Weiler Precision Lathes

Complex Parts Run in Small Lot Sizes, Need it Yesterday

The gap between traditional CNC turning centers and manual lathes is big and getting bigger. With manual machinists becoming a rarer breed in a shop and the push for smaller quantity orders compounded with just in time inventories tells us setup time has become the Achilles heal for manufacturing. Time to load tools into your turret, time to write an ISO G-code program and "proof it out" push for larger, not smaller, lot sizes.

Weiler Machine Tools, a German builder of robust, precision lathes, pioneered the concept of their "cycle controlled lathes", also sometimes referred to as "teachable", "hybrid", or "semi-CNC", and has a full line to fit your needs. Although these types of lathes have been widely accepted in Europe, this style is still not completely understood in the U.S. market.

From the ground up, these machines were designed on a rigid flatbed design. From there a full CNC controller was added for complex shapes with a controller designed for the machinist. Weiler designed their front end software to speak in the language of a machinist. The power is put into the hands of the machinist, not a programming department. The use of precision ball screws, not lead screws, yield extremely accurate parts. The part is processed by the machinist like he would process a job across a manual machine, no need to memorize standard G codes.

With the reliance on a programming department eliminated and no need for a tool room to pre-set tools to be loaded into a turret, the set up time has been slashed. Without the speed of a turret, Weiler gains rigidity by running one tool at a time. These machines cannot compete with the speed of a CNC turning center designed for production, some say the rigidity makes up some of the time.

While some industries in the U.S. market have recognized this niche Weiler fills, most manufacturing facilities (pump, turbine, service and repair to name a few) still have two distinct departments.