The wheel was invented centuries ago, but the early inventors certainly never conceived that some day wheel manufacturers would have to produce precise aluminum wheels at a rate of less than one per minute! Many current wheel makers still struggle to accomplish this feat with their own solutions using modified machinery. Led by Okuma, along with partners Fanuc Robotics NorthAmerica and Chiron America Inc., the aluminum wheel machining cell was developed. Standard equipment components were utilized so that costs could be minimized without loss of reliability.

The result of this collaboration is quite amazing. A completely automated manufacturing cell avoids all human intervention, machines wheels to exacting tolerances, and finishes surfaces to mirror-like smoothness. All of the operations are completed with cycle times measured in seconds that add up to a finished wheel every 60 seconds – or less. If that isn’t enough, the vision recognition system, the sensors, and programming allow flexibility to produce a wide variety of styles in the same cell. Okuma lathes are available with capacity for sizes up to the growingly popular 24-inch diameter wheel.