SolutionWare Corp has announced the release of “MazaCAM Smart Edition,” the newest version of SolutionWare’s MazaCAM CNC programming system. MazaCAM Smart Edition is the first and only CNC programming system to support the entire range of generations from Mazak’s first T1 model to the new Mazatrol SMART lathes and controls. MazaCAM Smart Edition also supports all standard G-code CNC controls. Shops can now have one system for programming all their CNCs instead of different methods and systems for each kind of machine.

MazaCAM Smart Edition Software

According to Mazak Corporation, Mazak’s new QUICK TURN SMART series of lathes and controls can be programmed up to 75% faster than machines equipped with EIA/ISO systems. SolutionWare’s MazaCAM Smart Edition helps users leverage that efficiency even more by converting between control generations, programming Mazatrol on the computer, converting CAD-files such as IGES and DXF to Mazatrol, and checking the program before it goes out to the shop floor — along with tool-management and other time-saving benefits. In addition, MazaCAM Smart Edition can program any machine that uses industry-standard G-code.

Converting to the new SMART Generation from Legacy controls

A major benefit of the new MazaCAM Smart Edition is the ability to
convert legacy Mazak programs to the new SMART controls and lathes.

“This is such breakthrough technology that most people who have Mazak
controls don’t think a product like this even exists, so they don’t think to
look for it,” says Jon Perry, SolutionWare R&D Manager. “Not only is it the
first and only CAM software to support Mazak’s new SMART controls, it adds
value by being completely backwards compatible through all Mazak
generations, from the original T1 to the latest Mazak lathes and controls.
This means that shops that have already taken the time and resources to
program jobs on their Mazaks can leverage their library of proven programs
by transforming them to the new SMART, Matrix and other generation controls.
This enables the shop to be up and running in a minimum time and eliminates
the time-consuming and error-prone job of hand-entering the programs on the
new controls.”

Supports all Mazak generations

In addition to adding support of the new SMART control family and the
QUICK TURN SMART line, MazaCAM SMART Edition supports M2, M32, M-Plus,
Fusion-640M, T1, T2, T3, T32, T-Plus, Fusion-640T, 640MT, Fusion-Pro and the
Matrix M, T and e-series controls. There are many other enhancements for the
range of CNC machines such as the Mazak Integrex, e-Machine, Nexus,
Quick-Turn, Super Quick-Turn, and Multiplex, and the broad range of
horizontal and vertical machining centers. A sampling of these enhancements
include:

• Easier network communications, to
  send/receive files over the Ethernet directly to the CNC.

• Enhanced conversion between generations of
  Integrex machines, including the tilting-tool B-axis.

• Enhanced conversion between controls
  regarding Priority-Numbers.

• Improved conversion of Manual-Process, now
  users can convert all the way from T1 to the Matrix and the
  new Smart control in a single command.

• Even more enhancements on converting
  between Matrix and other generations.

• More live-tooling support for
  multi-tasking mill-turn lathes.

• More open integration so other systems can
  access the functions within MazaCAM and thus provide the
  user with a more seamless experience.

Jon Perry adds, “In today’s economy, controlling costs yet increasing
efficiency is essential. Each of these enhancements was engineered to
address areas that will, in the real world, help users gain more
productivity, and reduce the Total Cost of Ownership.”

About SolutionWare Corporation

For more than 34 years SolutionWare Corporation has been continuously
advancing software and training that gives CNC shops the flexibility to
utilize all their CNC equipment for the greater productivity of their shop.

http://www.tenlinks.com/news/PR/solutionware/010410_mazacam_smarteditor.htm

Used for programming CNC mills, lathes, WireEDMs, turn-mill centers, and Swiss-type lathes, PartMaker v2010 includes features for optimized visualization of thread whirling, 2½-axis milling functionality, and programming of complex parts. Direct interface option to PowerMILL is offered for all complex 5-axis machining strategies supported by PowerMILL, including blade and blisk machining, as well as sophisticated 3-axis strategies. Various other milling strategies are also included.

New PartMaker Version for 5-Axis Simultaneous Milling for Multi-Axis Lathes to be Unveiled at EMO 2009 in Milan

Latest PartMaker version featuring 5-axis simultaneous machining for multi-axis lathes, more powerful milling functionality and a host of other improvements will debut at EMO 2009 in Milan.

Fort Washington, PA - PartMaker Inc., a division of Delcam Plc, will unveil its latest version of PartMaker Software for programming CNC Mills, Lathes, WireEDMs, Turn-Mill Centers and Swiss-type lathes at EMO 2009 October 5 - 10, 2009 in Milan, Italy. Major highlights of this newest release, PartMaker Version 2010, include the ability to perform 5-axis simultaneous milling on multi-axis lathes, more powerful milling functionality and the ability to better visualize thread whirling. A host of additional productivity, user-driven enhancements will also be featured in PartMaker Version 2010.

PartMaker will be exhibited in the booth of its parent company Delcam Plc at EMO 2009.
PartMaker Version 2010 is slated for release in the fourth quarter of 2009.

“PartMaker Version 2010 provides the technology PartMaker users will need to stay on cutting edge of manufacturing and stay ahead of the competition by employing the most advanced milling strategies available on the market today,” says PartMaker Inc. President Hanan Fishman. “With the ability to program simultaneous 5-axis milling operations on multi-axis lathes and more powerful 2 ½ axis milling functionality among other improvements, PartMaker users will be able to program even more complex parts than ever before. These new milling capabilities, along with enhancements such as improved thread whirling visualization, will be especially beneficial to a large segment of PartMaker users involved in the manufacture of medical devices.”

“While 5-axis simultaneous milling is still new in the arena of Swiss-type lathes, multi-axis lathes with 5-axis simultaneous milling capability are becoming more commonplace in small parts manufacturing. PartMaker Version 2010 positions PartMaker users to take advantage of the growing complexity of milling on multi-tasking machines. PartMaker Version 2010 represents a quantum leap forward for users and potential users of PartMaker technology,” comments Fishman.

The 5-axis simultaneous milling functionality in PartMaker Version 2010 is based on robust, well-proven technology used in PowerMILL, Delcam’s world leading specialist NC CAM software for the manufacture of complex shapes. Sharing the vast technology pool of its parent company Delcam, the largest CAM-centric developer in the industry, has allowed the PartMaker development team to deliver more advanced manufacturing technology to the market place faster.

5-Axis Simultaneous Milling for Multi-Axis Lathes
PartMaker Version 2010 features an optional module to perform simultaneous 5-axis swarf milling on multi-axis lathes. Swarf machining is a technique that allows side cutting with an endmill while proceeding along the surface of a part, such as the sidewalls of a tapered rib. Swarf machining can be used for profiling the edge of components using the side of the tool to remove material. The benefits of 5-axis simultaneous swarf machining over traditional 3-axis milling strategies include significantly reduced machining time and improved surface finish. Employing swarfing can allow parts to be machined complete in a single set-up by allowing for more advanced de-burring techniques thus eliminating time consuming and laborious additional finishing.

The new swarfing functionality in PartMaker lets users take advantage of B-axis lathes with 5-axis simultaneous machining functionality. PartMaker’s 5-axis swarf milling is powerful, yet easy to use, allowing the user to apply this complex machining technique in an intuitive manner.

PartMaker and PowerMILL Integration
For all complex 5-axis machining strategies currently supported by PowerMILL, including blade and blisk machining, as well as for highly sophisticated 3-axis strategies, PartMaker Version 2010 will feature the option for a direct interface to PowerMILL. PowerMILL tool paths can be imported directly into PartMaker Version 2010, manipulated and synchronized on PartMaker’s Process Table, simulated and post processed directly from the PartMaker working environment. This integrated solution of two market leading technologies assures users they will never be limited in their ability to program and optimize parts in the most efficient and powerful way possible.

More Powerful Milling Strategies
PartMaker Version 2010 features a number of more advanced 2 ½ axis milling routines not available in previous PartMaker versions including a variety of High Speed Machining Strategies, Trochoidal Milling, Rest Area Machining, Face Milling and a more powerful Pocketing strategy among others. These additional milling strategies are also based on PowerMILL technology and have been adapted to work inside of PartMaker in an efficient and easy-to-use manner.

Improved Thread Whirling Programming and Simulation
PartMaker Version 2010 includes an improved facility for automating the programming and simulation of thread whirling, a programming technique often used in the programming of “bone screw” threads as well as other specialty threads commonly found on threaded surgical implants. The popularity of thread whirling attachments on Swiss-type lathes have grown substantially in recent years because of the dual benefit this technique offers manufacturers making threaded parts. Specifically, thread whirling allows threaded products to be produced faster because this technique only requires a single pass, where as traditional multi-pass threading routines require multiple passes to achieve the same result. Additionally, with the rigidity afforded by a sliding-headstock Swiss-lathe, thread whirling can also provide higher and more repeatable precision.

PartMaker Version 2010 includes specially developed algorithms and user interface to automate the programming of this unique manufacturing technique. Additionally, PartMaker’s 3D simulation fully simulates machining with a thread whirling attachment as these attachments can generally be quite large inside the working envelope of a machine and thus provide additional risk of collision during machining.

Additional Productivity Enhancements
PartMaker Version 2010 includes a number of user requested productivity enhancements. Among these improvements are: enhanced grooving functionality, powerful and flexible threading capability, improved solids-based programming and additional CAD functionality. Additionally, 2D tool path selection has been improved from previous versions. The new automated tool path selection techniques in PartMaker Version 2010 will provide users a significant productivity improvement by measurably speeding up programming time. Space ball support has also been added in PartMaker Version 2010. Additionally, a number improvements to the software’s Tool Database have been made in Version 2010.

More on PartMaker
PartMaker is a Knowledge Based Machining system, allowing it to provide a substantial gain in programming efficiency by remembering the tools, material and process information necessary to machine individual part features. It thus relieves the user from reentering the same features information for subsequent parts. It also improves productivity by placing the emphasis on tool management functions.

PartMaker pioneered the field of CAM software for Turn-Mills and Swiss-type lathes with its patented Visual Programming Approach for programming multi-axis lathes with live tooling. It assures quicker learning and easier use. It makes an extensive use of pictures to help the user describe tools, part features and machining data. Synchronization of tools working on multiple spindles is achieved by a few mouse clicks.

PartMaker Inc. is a subsidiary of Delcam Plc, the world’s leading developer and supplier of complete CAD/CAM software solutions. Delcam Plc is publicly traded on the AIM exchange in London. While PartMaker is sold direct in North America by PartMaker Inc. PartMaker is sold overseas through a network of sales partner offices operating in over 120 countries.

http://news.thomasnet.com/fullstory/564560

When High Wycombe-based Hempstead and Johnson needed to replace an ageing CNC lathe a few years ago, it chose a Gildemeister CTX 500.

When High Wycombe-based Hempstead and Johnson needed to replace an ageing CNC lathe a few years ago, it chose a Gildemeister CTX 500.

It met the all important physical requirement for one-metre between centres capacity and was available with powered tooling/C-axis capabilities, while the Manual Plus control system provided a high level of local manual programming capability.

“It has proved pound for pound certainly the best machine for the job,” recalls managing director Roy Langley, “and its performance led us to buy two further CTX 400 lathes and two Deckel Maho machining centres - a 63V and a 103V.

We’ve developed a good relationship with DMG, to the extent that we rarely go elsewhere for a machine tool.

The variety of work that we do means that we place a high value on the flexibility and reliability which the DMG machines provide.” Hempstead and Johnson, which is ISO 9002 registered, began as a manufacturer of jigs and fixtures but has evolved into a more general high precision subcontractor.

It produces both discrete components and basic sub-assemblies; one of its key capabilities is the manufacture of components using ceramic for which it has specialist diamond grinding facilities; around 40 per cent of output has some ceramic content.

In addition the company is the UK agent for the Benz range of taper tooling, speeders and angle heads.

It shares its premises with an associated business, Special Drills and Cutters, which produces custom-manufactured drills and reamers.

“We have a lot of expertise and a high level of skills within the company,” says Mr Langley.

“That allows us to take on a very wide variety of work.

Most of our throughput currently relates to components for pneumatic equipment, as well as defence, automotive and aerospace-related work.

Batch quantities of 20-off are typical and most jobs include a significant amount of value added.

Though we supply customers on a just-in-time or kan ban basis we tend to manufacture economic batch quantities based on our own forecast of likely customer requirements.” Hempstead and Johnson regularly deals with cast iron mild and stainless steels, titanium, light alloy, plastics and ceramics.

General turning tolerance is +/-25 microns with six microns roundness and 10 microns flatness and squareness required on turning operations.

Milling capacity is available for up to 500mm cube while turning capacity for bar up to 75mm by 1000mm is available.

Although its turning machines are installed as chucking machines, bar work can be accommodated by supporting the material in the spindle tube and using a bar puller on the turret.

“The defining job when we bought our CTX 500 was a piston rod for a pneumatic cylinder which demanded a meter between centres and facilities for cross drilling and milling.” Mr Langley recalls.

“A lot of the turning work that we do - around 50 per cent - needs second operation capability for generation of end features or flats and cross holes so the availability of powered tooling on the machines keeps our production costs competitive.

Our latest turning machine, the CTX 400 Series 2 also has this facility.

One of the things that we like about the Gildemeister machines is that they have plenty of main spindle power.

As a result they can handle a very wide range of work, combining high metal removal rates with very good accuracy.” A similar line of reasoning led to installation of the two Deckel Maho machining centres, which were bought in successive years to replace existing older CNC machines.

David Lander, works manager, explains.

“On the DMU 103V in particular there is enough space on the table for multiple sets of fixtures so we can achieve a productivity advantage on jobs requiring more than one set-up.

We also like the Heidenhain CNC controls fitted to both machines; the conversational input is well thought out while the remote controller is a very useful feature for setting up; it means that the operator can remain closer to the job throughout.” A recent job completed on the DMU 63V was machining of a prototype air manifold from a solid billet of material as opposed to the more common cast route.

Successful completion of this type of work demonstrates both the capabilities of the machine and the engineering skills of Hempstead and Jonson’s setter/programmer operators.

It also illustrates the savings available to OEMs in respect of flexibility, elimination of pattern making costs, foundry charges and shortened lead times.

Both the DMU 63V and the DMU 103V have 8000 rev/min spindles and 24-tool capacity tool changers.

Hempstead and Johnson has also used them with Benz spindle speeders - which can be interchanged from the tool magazine - to achieve up to 25000 rev/min for machining ceramic.

Depending on the hardness of the ceramic material the machines are used either to complete machining of specific features or to provide accurate spot locations for manual drilling.

Mr Langley concluded.

“We’ve been very happy with the performance and reliability of the equipment that we’ve purchased from DMG.

It has certainly helped to maintain our competitiveness over a period of years by maximising the amount of machining that we can complete in each set-up.”.

http://www.manufacturingtalk.com/news/dmg/dmg124.html

CAM software maker has announced that enhanced capabilities or programming 2- through 4-axis Wire-EDM CNC machines are now available.

Gibbs and Associates, developer of GibbsCAM, computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software for programming computer numerically controlled (CNC) machine tools, announced today that enhanced capabilities for programming 2- through 4-axis Wire-EDM CNC machines are now available with the latest release of GibbsCAM.

Many of these enhancements are the direct result of feedback from customers and further refines and extends the software to better meet their needs.

Some of the key enhancements are: * User Configurable EDM Technology (EPAK) Settings.

Define standard or custom EPAK settings for rough and skim cuts, store them in a library, and retrieve as needed.

* Part Geometry Associative to Machining Operation.

Automatically creates an associative link between the geometry and the Wire-EDM machining operations.

* Multi-level Part Thickness with Auto-taper Calculations.

For parts with multiple Z-depths and thicknesses, the system can store datum information for each depth, and automatically adjust taper calculations and adjust the wire guides for each depth.

* Automatic Corner Looping.

Adds a switch to the properties of each part enables looping around external corners.

Actual loop extension and radius are a general strategy setting.

Creates external corners (loops) and internal corners (reliefs).

* Subroutine output for patterns of parts.

Automatically repeat a common part (open or closed contour or no-core feature) through a pattern of points (represented by a separate contour).

CNC output can either be created using subroutines, or longhand code (post processor dependant).

* Support for Agie Vision machines.

Full support for cut types, materiel types and wire types along with full support for Agie-style collar cutting.

In addition to these enhancements listed, a number of additional enhancements were made in other aspects of machine control, user interface and post processing.

This latest release of Wire-EDM has been sent to all customers on Software Maintenance and is now available as the shipping version of GibbsCAM Wire-EDM.

About Gibbs and Associates and GibbsCAM - since 1984, Gibbs and Associates has been a leading developer of CAM/CNC programming software that is widely acclaimed for its ease of use and productivity power.

The current GibbsCAM product line supports 2- through 5-axis milling, turning, mill/turning, multi-task simultaneous machining and wire-EDM.

GibbsCAM is available as either an integrated off-line or controller-embedded shop floor programming configuration, which are fully compatible.

High-level process models can be exchanged between the shop floor and manufacturing engineering allowing the capture of shop-proven processes.

GibbsCAM also provides fully integrated manufacturing modeling capabilities that include 2D, 2.5D, 3D wireframe, surface, and solid modeling.

GibbsCAM’s data exchange capabilities are able to access the broadest range of native and industry standard CAD data formats.

GibbsCAM is certified under the Autodesk Inventor Certified Application Program, a Solid Edge Certified Select application, and offered under the SolidWorks Solutions Partner program.

GibbsCAM is either offered or endorsed by a number of leading worldwide control and machine tool manufacturers, including GE Fanuc, Siemens, Fadal, and Mitsubishi.

Gibbs and Associates distributes its products worldwide through a network of international resellers.

http://www.manufacturingtalk.com/news/gib/gib100.html

A complex mild steel gearbox casing, which features external contour machining, several offset bores, an external offset threaded boss and multiple holes, is machined in ‘one hit’.

The name Autoy may be a legacy of the past - the company began by making ‘automatic toys’ some 60 years ago - but this 14-employee subcontractor is very much a business with a future.

And the reason? A continuing investment in new equipment, says managing director Chris Hart, who remembers the company’s first CNC machine being installed in the 1980s when he was serving his apprenticeship.

“Operating manual machines is a good way to learn the fundamentals of metalcutting,” he adds, “but CNC is the only way to go.

We have a flexible, highly skilled workforce but every year makes it harder to find comparable skills.

Most of our CNC machines are Mazaks and if I could go back and do it all again they would all be Mazaks - because they are as easy to program and as easy to use as any CNC machine could be.

This is important, not just because of the skills issue but because customers are very broadly based in terms of location and the type of work we do for them.

However, we are still expected to respond quickly and to satisfy ever more demanding delivery dates.

At one time Autoy’s customers would all have been within a 10-mile radius.

That’s no longer the case and many of the bigger companies who placed regular orders have disappeared.

Where once we would have had a three-month order book, these days it is more likely to be three weeks.

The consolation is that there is a definite lack of subcontractors able to match our capability in terms of value-added machining and fast response, and that is where we concentrate our sales effort.

We invest in new equipment because it helps us get business in the first place, while the quality of our work ensures that we get repeat orders.” Autoy’s latest acquisition is a five-axis 26kW Mazak Integrex 300-IIY turning centre equipped with a tailstock and a high-performance 18.5kW milling spindle.

This milling spindle has X/Z axis travels of 630mm/1.5m and a Y axis travel of 160mm, and is serviced by a 20-tool magazine.

This makes it a genuine multi-tasking machine tool, and one that with its 250mm chuck is ideally suited to the variety of components and materials the Preston, Lancashire subcontractor is called upon to machine.

“We don’t do volume work as such,” says Hart.

“Batches are usually up to 100-off, which means speed is less important than consistency, reliability and ease of setup.

That said, the Integrex is fast - its main spindle speed is 4000 rev/min and it has X and Z axis rapid traverses of 38m/min - and once you get a machine like this you realise what you have been missing.” As with the other CNC machines, programming is undertaken on the shopfloor and the Mazatrol Fusion 640 control’s conversational format is a firm favourite with individual operators.

One reason is that the programming time and length for a complex component such as a gearbox casing for the world’s smallest air tool, used in the assembly of the multi-role Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft, are demonstrably less than would be required using EIA/ISO code and programs are easily modified.

And when it comes to repeat business, it’s simply a case of retrieving the cutting conditions stored in the control’s memory and, as Hart describes it, “loading up the tools according to the tool sheet, putting in the offsets and pressing the start button”.

The mild steel gearbox casing, which features external contour machining, several offset bores, an external offset threaded boss and multiple drilled and tapped holes on various faces, is machined in one hit, within a positioning tolerance of 0.0005in.

“We have wiped out all the costs of fixturing for these parts using the Integrex,” says Hart, “and, unlike the previous production sequence, which involved multiple operations and stress relieving, we know parts are sure to be ‘right first time’.” While on a training course at Yamazaki Mazak U K’s Worcester HQ, he says he was like a child with a new toy and couldn’t wait to put the new machine through its paces.

“The Integrex is a big investment for Autoy but it has worked out fine and we have now placed an order for a smaller, one metre z axis travel machine complete with bar feed.” Incidentally, Yamazaki Mazak U K offers an alternative specification machine, the Integrex 300-IISY, with a second spindle in place of the programmable tailstock.

When fitted with a bar feeder and a workpiece puller, shaft workpieces can be produced from raw material to finished part without any manual intervention.

http://www.manufacturingtalk.com/news/yma/yma173.html

A complex mild steel gearbox casing, which features external contour machining, several offset bores, an external offset threaded boss and multiple holes, is machined in ‘one hit’.

The name Autoy may be a legacy of the past - the company began by making ‘automatic toys’ some 60 years ago - but this 14-employee subcontractor is very much a business with a future.

And the reason? A continuing investment in new equipment, says managing director Chris Hart, who remembers the company’s first CNC machine being installed in the 1980s when he was serving his apprenticeship.

“Operating manual machines is a good way to learn the fundamentals of metalcutting,” he adds, “but CNC is the only way to go.

We have a flexible, highly skilled workforce but every year makes it harder to find comparable skills.

Most of our CNC machines are Mazaks and if I could go back and do it all again they would all be Mazaks - because they are as easy to program and as easy to use as any CNC machine could be.

This is important, not just because of the skills issue but because customers are very broadly based in terms of location and the type of work we do for them.

However, we are still expected to respond quickly and to satisfy ever more demanding delivery dates.

At one time Autoy’s customers would all have been within a 10-mile radius.

That’s no longer the case and many of the bigger companies who placed regular orders have disappeared.

Where once we would have had a three-month order book, these days it is more likely to be three weeks.

The consolation is that there is a definite lack of subcontractors able to match our capability in terms of value-added machining and fast response, and that is where we concentrate our sales effort.

We invest in new equipment because it helps us get business in the first place, while the quality of our work ensures that we get repeat orders.” Autoy’s latest acquisition is a five-axis 26kW Mazak Integrex 300-IIY turning centre equipped with a tailstock and a high-performance 18.5kW milling spindle.

This milling spindle has X/Z axis travels of 630mm/1.5m and a Y axis travel of 160mm, and is serviced by a 20-tool magazine.

This makes it a genuine multi-tasking machine tool, and one that with its 250mm chuck is ideally suited to the variety of components and materials the Preston, Lancashire subcontractor is called upon to machine.

“We don’t do volume work as such,” says Hart.

“Batches are usually up to 100-off, which means speed is less important than consistency, reliability and ease of setup.

That said, the Integrex is fast - its main spindle speed is 4000 rev/min and it has X and Z axis rapid traverses of 38m/min - and once you get a machine like this you realise what you have been missing.” As with the other CNC machines, programming is undertaken on the shopfloor and the Mazatrol Fusion 640 control’s conversational format is a firm favourite with individual operators.

One reason is that the programming time and length for a complex component such as a gearbox casing for the world’s smallest air tool, used in the assembly of the multi-role Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft, are demonstrably less than would be required using EIA/ISO code and programs are easily modified.

And when it comes to repeat business, it’s simply a case of retrieving the cutting conditions stored in the control’s memory and, as Hart describes it, “loading up the tools according to the tool sheet, putting in the offsets and pressing the start button”.

The mild steel gearbox casing, which features external contour machining, several offset bores, an external offset threaded boss and multiple drilled and tapped holes on various faces, is machined in one hit, within a positioning tolerance of 0.0005in.

“We have wiped out all the costs of fixturing for these parts using the Integrex,” says Hart, “and, unlike the previous production sequence, which involved multiple operations and stress relieving, we know parts are sure to be ‘right first time’.” While on a training course at Yamazaki Mazak U K’s Worcester HQ, he says he was like a child with a new toy and couldn’t wait to put the new machine through its paces.

“The Integrex is a big investment for Autoy but it has worked out fine and we have now placed an order for a smaller, one metre z axis travel machine complete with bar feed.” Incidentally, Yamazaki Mazak U K offers an alternative specification machine, the Integrex 300-IISY, with a second spindle in place of the programmable tailstock.

When fitted with a bar feeder and a workpiece puller, shaft workpieces can be produced from raw material to finished part without any manual intervention.

http://www.manufacturingtalk.com/news/yma/yma173.html