Single and Multi-Spindle Screw Machines

Cam-actuated single- and multi-spindle automatics are mechanical turning machines that have traditionally been tooled to run specific jobs for extended periods of time. These might drop complete parts such as automotive, hydraulic or pneumatic fittings every few seconds. New CNC versions are extending the flexibility of these machines to be used for smaller batch sizes. Multi-spindles feature numerous machining stations (commonly 5, 6 or 8) having independent spindles through which barstock is fed into the workzone. The spindles are mounted in a drum that indexes them from one station to the next. Different operations are performed at each station until the part is completed. “Double drops” are also possible when only half of a machine’s stations are required to complete a part. In this case, the machine is essentially two in one, producing either two identical parts or two different parts in the same cycle.