While small shops are seeing an increasingly positive return, it doesn’t rule out the huge advantage multitasking can provide for medium to large shops. In the machine world, there is a broad array of features and technologies machines can provide. In multitasking especially, options are available in abundance. There are many different levels of multitasking machines with each level offering a more advanced capability than the next, including multi-spindle, multi-turret or even simultaneous 5-axis machining in some cases. Multitasking machines offer the flexibility that large operations may need, making them invaluable to any size shop.
EACH INDUSTRY HAS ITS OWN BENEFITS
Multitasking machines are also an excellent choice for low volume customization, prototyping and quick turn-around. While they’re not necessarily built for extreme high production, they are a great way to increase accuracy and spindle uptime for a wide range of production requirements because they don’t require repeated setups. For these reasons, multitasking machines are great for specialized parts in industries such as the medical, automotive, and aerospace industries, as well as for many job shops.
It can be challenging to make parts for the medical industry. Shops that specialize in medical parts are often faced with creating intricate, small and/or customized features that must be extremely accurate. Not only that but each part can vary depending on the patient and their usage. Producing this type of work typically requires multiple machines with different capabilities, which requires additional floor space. However, when you introduce a machine that incorporates every function you need in one, operators can get parts finished in a single setup, without having to deal with transferring the part from machine to machine minimizing human error and production delays.
Similarly, the aerospace industry has incredibly tough requirements. Aerospace manufacturers must efficiently produce high precision parts, often made from difficult to machine materials. Multitasking adds a layer of ease to aerospace’s complex part production. Using multitasking technology means these parts can be created in a minimal number of processes, reducing operator intervention and parts handling, thereby increasing uptime and accuracy.