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Machine Tending

Robotic Machine Tending.
Mill, lathe, mold. Hands-Off.

Robotic load/unload for CNC mills, lathes, EDM, and injection molds, automated under the Formic Full Service model. The most repetitive, dangerous, and hardest-to-staff jobs on your floor, handled.

Automate NOW · machine tending
01 / Why It Matters

Spindle uptime is everything.

In precision manufacturing, a stopped spindle is lost margin. Most shops lose 20–40% of available spindle time to operator-bound load/unload cycles, breaks, and shift changes. Robotic machine tending recovers that time: no additional headcount, no shift coverage required.

  • Lights-out third shift on equipment you already own
  • 24/7 support and 100% maintenance, included
  • No CapEx, one flat monthly rate, fully supported
Get a quote →
Formic Waybo machine-tending cell loading a CNC machine on a precision floorWaybo · CNC tending
Vision pick · part presentation
02 / How It Works

How Robotic Machine Tending Works.

Bin or fixture-based part presentation. Vision-guided pick handles orientation. Robot loads, machine cycles, robot unloads. Out-of-spec parts are diverted at the gauge before they leave the cell.

  • Compatible with Fanuc, Mazak, Haas, DMG Mori, Okuma, and most major CNC and lathe platforms
  • Inline gauging integration for in-cell quality verification
  • Bin picking from gaylords, totes, or fixtured trays
  • Multi-machine tending: one robot, two or three spindles
03 / Specs

Built for your machines.

We adapt around your machines, not the other way around. Designed to integrate with the spindles you already run.

  • Reach: 1.3 – 2.6 m, with track-extended options for multi-machine cells
  • Payloads: 5 – 150 kg, EOAT-dependent
  • Part weight range: application-dependent, scoped per cell
  • Compatible with most major CNC, lathe, EDM, and IMM platforms
  • Cycle integration via M-code, Modbus, EtherNet/IP, and OPC UA, compatible with most modern and legacy machine controllers
  • Safety: scanners, fenced or collaborative configurations available
Get the machine-tending data sheet → How Full Service works →
Orange KUKA robot arm tending a CNC, moving a machined part between a fixtured tray and the spindle | Formic tends most major CNC and lathe platforms
Full Service Automation

One monthly fee. Everything included.

→System design and cell engineering
→Robot, EOAT, and fixturing
→Installation and commissioning
→Inline gauging integration
→24/7 monitoring and support
→All maintenance and parts
→Performance SLAs
→Software, programming, and controls

Recover the spindle hours
you're already paying for.

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