This article is sponsored by Murata Machinery USA, a leading manufacturer of industrial automation solutions for fabrication, machining, and material handling.
As companies of all sizes continue to grapple with labor shortages, manufacturers across North America are turning to automated machinery to close the staffing gap. Murata Machinery USA’s new MWR120G is helping businesses boost productivity and enhance efficiency. This all-in-one multi-tasking CNC turning center is an industry-first, combining processing capability with front-facing twin spindles, live tooling, and Y-axis functionality.
“The MWR120 is a very new product premiering in North America at the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) in September 2022,” reveals Ken Brewer, Murata Machinery’s North American sales and distribution manager.
“The MWR120 features integrated automation that helps to alleviate labor shortages and solve the challenge of finding qualified operators to run machines,” says Jeff Kalmbach, general manager of the Machine Tools Division at Murata Machinery. “The Y-axis function of the MWR120 enables multi-tasking and the ability to complete complex parts in one setup without changeover.”
“Our machines are fully automated to the core, so when you choose a Muratec machine, you’re actually buying a job shop in a box,” explains Christine Spiegel, strategic marketing director at Murata Machinery.
As a leading provider of world-class automated solutions, Murata Machinery helps manufacturers remain competitive in today’s rapidly evolving business environment. As the exclusive manufacturer of the Muratec brand, the company offers a range of parts, machines, and complete integrated systems tailored to your specific facility or industry. With the new MWR120, Murata Machinery supports “future manufacturing” by providing a high degree of freedom and a high rate of production.
Thomas Insights (TI): How have customers reacted to the MWR120?
Jeff Kalmbach (JK): Once our existing customers in the automotive and medical industries learned about our MWR120G, they purchased the machine sight unseen prior to the official launch here in the United States. These customers are familiar with our machinery. With the added ability to complete parts in one operation, the +/-60mm Y-axis stroke, and the live tooling, these customers made the investment to purchase the new machine. They’ve seen the reliability and productivity of our current machines and understand the benefits and value they will see with the addition of Y-axis to their twin spindle machines.
TI: What’s the biggest question you anticipate about the new MWR120?
Ken Brewer (KB): Since it’s so new, the most common question we anticipate is “Why the MWR120G?” You can put a workpiece into this machine, and it will produce a complete part at a very high rate of production. With the addition of the Y-axis, you don’t have to transfer a part to another machine for finishing, enabling a total production environment with a very high yield rate.
Christine Spiegel (CS): The MWR120G is an industry-first, multi-tasking CNC turning center that blends processing capability in a compact body with front-facing twin spindles equipped with Y-axis function. By combining the Y-axis and live tooling function, this machine accelerates extreme multi-tasking of complex shapes from the raw material to the finished product without changeovers or the need for secondary operations.
TI: What trends are you seeing in your industry, and what are you doing to stay ahead of the curve?
CS: We know that finding, training, and maintaining labor is difficult for manufacturers. Companies are working to repurpose their in-house labor without having to hire more staff. With an integrated robotic gantry loader, the MWR120 is the perfect machine for unmanned workpiece handling production to maximize productivity. Our machines also offer ease of maintenance. Many job shops are looking for machines that are easy to use, easy to maintain, and easy to access.
Another of the big trending shifts we’re seeing is toward electric vehicles (EVs). Many job shops in the automotive space are focused on the internal combustion engine, but now that the EV market is growing, our machines are built with flexibility for that transition.
TI: What sets Murata Machinery USA apart from the competition?
JK: Murata Machinery USA is a wholly owned subsidiary of our parent company, Murata Machinery Ltd., from Kyoto, Japan. Our Charlotte, North Carolina, headquarters provide service and support to North American manufacturers. Our ability to personally service customers across many different industries, especially those focused on automation, sets us apart from competitors. All Muratec products are standardized with automation, and we can solve customer problems through the products we offer or customize a machine to fit their needs.
CS: As a full-service provider, we can make it, move it, store it, pick it, sort it, and service it across the entire supply chain. When I say we can make it, that’s where our turning centers and fabrication capabilities come into play. When I say we can move it, store it, and pick it, that refers to our logistics and automation. We also have a U.S.-based national servicing team, meaning we can service systems for life across North America. We have over a million dollars worth of parts in the United States that can be shipped within 24-48 hours.
JK: For us, automation is not an afterthought — it’s what we do. You see and hear a lot about automation being added on later once a machine has hit the production floor, but for us, automation is at the core of what we do. We provide those solutions from the start, built directly into our products.
TI: What’s something that isn’t widely known about Murata Machinery that you’d like to highlight for our readers?
JK: We are the world’s leader in automated turning. Plenty of commodity builders build good-quality turning machines, but we’re the market leader when it comes to automated turning machines. In turn, we’re constantly pushing out new ideas, new machinery, and new concepts to enhance that effort.
CS: We strive to help people understand why purchasing machines with automation built into the core versus adding aftermarket robotics can save shop owners time, money, and space. Our machines load, feed, and unload parts all within one machine rather than having to buy something external, ultimately delivering more parts on the dock at the end of the day.
We will be at IMTS 2022 in Chicago and invite attendees to see Muratec in Motion at the show. The show runs from the 12th through the 17th of September in McCormick Place, Booth #338844. This is our North American premiere of the MWR120G. We will have nine live demonstrations showcasing machine integrations, daily MuraTalks, and custom, fabricated MuraDesk sets engraved personally for those who pre-register.
