PHOTO CAPTION: Rick Willard, Southwestern Industries Sales Rep, demonstrates machining simulation software.
Over 100 visitors toured Southwestern Industries' (SWI) new Midwest showroom during a recent two-day open house. They witnessed demonstrations of various TRAK machines, visited with co-exhibitors and were introduced to SWI's latest product offering, the TRAK 2OP portable CNC machining center.
"Designed for second operation machining, TRAK 2OP streamlines a shop's workflow by bringing an additional spindle quickly and easily to an operator idled by the cycle time of his primary machine," said a company spokesperson.
TRAK 2OP utilizes proven ProtoTRAK CNC technology with easy to learn and use conversational language programming. Programs can be generated either at the machine or remotely to perform tasks normally associated with second operation machining including: drilling, tapping, countersinking, face milling, and the machining of profiles, pockets and bolt hole patterns.
According to the company, other TRAK 2OP standard features include an 8-station tool changer that eliminates the need for manual tool changes, "built-in" Jergens ball locks that facilitate quick changeovers and a pallet jack. The latter is designed to allow a person to move the compact (2.5' x 4' footprint) TRAK 2OP to any desired shop location within minutes to improve workflow.
For example, a TRAK 2OP can be placed near a primary machine that is performing both primary and secondary operation machining. Once the TRAK 2OP is in place, the primary machine can be re-purposed to perform the primary operation while the TRAK 2OP can be dedicated to perform the less time consuming and less complex secondary operation. The operator who had been running the primary machine and had been idled by its long cycle time can be re-tasked with running both machines.
"These workflow changes reduce expensive operator idle time as it is now consumed by the running of an additional machine - TRAK 2OP increases the ratio of spindle minutes/labor minutes, they reduce part cycle times as the secondary operation may be done within the cycle time of the primary operation and the arrangement is flexible and can be readily modified if and when the TRAK 2OP needs to be moved to another location," said the spokesperson.
For more information contact:
Bruce Meredith, Marketing
Southwestern Industries, Inc.
2615 Homestead Place
Rancho Dominguez, CA 90220
310-608-4422
info@southwesternindustries.com
www.southwesternindustries.com