In your first post, you mentioned that there are three lathe operations. Were you intending to have the second spindle pass the part back to the first spindle to get all three ops done in one machine? Or prep the blanks in a separate lathe? It would be best if you could get it down to just two operations.
Keep in mind that any lathe with sub-spindle that only has one turret can only be working on one spindle at a time. The other spindle just sits there waiting. Your current setup of two machines would make parts much faster.
What do you see as the benefit to an auto loader/robot? A good human operator can, in many cases, load parts about as fast as a robot- sometimes faster, sometimes not. It depends on the application. So, just putting a robot on the machine isn't going to boost your output significantly unless you plan on running unattended outside of normal hours. There are other benefits to the auto loader, but if you're just looking to make more parts, then it might not be the solution you're looking for.
It was unclear to me if you were looking to replace your current machines or add to them. If you replace the two machines with a single turret, sub-spindle machine, you'll end up with lower output. If you add a single turret machine, you're still not going to get to the 200 parts/day that you want, which is more than double what you're currently doing. Adding a dual turret machine will get you closer, but I guess I don't see it more than doubling your output. Can this process be run unattended? If so, then a gantry/robot loader makes sense. Having a very reliable machining process is critical to that. Birds-nested chips or sizes coming out of tolerance can cause a lot of scrap overnight.
I guess you should define your goals more. If it's just output, and the labor is available, then I'd look at either adding more two-axis lathes or adding shifts to get to the desired output. If the goal is to reduce the amount of labor involved, then yeah, a sub spindle lathe with live tooling would be the ticket. Just don't get tricked into thinking that just because something is more automated, that the output will be higher. A cell with three lathes, a mill, and however many operators needed to keep all those spindles turning will outproduce that fancy automated lathe.
One last thought... Changeovers on an auto-loaded lathe can be time-consuming. For example, for that Takisawa TT that was linked above... to change from one diameter part to another, you'd have to change chuck jaws on two chucks, two sets of loader grippers, two sets of grippers for the changeover station, and then adjust all the stacking stations. It's not difficult work, but it's not quick. I hate changing one set of jaws, much less six! So, if your work requires frequent changeovers, keep this in mind.
Good luck!
Keep in mind that any lathe with sub-spindle that only has one turret can only be working on one spindle at a time. The other spindle just sits there waiting. Your current setup of two machines would make parts much faster.
What do you see as the benefit to an auto loader/robot? A good human operator can, in many cases, load parts about as fast as a robot- sometimes faster, sometimes not. It depends on the application. So, just putting a robot on the machine isn't going to boost your output significantly unless you plan on running unattended outside of normal hours. There are other benefits to the auto loader, but if you're just looking to make more parts, then it might not be the solution you're looking for.
It was unclear to me if you were looking to replace your current machines or add to them. If you replace the two machines with a single turret, sub-spindle machine, you'll end up with lower output. If you add a single turret machine, you're still not going to get to the 200 parts/day that you want, which is more than double what you're currently doing. Adding a dual turret machine will get you closer, but I guess I don't see it more than doubling your output. Can this process be run unattended? If so, then a gantry/robot loader makes sense. Having a very reliable machining process is critical to that. Birds-nested chips or sizes coming out of tolerance can cause a lot of scrap overnight.
I guess you should define your goals more. If it's just output, and the labor is available, then I'd look at either adding more two-axis lathes or adding shifts to get to the desired output. If the goal is to reduce the amount of labor involved, then yeah, a sub spindle lathe with live tooling would be the ticket. Just don't get tricked into thinking that just because something is more automated, that the output will be higher. A cell with three lathes, a mill, and however many operators needed to keep all those spindles turning will outproduce that fancy automated lathe.
One last thought... Changeovers on an auto-loaded lathe can be time-consuming. For example, for that Takisawa TT that was linked above... to change from one diameter part to another, you'd have to change chuck jaws on two chucks, two sets of loader grippers, two sets of grippers for the changeover station, and then adjust all the stacking stations. It's not difficult work, but it's not quick. I hate changing one set of jaws, much less six! So, if your work requires frequent changeovers, keep this in mind.
Good luck!
Did I just see what my eyes told me that I saw? 
