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Bar-fed machining centers are just plain neat. They allow complete, unattended production of all sorts of intricate workpieces out of barstock. The sample part shown in this video, which features a serrated jaw for a medical clamp, was created on a five-axis Willemin-Macodel 408MT machine. The video does a good job of demonstrating the multi-axis movement and backworking capability these atypical machines offer.

After you check out the video, be sure to read about a shop I visited in Florida that uses these machines to produce complex medical components. Read Successfully Feeding the Medical Market.