Patent ID: 7322083

Claim:
A system, comprising: K machining lines configured to manufacture component tooling, wherein K is an integer of at least a value of one and each of said K machining lines comprises: N machine tools, for performing specific machining operations, wherein N is an integer of at least a value of two, a line storage system, for storing pre-fixtured and palletized work pieces in order to reduce lead time for said manufacturing of said component tooling, and a track mounted robot, for loading said pre-fixtured and palletized work pieces from said line storage system to the N machine tools for performing one of said specific machining operations and for unloading after completing the specific machining operation said pre-fixtured and palletized work pieces taken from the N machine tools back to said line storage system, wherein said N machine tools are arranged in such a way that the pre-fixtured and palletized work pieces can be loaded to and unloaded from each of the N machine tools with said track mounted robot; a centralized storage system, configured to store custom fixtures, pre-manufactured work pallets and pre-manufactured standard components, wherein work pieces are chosen from pre-manufactured standard components; and at least one operator station, configured to set said pre-fixtured and palletized work pieces from pre-manufactured standard components combined with at least one of said custom fixtures and said pre-manufactured work pallets using workflow instructions, wherein at least one machining line of said K machining lines comprises at least three machine tools.