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“This is a really big IMTS for us,” says Michael Larson, marketing director at Hainbuch America. At this year’s show, the workholding supplier is showcasing its move into automation. “We know that the buzzword is automation,” he continues. “It's everywhere.” What sets Hainbuch apart, he says, is that the company has the first automation solution for changing out complete workholding devices on turning centers. The Centrotex AC will enable manufacturers to automatically switch a lathe’s workholding device from, for example, a three-jaw chuck to a collet chuck or mandrel when parts require multiple operations. “We think it's a next step in in what people are looking for to be fully automated,” he notes. “It's going to open up a lot of doors for anybody that's really looking at doing some significant automation.”

Centrotex AC is based on Hainbuch’s existing Centrotex platform, which is designed to speed manual workholding changeovers. “You don't need to indicate and it's ready to go with repeatability within 3 microns,” Larson says. The AC version automates this changeover with a robotic arm.

The system premiered at EMO 2023, where Larson says it generated much interest. For its IMTS debut, Hainbuch has a demo of the Centrotex AC with a working spindle and a FANUC robot arm. The company is also holding an official unveiling of the system at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, September 10.

“Hainbuch is not just a workholding company anymore,” Larson concludes. “We’re involved in the automation end of it now and we're excited about that.”