification
Methods Machine Tools offers the VisionGauge digital optical comparator system and its new CAD Auto-Align and Auto Pass/Fail software tools, developed by VisionX Inc., to enable users to automatically compare a part to its CAD data in real-time.

Large-Capacity, Five-Axis HMC Eases Hard Cuts
The Matsuura MAM72-100H five-axis HMC from Methods is the largest in the MAM72 series.

Multitasking Center Features High Speed, Rigidity
Methods Machine Tools’ Nakamura-Tome WT-150 II eight-axis, multitasking turning center features opposed twin-spindle, two-turret construction for increased speed and rigidity.

Shop Finds Perfect Fit in New VMC
A Feeler VMC from Methods Machine Tools helped this shop produce larger parts more efficiently and accurately.

U.S. Product Manager Appointed for Matsuura
Methods Machine Tools (Sudbury, Massachusetts) and Matsuura Machinery Corporation have announced the appointment of John Schwartz as product manager in the U.S.A., a newly created position to support increased demand for Matsuura products.

Sizing up the Digital Optical Comparator
A digital optical comparator uses a CAD file instead of a template or overlay film. More importantly, the digital comparator not only measures dimensions, but it also actively compares the measurements with nominal values, thus making it truly a gage for accepting or rejecting a part.

Milling Lathes and Turning Centers
Methods Machine Tools’ Feeler milling lathes and turning centers include the HT, FTC and FT series.

Methods ImX Sessions Feature Production on Demand
As one of the eight major “experience partners” at imX-Interactive Manufacturing Experience, Methods Machine Tools will feature solutions for “Production on Demand.” Attendees to the Sept. 12-14 event in Las Vegas are invited to attend seminars in Learning Labs and watch demonstrations on how techniques are applied.

The Buzz about the B Axis
The rotating milling head is a defining feature on a turn-mill machine designed for efficient production of complex parts in low volumes.

Complete Turn-Mill Software for Multitasking Machines
Methods Machine Tools offers CAMplete Truepath turn-mill software on Nakamura-Tome multitasking turning centers.

Methods Event to Highlight Latest Offerings
Methods Machine Tools encourages manufacturing professionals to attend its “Spring into Production” open house June 15 and 16 at its recently expanded technology center in Elgin, Illinois.   Scheduled for 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day, the event will feature displays of 15 machines from the company’s partners.

Spark Control Pushes Wire EDM Boundaries
Precisely controlling and monitoring each individual spark enables this wire EDM machine to cut hardened, high-temperature alloys with high precision.

Methods to Host Open House
Machine tool supplier Methods Machine Tools encourages manufacturing professionals to attend its “Spring into Production Event” open house.

A New Milling 101: What Customers Demand
Part 5. For W Machine Works in San Fernando, a custom variation of the WIDIA-Hanita VariMILL II solid end mill proved especially effective in roughing and semi-finishing applications in stainless steels, high-temp alloys, nickel- and carbon-based alloys, and titanium.

Multitasking Centers with Turn-Mill Software
The company will demonstrate CAMplete Turn/Mill software on a Nakamura WT-100 multitasking turning center.

What Shapes a Shop
Marshall Manufacturing melds CNC machining and 3D bending to create intricate medical components from small-diameter barstock and tubing. Customer needs spurred the shop to carve out what has become a successful medical-manufacturing niche.

Methods Expands Elgin Tech Center
Machine tool, accessory and automation supplier Methods Machine Tools (Sudbury, Massachusetts) is expanding its tech center in Elgin, Illinois.

Five-Axis Automation for Medical Machining
Methods Machine Tools’ RoboDrill Med Cell is a complete pre-engineered, fully integrated production machining cell that automates loading and unloading of medical device parts.

Methods To Host Arizona Open House
Methods Machine Tools will host an open house at its Technology Center in Tempe, Arizona November 9-11 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.

Digital Optical Comparator
Methods Machine Tools is the exclusive North American distributor of VisionGauge digital optical comparators, developed by VISIONx.

VMCs Designed for Performance and Value
Methods Machine Tools is the exclusive N.A. importer of Fair Friend Group’s range of Feeler machines, which are designed for performance and value.

Wire EDM Units Cut Inconel, Titanium and More
The FANUC RoboCut iE Wire EDM series features a new power supply for accurate and efficient cutting performance in challenging materials, the company says.

VMCs Designed for High Performance, Reliability
Methods Machine tools offers the Feeler line of VMCs, which are manufactured by Fair Friend Group.

Twin ATC, B-Axis, Multitasking Turn-Mill
Methods Machine Tools’ Nakamura-Tome Super NTMX multitasking turn-mill machining center features dual, 24-tool ATC magazines.

Methods Named Exclusive North American Importer of Feeler Machine Tools
Methods Machine Tools (Sudbury, Massachusetts) has announced that it is now the exclusive North American importer of Fair Friend Group’s (FFG) Feeler line of machine tools.

The Automation Inspiration
Although automated manufacturing cells typically consist of standard products such as CNC machine tools, robots, pallets and cell control software, almost all of these systems rely on inventive concepts developed for the particular application. These "good ideas" often account for the outstanding productivity and flexibility of these systems. This article looks at several of the "good ideas" that characterize a cell comprised of seven wire EDM units and a robot on a rail transfer unit.

Twin ATC, B-Axis Multitasking System
Methods Machine Tools’ Nakamura-Tome Super NTMX multitasking turn-mill offers dual 24-tool ATC magazines. Full five-axis milling capability via a Fanuc 31iA5 control is said to provide high precision and accuracy for manufacturing complex contoured components in large or small volumes for the medical, aerospace and similar industries.

Five-Axis Machines Feature Multi-Process Capability
Designed for small-lot production of complex parts, Methods Machine Tools’ Matsuura five-axis VMCs feature Cublex technology. This technology integrates turning and grinding functions into a single, high-performance milling platform to deliver speed, power, accuracy, increased tool capacity and multi-process machining capabilities, the company says.

Looking At 30-Tapers In A New Light
The six 30-taper machine tools in one Northeastern shop are used for more than just drilling holes and performing secondary operations. The small-footprint equipment is also used to machine parts complete from titanium and other challenging materials.

Automation Cell Maximizes Job Shop Flexibility
Methods Machine Tools’ JobShop Cell is designed for job shops with small to medium lot sizes. The fully integrated production cell combines the drilling, tapping and milling capability of a RoboDrill VMC with a fully interfaced Fanuc six-axis robot for automated loading and unloading.

Methods Completes “Demo Days” Series
“Given the economy we’re in right now, the solid number of attendees and their high level of interest in KIWA-Japan machines indicates that our series of Demo Days was a success,” says Scott McIver, chairman and vice president of product development at Methods Machine Tools Inc. Methods, a supplier of precision machine tools, is the exclusive importer of KIWA-Japan HMCs and VMCs in North America.

Horizontal Leap Helps Shop Change And Grow
Migrating from short-run jobs and prototyping to tackling complex defense compartment components during the past few decades has kept business humming at Proteus Manufacturing. However, increased business led to new production challenges. With a single Kiwa HMC from Methods Machine Tools that can perform the work of three of the shop’s other machines, Proteus has realized substantial cycle time savings and incorporated “lights-out” operations.

Entry-Level Factory Automation Solution
The compact Kiwa-Japan KH-41 HMC is 60. 2" (1,530-mm) wide and can handle a variety of workpieces, providing an ideal entry-level factory automation solution, the company says. The HMC has a full rotary B axis and can be installed in the same space as a vertical machine.

Wire EDM For General, Medical Production
The Fanuc iMed wire EDM is designed for continuous production of parts such as aerospace components, medical instruments and implants. It uses brass wire (0. 004" to 0.

Compact Turn-Mill Center
The entry-level Nakamura-Tome TW-8 multitasking turn-mill center from Methods Machine Tools is said to reduce cycle times. An opposed, two-spindle, two-turret construction allows the centers to perform like two single spindle machines within a compact footprint, the company says. The system features a Fanuc 31iA control that offers standard conversational programming.

30-Taper High-Speed VMC
The heavy-duty Fanuc RoboDrill eco VMC offers high-speed milling, drilling, tapping, deburring and chamfering. The machine is named for its ecological spindle that returns energy to the machine in the intervals between cutting. It has a working cube of 19.

Three-Turret Multitasking Center
The Nakamura-Tome multitasking turning center is said to offer 100-percent stock-on turning and machining that virtually eliminates lost productivity from tool changes. The Super NTY3 has three turrets, each with a Y axis—all in a relatively small footprint (109. 45" × 77.

Shop Reduces Setup Time With Multi-Pallet Machines
Automated, lights-out production has enabled this manufacturer to take on a large number of low-volume jobs for various industries. With a wide variety of work, minimizing setup times is key to the shop’s success. Multi-pallet, four- and five-axis Matsuura machines supplied by Methods Machine Tools have enabled the shop to not only keep setup times low, but also meet customer demand for nearly error-free production runs.

Robotic Cell Locks In Time, Cost Savings
Having implemented robotic systems in the sheet metal side of its business, this Nevada-based shop wanted to obtain similar automation systems for its CNC machining operations. The Fanuc JobShop Cell from Methods Machine Tools has reduced both costs and cycle times on one of the shop’s most important jobs.

Sharing The Big Picture
The theme of visibility in manufacturing finds expression in numerous ways at this shop. One of the most conspicuous is the use of plasma displays in strategic areas to summarize the company’s performance as reported by its shop control/data-collection system.

Fourth Axis Reduces Part Cycle Times
The FANUC DDR/B from Methods Machine Tools is a rotary fourth axis designed specifically to complement the speed and versatility of the FANUC RoboDrill VMC. By eliminating the positioning delays of traditional rotary tables, it reduces part cycle times. The fourth axis can unclamp, rotate 180 degrees and reclamp in less than 0.

Methods Announces Import Deal With Kiwa-Japan
Methods Machine Tools is now the exclusive North American importer of HMCs and VMCs from Kiwa-Japan, a machine tool builder headquartered in Nabari, Japan. The Kiwa line of machining centers and spare parts are available at each of the seven Methods Technology Centers and Methods distributors located across the U. S.

Dual Y-Axis Capabilites Allow Simultaneous Operations On Two Turrets
The Nakamura-Tome WY-250 multi-tasking turn/mill center from Methods Machine Tools features an opposed two-spindle, two-turret construction with upper and lower Y-axis capability for milling and drilling simultaneously on both turrets. It also has a Super Mill drivetrain that produces high horsepower and torque for

Easy Does It
This shop specializing in small-scale parts says successfully machining tiny features into tiny workpieces is less about technology and more about technique.

Profile PCD Tools On Wire EDM
The PCD Edge system allows the profiling of polycrystalline diamond (PCD) cutting tools using a Fanuc iD series wire EDM machine. The system consists of programming/probing/cutting software; a microfinish power supply/generator for cutting PCD; a Hirschmann rotary axis; a machine-mounted Renishaw probe; and a tool clamping system.

Turning Center Features Three Y-Axis Turrets
According to the company, the Super NTY3 multitasking turning center offers stock-on turning and machining that virtually eliminates productivity lost as a result of tool changes. Three turrets, each with a Y axis, allow complete turning/machining/finishing in one pass to reduce cycle times.

Production Cell With VMC And Six-Axis Robot

Fully Integrated Machining/Automation Cell

EDM Series Redesigned For Speed, Accuracy
Fanuc has redesigned its iD series wire EDMs. Available from Methods EDM, the machines are designed to delivery high cutting speeds and accuracy as well as quality surface finish for the production of orthodontic braces, joint replacement components, surgical knives, needles, clamps and other medical instruments.

System Profiles PCD Tools On A Wire EDM
The PCD Edge System is said to allow quick and precise profiling of PCD cutting tools using a Fanuc iC series wire EDM. Available from Methods EDM, the system consists of programming/probing/cutting software, a micro-finish power supply for cutting PCD, a Hirschmann rotary axis, a Renishaw probe (mounted on the EDM) and a tool-clamping system.

VMC Designed To Produce EDM Electrodes

Minimizing Part Setup With Five-Axis Technology
More unattended machining was one of the benefits of this shop's move from four-axis to five-axis machines.

Four-Axis Machining Center Reduces Positioning Delays

Drilling And Beyond
This collection of hole making-technologies offers some new, unusual and overlooked ways to make holes in machined parts. One of these tools might be the solution you're looking for. All of them will help you rethink your approach to hole making.

30-Taper VMC Mills, Drills, Taps And Deburrs

Simultaneous/Independent Machining Of One Or Two Parts
With twin spindles and four turrets, the Nakamura-Tome WTW-150 is said to turn even complex precision parts relatively quickly, all in one setup. Independent slides, 13 controlled axes, equal left and right machining and 48 stations of flexible tooling are some of the product’s features.

30-Taper VMC For Electrode Production

Turn And Mill In One Setup
The multi-tasking Nakamura-Tome Super NTJ turning center completes multi-face angular machining and contour milling in a single setup, eliminating the need to refixture the part on another machine to perform secondary operations. Features include a 5,000-rpm, 20-hp left-side spindle; a 5,000-rpm, 15-hp right-side spindle and a dodecagonal 24-station lower turret for both left and right spindles.

HMC Mills And Contours

Swiss-Style Turning Centers
Maier CNC Swiss turning centers provide start-to-finish machining (simultaneous turning and milling/drilling) in one operation. ML ProLine machines are available in five different series with configurations ranging from four axes with up to 11 tools to 11 axes with up to 30 tools.

B-Axis Turn/Mills Have Their Place
The additional rotary milling axis on these machines allows them to complete many types of complex parts in a single setup, but these machines have gained a reputation for being difficult to program. Today’s CAM software, however, eases the programming challenge significantly.

Small Possibilities
These shop founders focused on what they knew rather than what they had heard about economic conditions when they established their business in October 2000. Their knowledge included the conviction that wire EDM could become the shop’s primary machining process.

Tight Tolerances And Trial Runs
This contract shop is committed to difficult jobs. The shop often takes on a job without knowing how the part will be made.

The Long View On Short-Run Work
This shop doesn’t know what parts it will machine tomorrow, but it has a good idea who its customers will be well into the future.

EDM For The Long Run
To manufacture large quantities of similar parts, a Georgia machine shop has found that wire EDM is the ideal process.

Where Wire EDM Is A Workhorse
This shop finds the process practical, productive and predictable, an indispensable technology that supports all of its manufacturing capability.

For Unattended Machining, Attend To Pre-Process
Efficient use of labor is a primary goal of unattended machining. To successfully reduce process intervention, all of the manufacturing disciplines must participate. Accomplishing this requires detailed pre-process planning, which is the key to optimizing machine, material and manpower resources.

Methods' Revamped Lineup Features Advanced Technology
“Smart” machine tools. Spindles reaching 60,000 rpm. Affordable robots for load/unload.

Why We Couldn't Live Without EDM
A shop discusses some of the ways that EDM solves problems and creates opportunities in parts manufacturing. Wire EDM, ram EDM, and small-hole EDM all play a key role.