Methods Machine Fest brightens March in the Midwest

Who doesn’t love machines? And who doesn’t love a festival? Combine them, and it’s the best of both worlds. Methods Machine Fest, which brightened an early March in northern Illinois, attracted visitors from multiple states to see tens of machines and multiple vendor demonstrations.

I even saw a car with a Cal Poly San Luis Obispo sticker in the parking lot. And the machinery and technology were well worth the drive.

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Michael Jakubowski, industrial technology instructor at Illinois’ Hampshire High School was one of the many visitors at Methods Machine Fest. “We plan to use controls automation in our robotics and machine shops,” he explained. “I went to see what is new, talk to professionals in the field and look for new ideas for my kids. I saw a multi-spindle, multi-turret lathe that was super interesting and quite intimidating. I saw touchless tool setting systems on a few machines. That’s pretty cool, compared to our probing system. I watched some mills being fed by conveyors and robotics. That’s what we would like to do in our shop one day.”

Some of the automation on display at Methods Machine Tools’ open-house event included Methods MB-U series (figures 1 and 2), the popular Fanuc Robodrill Job Shop Cell; CRX Collaborative Cart for Mobile Automation; RoboJob Cell, loading Nakamura-Tome WY100; Fanuc M710 Robot on a Rail serving multiple Nakamura-Tome turning machines; Nakamura-Tome’s SC-100X2 (figure 3 and 4); Erowa Automated Pallet Changing System on OKK five-axis VMC; and the Yasda PX30i with a 33-pallet-changing system.

In the wake of Machine Fest, Methods and Yasda Precision Tools agreed to continue Methods’ role as the single importer, distributor and service provider of Yasda’s portfolio of precision machining centers in the United States (Figure 5).

The formal relationship between the two companies began in 2014, when Methods began importing Yasda’s lines of three- and five-axis lines, including the YBM vertical and horizontal series, YMC series and the PX30i and H40i precision centers.

“For nearly a decade, we have held the distinct privilege of offering Yasda’s world-class machines in the United States, directly and through our dealer network,” said Dale Hedberg, chief operating officer at Methods.

“As the most advanced and established machine importer in the United States, Methods is the best partner to convey, supply and support our machining technologies for manufacturers throughout the country,” said Yasushi Kimura, president of Yasda Precision America. “Our machine designs and unique manufacturing processes provide the highest level of accuracy and stability to satisfy demand for the tightest precision across all industries. With growing needs for automation, Methods’ engineering capabilities expand the possibilities customers can achieve when working with Yasda and Methods.”

Yasda precision centers are most commonly found in aerospace, micro-milling and die/mold facilities. Yasda’s attention to geometric assembly and thermal stability, combined with exceptional rigidity and spindle capability, make it a premier machine tool builder, said Kevin Lichtenberg, Methods’ product manager for Yasda. “Whether a shop requires the tightest tolerances for aerospace, medical or semiconductor manufacturing parts or for complex mold shapes, my guidance to manufacturers looking to separate from their competition is that the precision, market-leading features and reliability of Yasda will increase their workpiece quality, reduce secondary processes and most importantly ultimately reduce productions costs,” he added.