Ever since the creation of the first all-metal lathe in 1751, manufacturers have depended on highly flexible and precise “mother machines,” the metalcutting equipment used to produce all other factory equipment. More than 200 years later, Mazak contributed to this effort with its SLANT TURN 40 ATC Mill Center, which gave manufacturers the ability to mill and turn on a single machine platform. Today, Mazak offers a comprehensive range of solutions – the Five Levels of Multi-Tasking – designed to ensure that each shop has an option that suits its unique needs.
But how much Multi-Tasking does one shop need? What level is right for your part-processing requirements? Machine models like the Kentucky-built QUICK TURN Series span multiple levels of Multi-Tasking to address this issue. As a result, while a shop that simply needs highly productive turning can use the base QUICK TURN model, additional “M” (milling), “S” (second spindle) and “Y” (Y axis) packages may be added to reach as high as the second level of Multi-Tasking.
For Level 1, QUICK TURN Series machines with the “M” package feature a rotary milling spindle. With a single turning spindle with programmable tailstock and a drum-style rotary-tool turret, shops are able to perform many more operations in a single setup, including turning, milling with C axis, drilling and tapping operations. As the remaining levels of Multi-Tasking depend on the presence of this turret, all machines other than the base QUICK TURN models include this “M” package.