Machine Tools For The Masses - Any manufacturer can readily see the benefits of a machine tool that can generate complex geometries and repeat those tasks numerous times. Gone are the days of a lathe
operator cutting and measuring all of their parts by hand. In today's fast paced and ever changing manufacturing environment, the need for speed and accuracy in manufacturing dictate that CNC (Computer Numerical Controlled) manufacturing
methods be employed. Almost any manufacturing process you can think of has been adapted to this technology. Manufacturing processes from standard lathes and mills, to more complex processes such as laser marking, cutting and welding have
been adapted to this technology. Such widespread uses of this technology have driven the price of this technology down to the point that, no longer are CNC controlled machine tools and processes limited to capital rich or well established
companies. Almost every
worldwide machine tool manufacturer has recognized the
need to worldwide machine tool manufacturer worldwide machine tool manufacturer has recognized the need to offer true CNC controlled equipment to the small volume and start-up manufacturers. Some of these machine
tool producers have also recognized that not every manufacturing shop has the talent to support the latest high-end machine tools. So, to cover the entire spectrum of metal working manufacturers, most every machine tool company offers
entry level machines that can not only be operated by strictly manual operation, but also offer true CNC capability in the same machine. The benefits of this technology are designed to aid beginners in the principles of computer numeric
control without compromising the flexibility of a manually operated machine tool. As a shop's expertise grows, the hope is that they will then expand on their CNC capability and capacity. The price ranges of these "hybrid"
entry-level machine tools are typically under $30K US, with some of the highest end true CNC multi axis offerings bringing a price in the $500K neighborhood.
Programming Made Easy - The exponential advances in computing power
have led to the most powerful and feature rich CNC machine controls in history. Most CNC controls of the
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