What is a multi-spindle automatic lathe?

Multi-sindle automatic lathes (multi-spindle screw machines) can provide various types of machining such as boring, turning, chamfering, threading, grooving, and drilling by moving the workpieces between 6 or 8 positions (machining positions). This machine tool enables overwhelmingly fast cycle times by dividing processes into six or eight steps.

In general, multi-spindle automatic lathes can provide approximately 4－5 times the machining speed of single-spindle NC lathes, although the speed can be widely addjusted depending on various conditions.

Here is a more precise explanation on how such fast cycle times are possible.
The process is divided into 6 steps as shown in the tooling layout below. In this whole process, Pos. 1 (loading/unloading) takes the longest time. With a 6-spindle automatic lathe (6-spindle screw machine) or 8-spindle automatic lathe, this longest position time is equal to the cycle time.

On the other hand, with a single-spindle lathe, the cycle time is the sum of the duration of the whole process, as in this case, each process is not divided into several steps.

As shown in the tooling layout below, SHIMADA’s 6-spindle automatic lathe takes 7.8 seconds, while other companies' single-spindle lathes take 33.7 seconds, which means SHIMADA’s 6-spindle automatic lathe can perform the work of 4.3 single-spindle machines.