The definition of machine tool encompasses a wide variety of machines with a common denominator: all of them are dedicated to manufacturing products or parts of products (generally metallic, but not exclusively). It is said that machine tools are mother machines because they make it possible to manufacture all other machines, including themselves.

Its main characteristic is that they work with a wide variety of materials, especially metal, to produce a certain shape. This can be applied both to the small precision balls of ballpoint pens and to the more complex components of aircraft or satellites. Machine tools produce all the objects that make our day to day life easier.

There are various solutions to obtain a specific shape from a piece of metal. The most common systems are:

Sculpt a block of metal by removing excess material through processes such as drilling, milling, turning, electromechanical discharge, etc.

Shape the piece by folding, stamping, etc.

Cutting a pattern on a metal sheet using cutting tools, lasers, high-pressure water jets, etc.

Different types of machine tools

There are many different types of machine tools: from simple lathes ( as Okuma LB15 machine) to complex machining centers ( as Haas VF 2 machine), from machines that make parts smaller than a fraction of a millimetre to machines that produce parts tens of meters long. The variety of technologies, sizes and functions enables it to efficiently produce in large quantities precise parts of any shape, designed by the corresponding engineering departments. It is practically impossible to find an object of our daily life that has not been produced with the help of a machine tool. From airplanes to the wristwatch we wear on our wrists, through the computer and the mobile phone, almost all the objects we come across every day are possible thanks to machine tools.

Intelligent machines

Machine tools are intelligent, high-precision machines that provide industry with the ability to produce high-quality, high-speed, and large-quantity goods, minimising cost and environmental impact. They are the engine of technological progress, being essential for the automation of production. They show the state of the art of technology and reflect the capabilities of our industries and economies. Machine tools are essential today, and will continue to be in the future, to start the industrialization of emerging countries. The applications of machine tools are found in very diverse sectors: the automotive industry, the aeronautical industry, power generation, railways, medical devices, construction, optics, watchmaking, jewelry, etc.

Machine tools are very important and indispensable for carrying out many projects. The prices of these machines can be very high and due to inflation, on occasions, for many it is a great investment. Although there is a great solution that is the purchase of used or second-hand machinery. At Glomacht we focus on promoting and supporting our clients during the process of buying and selling new and used industrial machinery.