About 30 years ago, development began on a special breed of CNC machine tools called tapping centers, or drill/tap machines. With 30-taper spindles and generally less than 10 hp, the machines were simple, compact and lean. Engineered primarily for light- to medium-duty work in the Z-axis plane, the machines were used primarily for high-volume drilling and tapping. Their lightweight components facilitated fast rapid traverse and high feed rates. Yamazen Inc., Schaumburg, Ill., distributes the pioneering Brother line of drill/tap machines. Jim Hansen, Yamazen senior vice president, said Brother first developed TC (tapping center) products in the 1980s for internal use in the manufacture of sewing machines, typewriters and other products. Later versions of the machines were sold to the general manufacturing marketplace.
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