Machine Tending

Application

What is machine tending?

Machine tending is the automated process of loading raw parts into machine tools, removing finished parts and passing them on to a subsequent step. A robot takes over the activity that an operator traditionally performs between machining cycles: pick the workpiece from the bin, clamp it, start the cycle, remove it, put it down. Over and over.

Exactly this repetitive activity is the economic lever: in metal-cutting production, the machine itself — not the operator — becomes the bottleneck. If it stands idle for 8 hours a day because nobody is reloading it, the most expensive investment in the shop is only used at one third of its capacity.

Typical applications

• Loading CNC milling and turning centres (3-, 4- or 5-axis)
• Tending presses and forming machines
• Feeding test stations (leak, functional, CMM/coordinate measuring machines)
• Loading injection-moulding machines and removing finished parts
• Workpiece transfer between multiple machining stations (multi-machine tending)
• Feeding laser marking and washing stations

The NEXOS configuration

Our standard set-up for machine tending combines:

• NEXOS.Cube as a closed, safety-certified cell that separates operator and machining area. Available as a stainless-steel variant for hygiene-sensitive applications.
• NEXOS.Nova as a 6-axis cobot with sub-millimetre repeat accuracy. Collaborative rating, white housing for cleanroom applications.
• Workpiece-specific gripper (vacuum, electric, pneumatic or form-fit). For different workpiece formats: dual gripper for a halved changeover cycle.
• Infeed magazine or pallet system — drawers for small batches, large workpiece carriers for lights-out night-shift autonomy.
• Optional NEXOS.LinDrive as an external 7th axis: extends the cobot's reach and enables tending of 2-3 CNC machines in a linear layout.

Sequence of a typical cell

1. Raw-part detection in the infeed magazine (mechanically positioned or optically located)
2. Gripping by NEXOS.Nova with the matching end-effector
3. Open CNC door (via I/O interface) and place workpiece into the fixture
4. Signal cycle start to the CNC, close door
5. Wait until machining is complete (the cobot can tend a second machine in the meantime)
6. Remove finished part, optional visual or dimensional inspection
7. Place in finished-part magazine, workpiece carrier or hand over to the next process

Why it pays off

Current market data (2026) for comparable cobot machine-tending cells:

• Payback: 8-12 months in two-shift operation, up to 18 months in single-shift operation.
• Machine uptime: increase from a typical 8 hours to 22 hours per day (unmanned night shift).
• Productivity jump: in individual cases up to +600 % machine uptime with the same headcount.
• Staff relief: one operator manages 3-5 automated machines instead of one manual one.

The economic lever is always the better utilisation of the existing CNC machine, not the saving of the operator. The operator is freed up for higher-value tasks: setting up, optimising, quality inspection.

Scalability

The modular approach allows stepwise expansion without a redesign:

• Stage 1 — single machine: one NEXOS.Cube with cobot tends one CNC. Classical entry point, productive in weeks.
• Stage 2 — two-machine tending: Cube with NEXOS.LinDrive as 7th axis. One cobot manages two adjacent CNCs with different cycle times.
• Stage 3 — unmanned night shift: large pallet system (60-120 raw parts), automatic tool monitoring, status alerts to the mobile phone.
• Stage 4 — connected production cell: integration with NEXOS.DSP for monitoring, OEE recording, predictive maintenance.

Expansion options

• Vision system for pose-accurate detection of unordered raw parts
• Tool and wear monitoring via camera or acoustic sensing
• Automatic tool change between grippers for multi-format production
• Washing station for in-line cleaning of finished parts
• In-line metrology — inspection directly in the cell, rejection of NOK parts
• Digital twin via NEXOS.XR for virtual commissioning and operator training before the plant is built

Safety & integration

The NEXOS.Nova is a collaborative robot — in principle it can work next to people without a safety fence. In the machine-tending application we still use the closed NEXOS.Cube cell because:

• Chips, coolant and rotating workpieces need a protected space anyway
• Visual inspection through the window is more ergonomic than an open set-up
• Repeatability of defined boundary conditions (lighting, temperature) is higher

CNC integration uses the standard interfaces of the machine control: digital I/O for cycle start/end, optionally OPC UA or Profinet for deeper integration with tool and program data.