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Solutions · CNC

Machine tending that fits the shop you run.

ArmMate puts a cobot on load and unload so a person is not standing at the door for every cycle. The machine stays. The cell is designed around it.

White 6-axis cobot loading a part into a CNC mill.
A cobot on load and unload beside the mill. See the CNC case study

The shop problem

Machine tending still depends on an operator at the door for every load and unload. The gap shows up between shifts, and on the second machine that never gets a dedicated person.

The cell

A cobot, fixtures, and part presentation, integrated with how the shop runs the job. Lights-out is a result of a stable cycle. We start by making the attended cycle reliable. Automation that lets an American job shop quote against overseas shops, without a full rebuild.

Use cases

  • Mills

    Door open, load, close, start, unload. The cobot keeps a second machine in the cycle.

  • Lathes

    Chuck load and unload between cycles, with fixtures that match the part family.

  • Secondary ops

    Deburr, wash, or gauge after the spindle, when that work is repetitive enough to program.

What we deliver

  • Tending layout

    Pedestal or other mount, reach, and a path that clears the door.

  • Fixtures and presentation

    How raw and finished parts sit so the arm can find them.

  • Shop workflow

    A program that follows the job you actually run, including changeover.

  • Safety and training

    A zone people can work around, and a lead operator who can restart the cell.

  • Support

    The same service plans as a frying cell, attached to the arm on your floor.

Safety and standards

Each cell ships with a station risk assessment per ANSI/RIA R15.06 and ISO 10218, collaborative-operation validation per ISO/TS 15066 where applicable, documented e-stop and lockout/tagout procedures, and operator training.

Questions buyers ask

What does a cell cost?
Every station is quoted fixed-scope after assessment. We do not publish a generic price.
Can I deduct the equipment?
Many buyers use Section 179 expensing. Talk to your tax advisor. This is not tax advice.
How do you accept the cell?
Every install includes a site acceptance test against the cycle defined in your proposal before handover.

Request a CNC assessment.

Tell us the machine, the part, and how the job runs today. We will say whether a tending cell belongs there.