The SL-20APL from Haas Automation is capable of automatically picking up parts from an external tray and loading them directly in the lathe. The result is turning or part flips without an operator for double-ended machining.

The maximum cutting capacity of the SL-20 APL is 10.3" x 20", and the maximum swing is 23" over the front apron with a 2" standard bar capacity. The machine uses a 20 hp vector dual-drive spindle with 4,000 rpm providing 154 ft-lb of torque. Constant surface-feed cuts are achieved by fast wye-delta switching that provides a wide constant-horsepower band.

The SL-20APL has an A2-6 spindle nose, an 8" hydraulic three-jaw chuck and a 10-station tool turret. If long-part machining is necessary, Haas offers a programmable hydraulic tailstock as an extra option.

Two gripper configurations are standard with the lathe: a shaft gripper deals with parts up to 5" diameter, while a disc gripper handles parts up to 7" diameter. Each configuration is capable of parts up to 15 pounds. The automated parts loader (APL) loads raw pieces and removes the complete parts; it also flips pieces for second operations and lingers until long shaft pieces are machined before bringing them back to the table.

The APL, programmed through the lathe's control, operates in the background of the lathe operations, so the machine functions unattended and almost continuously.