Wexmar offers lights-out CNC machining in our Swiss department, where four Maier MLK-32 Swiss-type machines with FMB bar feeders can run proven jobs unattended beyond staffed hours. Combined with pallet-changer horizontal machining centers and second-shift capacity, lights-out running adds spindle hours without adding labor to every hour, which lowers cost per part on production work. Buyers looking for a lights out Swiss machining source or an unattended machining shop for repeat production can work with our Canastota, New York shop near Syracuse.
What lights-out machining is
Lights-out machining means a CNC machine continues producing parts with no operator present, typically overnight or across a weekend. It requires a process that is stable enough to run without intervention: a reliable material supply, predictable tool life, chip control that will not jam the machine, and a part that has been proven through staffed runs. Bar-fed Swiss machines are well suited because the bar feeder supplies material automatically and the parts are small enough to collect in a parts catcher or bin.
When lights-out machining helps a buyer
- Repeat production of small turned parts under 32 mm diameter
- Annual volumes in the thousands to tens of thousands of pieces
- Parts with stable designs and proven programs
- Price-sensitive components where cost per piece drives sourcing decisions
- Blanket orders where extra spindle hours shorten lead times on each release
Wexmar equipment for unattended running
Swiss department
Our four Maier MLK-32 Swiss-type machines with FMB bar feeders produce parts from bar up to 32 mm diameter. The department is lights-out capable on proven jobs. Live tools and sub-spindle operations complete most parts in one cycle, so parts drop off finished and ready for inspection. See Swiss screw machining.
Horizontal machining centers
Our six Mazak horizontals, two FH4800s, a PFH4800, a Nexus 4000-II, and two Nexus 5000-II machines, all have pallet changers. Loaded pallets and tombstone fixtures holding several parts let these machines keep cutting while staff work elsewhere, and second-shift staffing extends their productive hours.
Lathes and second shift
Our ten CNC lathes, including Mazak Nexus, Multiplex, and Doosan Lynx models, run staffed production with second-shift capacity. See our machine list.
How we qualify a job for lights-out
- The program and setup are proven during staffed production runs
- Tool life is measured, and tool changes are scheduled before wear affects size
- Chip control is confirmed so chips do not wrap or pack
- Bar stock is checked for straightness and consistent diameter
- Parts made unattended are inspected at the start of the next shift before the run continues
Typical tolerances on lights-out production
| Feature | Typical Swiss capability |
|---|---|
| Outside diameter | ±0.0005 in; ±0.0002 in by review |
| Length | ±0.002 in; ±0.0005 in by review |
| Concentricity | 0.0005 in |
| Surface finish | 32 Ra; 16 Ra by review |
| Threads | Class 2A / 2B; 3A / 3B by review |
Features near the tight end of these ranges may need more frequent checks, which can limit how long a job runs unattended. We plan that into the quote.
Materials suited to lights-out running
Free-machining materials with predictable chips suit unattended running most: 303 and 416 stainless, 12L14 and other free-machining steels, brass, and aluminum. We also run 304, 316, and 17-4 PH stainless, alloy steels, bronze, copper, and titanium, and engineered plastics, with tighter monitoring on materials that form stringy chips or wear tools quickly. Nickel alloys such as Inconel, Monel, and Hastelloy are usually run staffed.
Why proven jobs matter
Unattended running rewards preparation. A job that has not been proven can produce a bin of scrap overnight, so we do not run a new part lights-out on its first release. Automated CNC production begins only after staffed runs have shown stable size, tool life, and chip control, and it continues only while start-of-shift checks confirm that the process is holding.
Quantity fit
Lights-out machining pays off on repeat production. The savings grow with quantity, so it is most effective on annual volumes in the thousands and above, on blanket orders with steady releases.
Inspection deliverables
Lights-out production is verified with first-piece inspection, start-of-shift checks, and final inspection using calibrated micrometers, thread gages, the Mitsubishi optical comparator, and Brown & Sharpe CMMs. We provide CMM reports, AS9102-format first articles, material certifications, and heat-lot traceability, under an ISO 9001:2015-aligned quality system.
Getting a quote
Send your drawing with annual usage and release quantities so we can evaluate the part for unattended running. You can upload a drawing for an instant estimate, and a human estimator confirms every quote. Call (315) 400-2654 or email ron@backwell.com, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern.