Abstract
The primary configurations for automotive parts machining systems are Serial. Parallel. and hybrid Serial-Parallel. Serial systems incorporating purpose built equipment have the advantage of a single stream of output. Systems incorporating commodity machines in partial or full parallel processing have the inherent disadvantage of multiple process streams over which it is required to minimize and detect process variation. Typically parallel systems have been unable to minimize variation from man, material. environment and equipment to the levels of serial systems. New machine tool designs. innovative machining processes, closed-loop feedback systems and software technologies are now integrated into serial-parallel machining systems with output quality surpassing that of serial systems.