Live-Monitoring Software Maximizes Automation Investment
By implementing its own shop management software, Lynar Corporation was able to increase productivity by 15 percent.

Toyoda Expands Reach in Mexico
Toyoda Machinery USA (Arlington Heights, Illinois) introduces Commai CNC of Monterey, Mexico as its new distributor.

Rigid, Reliable Machines Aid In-House Production
This plastics industry manufacturer relies on machines from Toyoda to produce twin-screw extruders and other production equipment in-house. This strategy saves the company money and enables it to respond flexibly to changing market conditions, among other benefits.

Quill-Spindle HMC Delivers Large Work Envelope
Toyoda offers the FH1250SW, a quill-spindle version of the FH1250SX, which combines the original HMC’s speed with the capabilities of a boring mill.

Five-Axis Vertical Machining Centers
The UX570 five-axis gantry-style VMC is equipped with a bilateral table support structure.

Flexible Pallet Automation Achieves High Spindle Utilization
Toyoda Machinery offers modular and expandable automation with its Flexible Pallet Automation (FPA) systems.

MTConnect Is For Real
Introduced at IMTS 2008, this communications protocol for CNC machines and other manufacturing equipment is already helping shops and plants implement effective machine monitoring systems. Although these "early adopters" are motivated by the long-term promise of enterprise-wide efficiency gains, their experience with pilot projects shows that benefits derived in the short term are substantial and worthwhile. 

Compact HMC For High Speed Machining
Toyoda says its small, economical FH400J is designed with a 15,000-rpm spindle and is well-suited for high speed applications. The HMC’s work area measures 23.

Flexible Pallet Automation Achieves High Spindle Utilization
Toyoda Machinery offers modular and expandable automation with its Flexible Pallet Automation (FPA) systems. The FPA systems enhance the production capabilities of HMCs by automating tasks such as machine loading and unloading.

VMC Line Expanded For High Speed Applications
Toyoda Machinery has added high speed linear way machines to its vertical machining line. The high-performance machines are designed for precise, high speed applications.

VMC, HMC For Productive High Speed Machining
The FH400J is the company’s smallest HMC to date. Designed with a 15,000-rpm spindle, the machine is suited for high speed applications. The 2.

Spindle Repair Simplified
This machine tool manufacturer's modular spindle design allows spindle repairs due to impact or contamination to be performed quick and easy.

Expanded VMC Line
Toyoda Machinery offers two new larger-footprint machines in its FV series. The FV1480 and FV1680 feature longer Y- and Z-axis travels to suit the manufacturing needs of large-part industries such as aerospace and energy. These machines deliver larger table size, increased stroke, higher table capacity and more torque than the original machines.

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.

Managing Information Maximizes Efficiency
Using an intuitive, homegrown MRP system, this shop is able to effectively manage massive amounts of information while making necessary documents accessible anywhere they’re needed on the shop floor.

Automated Grinding Solutions For Small-Lot Work

VMC Allows Heavy, Precision Cutting

VMC Designed For Cast Iron, Steel Applications

Large HMC Designed For Rigidity, Fast Cutting

Vertical Turning Center Features Traveling, Inverted Spindle

Cells To The Max
Brad Hart, president of Roberts Tool Company, in Chatsworth, California, believes that automated cells are the key to survival for companies likes his that machine complex, high-precision parts for aerospace and defense. Cellular manufacturing makes it possible to reduce lead times dramatically and minimize labor input while increasing throughput and improving quality, he says. In his shop, a cell consisting of two Toyoda HMCs and a dozen pallet stations epitomizes the lean manufacturing concepts that Mr. Hart finds so compelling. However, he says that shop owners have to get out of the business of making parts and into the business of building processes--processes such as those embodied in a lean manufacturing cell.

Grinder Control Features Increased Storage Capacity

Magazine Has Revolving Disk To Reduce Tool Change Time

Cell Realizes Multilevel Savings
A three-tier flexible cell let this plant bring its build-to-order strategy to low-quantity parts. The cell realizes savings in terms of time, labor cost and responsiveness.

HMC Features Redesigned Column, Fast Feed Rates And More

The Technology Of Lean Machining
This plant makes different choices for its machining cells depending on whether the parts to be machined there are known or unknown.

Fast Machining With Fewer Tools
Machining centers capable of precise motion at high feed rates can reduce the number of tools it takes to complete a part.

A Machine Shop At Your Fingertips
Increasingly the PC is finding its way into numerous roles in metalworking. Integrating PCs into cell controllers that coordinate individual machine's CNC is giving shops access to valuable data about how well or poorly a shop is performing. Here's a look at how one captive job shop takes advantage of the data collection potential of its cell controller.

Are Two Ballscrews Better Than One?
A dual ballscrew arrangement on the Z axis leaves the middle of the base open for chip evacuation, solving the problem on table feed Z-axis, horizontal machining centers.

Floating Plate Takes The Run . . . Out
Understanding the critical role of the grinding operation in the shop's manufacturing process, grinding machine makers continuously apply the best technical knowledge available to their machines. Often these are little innovations that help reduce the opportunities for inaccuracy to seep into the process. A typical example of such innovation is found in this manufacturer's line of grinding machine tools.

Implementing A Machining Cell
A large horizontal machining center gives this laser manufacturer the capacity it needs for now as well as a growth path to meet future needs.