Lathe handles big and small batches

Manufacturing Engineering, Jul 1998

Machine shops often need to alternate between large and small batches. The Traub TNM 28 CNC multislide automatic from Index Corp. (Shelton, CT) is designed for just such a problem. It has the flexibility of a CNC turning machine with the output capacity of a cam-operated automatic, and can handle production machining of parts from bar stock up to 28 mm in diam. It has an eight-station turret using screw-machine tooling, four cross slides, and three tools for backworking.

Four individually programmable forming slides surround the machine's main spindle. Each accommodates form tools as wide as 40 mm. Any one of the four slides works simultaneously (i.e. overlapping with any other cross slide while the turret operates).

The TNM28 can machine on the cut-off side of the workpiece. After the component moves to the pick-up spindle, the turret indexes 180 and positions the workpiece for cut-off side operations. A TX8H control system with a 32-bit processor guarantees short block changes as well as significantly reduced idle time. For more information, Circle 339.