Medical Machining Bar Feeders
You’ve invested in Swiss turning and high-speed, multi-spindle equipment to make orthopedic and medical device products, but are these machines really earning their keep? Unless equipped with bar feeders, low productivity could be killing your profitability. In medical machining, bar feeders aren’t an option. Your competitors are using them right now. IEMCA can help with new or used machines.
Bar Feeders for the Medical Industry
We understand that turning orthopedic screws, rods and components for medical devices isn’t like making other products. Tolerances are tight, geometries are complex, and the materials are hard to machine. Your lathes are optimized for the task; the bar feeders you use should be, too.
IEMCA produces the widest range of bar feeders in the industry. That lets us optimize them for the most challenging applications. Bar feeder machines for medical applications are engineered to handle the high spindle speeds needed for cost-effective production and bar stock as small as 0.8 millimeters (0.032 inches) in diameter.
Longer bar stock increases machine running time, but needs a longer feeder. Footprint is an issue for some businesses, so IEMCA medical device bar feeder machines are available in several lengths.
Citizen R04 and IEMCA Elite Zero
Benefits of Bar Feeder Machines for Medical Applications
Bar feeders virtually eliminate material loading time. As soon as machining is complete on one part, it’s parted-off, usually dropping through a part chute. At that point, the chuck or collet opens, allowing the feeder to index a precise length of stock for the next part. Then, machining starts once more. Time not cutting metal is minimized and the lathe runs unattended.
For companies in medical machining parts, this way is highly cost-effective. Specific benefits include:
- More parts/hours off each machine
- Higher labor utilization
- Increased capacity
- Better material utilization
Here’s more detail:
Production Rate
Using bar feeder machines for medical applications results in more pieces per hour from each lathe or work center. This comes mainly from spending more time cutting and less on loading. Some medical machining businesses realize a second benefit: IEMCA bar feeders control shaft vibration to a level that allows higher spindle speeds. That translates to faster material removal and shorter cycle time.
Labor Utilization
Automated bar stock feeding eliminates manual machine loading. Many turned parts manufacturers reduce their labor cost per part by having one worker oversee multiple machines.
More Capacity
When machines spend more time cutting, there are more hours available for machining. That lets you take on more orders, cut overtime working or reconfigure your production areas. Perhaps even all three!
Better Material Utilization
Chucks and collets need material on which to grip. When you don’t use a bar feeder, that’s a piece of material that goes in the scrap bin. With a bar feeder, the area being gripped now becomes the next part produced. (Yes, bar feeders leave a small remnant at the end of each bar, but on small medical parts, there’s usually a net saving.)
Tornos SwissNano and IEMCA Elite Zero
Why Choose IEMCA Bar Feeders?
With a team of more than 500, we’re industry leaders with a global presence and an unrivaled range of machines. We strive to assure our machines are durable and reliable. Use our bar feeder selection tool to find the machine that suits your needs or contact us today with any questions.