Multitasking – Flexibility – Automation: All Rolled into One
Multitasking – Flexibility – Automation: All Rolled into One, Regardless of machine complexity, the machine tool industry is saturated with marketing buzzwords like “One and Done”, “Minimal Operator Intervention”, and “Super-tasking”. Unfortunately, due to their broad use, it’s common for these terms to be confusing for potential buyers. So, what do these buzzwords really mean? In the machine tool world, the proper definitions of common terms are actually quite simple:
Multitasking – the ability to combine turning and milling operations into one platform in a machine tool- Flexibility – The wide range of parts that can be produced and processes that can be used as well as a wider range of tooling and machinery options available compared to the more traditional machines and methods.
- Automation –The ability to eliminate or drastically reduce the manpower needed to properly tend to the machine tool and the peripheral equipment associated with it.
Multitasking – the ability to combine turning and milling operations into one platform in a machine toolSimple enough – or is it? It takes years of engineering and automation integration experience to accomplish all three characteristics, and several machine tool builders have been able to adequately merge two of these capabilities into the same machine. With decades leading automation standards, Murata Machinery has not only successfully merged ALL THREE disciplines into our turning systems, but we’ve also been incorporating automation technology into Muratec machines since day one.
The Muratec MT series machines have an opposing twin spindle design that offers two to three turrets in each model, with each tool position on the turret being capable of using live tools and each turret having a Y-Axis for off-centerline machining. In the Muratec MT three-turret platform (two above the centerline and one below) the lower turret is capable of servicing either spindle which allows the operator the ability to pinch-turn, or drill and mill on one spindle simultaneously while the third turret is still machining on the second spindle. This provides production managers the ability to concentrate on reducing machine cycle times by incorporating two turrets into a part process when possible – this is multitasking!
The Muratec line up of MT machines has a design configuration that allows the use of a large variety of options, such as standard and custom infeed/outfeed devices, hydro-dynamic bar feeders, 
bar loaders, and rotary work stockers. For many of our clients, Murata Machinery has engineered both a barfeeder and a rotary work stocking system on the same MT machine to prevent the customer from having to choose only using barstock or only loading/unloading out of a work stocker – this is flexibility.
Charlotte, North Carolina serves as Murata Machinery’s U.S. Headquarters, and houses one of the largest engineering and automation facilities for turning machinery in North America. At this facility, engineering teams design, build and assemble in-house items such as post-process gages, wash stations, and infeed-outfeed devices. This equipment is coupled with Muratec machines like the MT to deliver one of the most cost-effective and highly productive turnkey systems in the world. But why stop there? Add our three-axis gantry loader system with an MT machine and Murata Machinery has successfully developed, integrated, and automated a work cell that our customers often refer to as a job shop in a box – this is automation.
This is Reliability by Design. This is Muratec.
To learn more about our automated turning options, contact your local turning expert today!