IMTS spark Session: Production Matters — Why a CNC Multi-Spindle Makes Sense for MetalQuest

Since opening in 1996, MetalQuest has focused on adopting multitasking machine tool technology. Its latest addition is this eight-spindle multi that currently runs a family of five parts. 

Learn how diversifying can help your precision machining business. Derek Korn, editor-in-chief at Production Machining magazine, serves as host for this informative live IMTS spark session as he talks with Scott Harms, president at MetalQuest Unlimited Inc. During this live event, they’ll discuss how this early adopter of multitasking equipment has taken what it feels is the next logical step to diversify its contract machining operation by adding a multi-spindle for greatly reduced cycle times on an existing high-volume job.

When Harms started his MetalQuest contract machining business in 1996, the company president set it up to be different from others. The Hebron, Nebraska, company’s first machine was a CNC lathe with live tooling. The goal was to make multitasking its niche, machining parts complete rather than running them across a lathe and a mill as other shops commonly did at the time. Today, all of the heavily automated shop’s production machine tools have some combination of subspindle and live tooling.

Its most recent equipment addition was a multi-spindle machine, which is a first for the company. As Harms and Korn will discuss in this session, MetalQuest made this significant investment to be more profitable on an existing high-volume job, to diversify from the oil and gas industry and to add technology that further sets the shop apart from others. It also recently won a complex new job for this eight-spindle machine that simultaneously uses 59 of the machine’s available 62 axes.

The live session is Friday, December 18 at 1:00 pm-2:00 pm EST. Register to see this IMTS Spark session. Once registered, you can watch the webinar on demand, any time after the live presentation until March 15, 2021.