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Machine tool technology is evolving at an astonishing pace. The world is host to over 1k machine tool manufacturers all trying to be the first to deliver the best technology and performance. The first CNC machining centre was developed back in the 1970s when it became apparent that CNC milling machines were too demanding on operators. Without an automatic tool changer, a change in a machining operation meant a manual tool change which was time consuming but, more importantly, brought operator error into all machining processes.

Often overlooked, operator error is responsible for over 80% of scrap component manufacture. And it's dead easy too! Just load the wrong tool, offset or parameter and say goodbye to precision, accurate parts. The introduction of the Automatic Tool Changer (ATC) immediately reduced the percentage of scrap components manufactured in machine shops across the UK. The ATC turns a CNC milling machine into a CNC machining centre: just press cycle start and walk away, you return to be presented with a finished component ... the same as the last and almost certainly the next - thanks to CNC software and automated processes.

CNC Machining Centres became a fashion amongst engineers in the 1990s and often machine shops could play host to dozens of these productive tools. The need to employ engineers reduced and any investment often went on the plant. Some in the industry say this is partially responsible for the lack of skilled engineers in the country today?

Machine Tool manufacturers quickly realised that the revolution with the milling machine could be replicated into the world of turning. Traditionally a lathe was just a lathe. It turned parts, one after the other. Operated by a highly skilled individual, the need for concentration was critical; no walking away from a manual lathe. So the race was on as to who could be the first to develop the new CNC Turning Centre. A machine tool that could offer in turning what a machining centre did for milling.

After a lot of teething issues and development headaches, reliable CNC turning centres hit the UK marketplace in the 1980s. Equipped with bar feeds, you could load bar into a magazine, set and program the turning centre, press go and, yes, you've guessed it ... walk away. With the help of a parts catcher and a swarf conveyor, the new turning centres could be left over night to make their owners money. Industries such as the automotive sector would invest in hundreds of CNC turning centres and CNC machining centres, their production went through the roof. Reliable, accurate with low overheads - machining was now the future of the car industry.

There was of course one more potential leap that until the turn of the millennium was undiscovered by all machine tool builders. The question - can you combine a machining centre and a turning centre to provide the ultimate manufacturing solution? The answer was a resounding yes!

In the year 2000, a prototype machine was developed by a German machine tool builder that was : exhibited at Europe's leading machine tool fair. The aim was to create awareness and stamp their name on the industry as the first to develop what would become a machine tool world beater. Unsurprisingly, this initial prototype machine tool was far from the finished article. Bringing all these axes together to work in a synchronised fashion proved as difficult as it looked. To bring milling and turning together into one machine meant up to 9 axes moving at the same time. In fact during the aforementioned show, the prototype machine had more than one incident which resulted in all manufacturers going back to the drawing board.

The race was well and truly on, machine tool builders all knew the pitfalls and they all knew that round the corner was a real head turner and potentially a business changer – but only if they could get there first.

In 2001, three machine tool companies launched a 'Mill/Turn' machine tool, all equipped with up to 9 axes, tool changers, milling spindles and turning heads. These machine tools were the ultimate. Designed to machine parts in one hit, the Mill/Turn solution was well and truly here. The biggest benefit was the reduction in labour and risk. Originally, once a CNC turning operation had been completed, the part would be removed from the CNC turning centre and manually placed on to a CNC machining centre; this is where the risk of scrappage and the cost of labour became expensive or, at least, more expensive than if you used this new Mill/ Turn technology.

Now in 2011 things have moved on at a pace; Mill/Turn technology now features in most machine shops throughout the UK and the cost has significantly reduced over time thanks to market demand. A machine in 2001 that would have cost around £300k can today be bought from about £160k.

Bringing the two operations together was inevitable; it was just a question of developing reliable technology. CNC turning centres and CNC machining centres are still very popular, bought in their thousands every year in the UK; the Mill/Turn solution is just another variant. In fact it's commonplace these days to find engineers who have all three machine tool concepts in operation.

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