A New Twist on Modular Machining

Sept. 3, 2014

Fuji's DLFn modular machining line combines up to 10 machining modules that can be swapped out, rearranged and designed to create whatever 'fully automatic line configuration' a job requires.

Travis M. Hessman

Fuji is touting its latest product – the DLFn machining line – as a "reinvention" of modular machining.

In most cases, that kind of statement would be edited out as marketing hyperbole. But it seems like Fuji might be on to something here.

The DLFn combines up to 10 machining modules that can be swapped out, rearranged and designed to create whatever "fully automatic line configuration" the job requires.

And that "fully automatic" bit isn’t much of an exaggeration either.

According to Fuji, once the right configuration is installed, operators simply load raw material in on one side and – after making its way through the turning, measuring, drilling, deburring, cleaning and whatever other operations they have set up – it emerges on the other end as a clean, finished part. That's a neat trick.

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About the Author

Travis M. Hessman | Editor-in-Chief

Travis Hessman is the editor-in-chief and senior content director for IndustryWeek and New Equipment Digest. He began his career as an intern at IndustryWeek in 2001 and later served as IW's technology and innovation editor. Today, he combines his experience as an educator, a writer, and a journalist to help address some of the most significant challenges in the manufacturing industry, with a particular focus on leadership, training, and the technologies of smart manufacturing.