Since 1910, Simmons Machine Tool Corp., Albany, New York, has built machine tools and measuring machines for producing and maintaining railway wheel sets. The company also manufactures automation systems.

Each wheel traditionally is placed on a machining center using a forklift, a crane or another manual handling method — a slow, inconsistent process in which worker safety is a concern. Simmons Machine Tool sought to boost productivity and improve worker safety when loading and unloading railways for repairs in a vertical CNC lathe.

This video supplement to Cutting Tool Engineering magazine's June 2020 Productive Times article showcases the solution provided by Güdel Inc. — automated material handling through the use of a double-axis gantry robot with special grippers.