The Upside of Vertical Machining Centers

Vertical machining center suppliers are looking ahead to 2022 with optimism. They expect increased use of automation and increased awareness of the benefits of machining with more than three-axis equipment. Getting to more sides of a workpiece in one or two setups is just part of the value proposition of VMCs, according to equipment makers. Automating with a robot in front of the machine, or adding a rotary axis, helps ensure productivity, while an understanding of machine kinematics—how the machine moves over time—is key to reproducibility.