Friction Stir Welding: The Key to Single-Setup Component Machining

When Mazak first added a milling spindle to the SLANT TURN 40 ATC Mill Center in the early 1980s, the idea of “Multi-Tasking” was still new. The model of industrialization pioneered in the late 1800s and early 1900s centered on mass production, such as that used in Henry Ford’s famed automotive assembly line. With the birth of modern Multi-Tasking, Mazak helped launch a new era of manufacturing, one that would eventually result in the high-mix/low-volume approaches that have become prevalent in the 21st century.

Indeed, the pace of change was impressive; by the time it introduced the INTEGREX series in the late 90s, Mazak could offer machines with turning, milling, drilling, tapping and boring capabilities, second turning spindles, multiple tool turrets, Y-axis capability, and tilt/rotary milling spindles and worktables – combinations that allowed manufacturers to take raw materials and turn them into finished parts in a single setup, a concept Mazak dubbed “DONE IN ONE^®.”