Manufacturers looking to automate CNC machine tending usually find themselves stuck between two extremes.
On one side, standard automation offers fast deployment, lower upfront costs, and reliable performance. On the other end, fully custom automation delivers maximum capability but often comes with higher costs, longer lead times, and greater implementation complexity.
For many operations, neither option is quite right, and the solution lies somewhere in between, leading to compromises with workarounds, manual processes, or inconsistent part handling.
This is the automation gap that the Flex-Custom Series was designed to address.
Built on proven Flex Series platforms and tailored to your process, Flex-Custom provides shops with a practical path to automation without jumping into full custom or settling for standard automation.
What Is the Flex-Custom Series?
The Flex-Custom Series is a semi-customized version of AWR's Flex Series standard machine tending automation system.
Rather than starting from scratch, Flex-Custom solutions are built on a proven Flex Series base and incorporate engineered modifications tailored to a customer's specific process requirements.
In simple terms, it bridges the gap between ready-to-deploy automation and fully engineered custom solutions.
- Base system: Proven Flex Series platform
- Enhancement: Engineered modifications for your operation
- Result: A solution configured to your exact production requirements
The foundation remains the same. What changes is how the system is configured to support unique manufacturing requirements, delivering standard reliability where standard automation falls short.
Where Flex-Custom Fits Within the Automation Journey
Not every application requires the same level of automation.
Understanding where the Flex-Custom Series fits can help CNC shops determine the right automation strategy for their operation.
| Solution Type | Best For |
| Flex Series | Standard, repeatable machine tending for fast deployment |
| Flex-Custom Series | CNC applications requiring targeted customization |
| Plus Series | Pre-engineered solutions for single or dual-machine environments |
| Custom Solutions | Fully engineered automation for complex processes |
The key takeaway: If standard automation is close, but not quite right, Flex-Custom Series is the next step.
What Can Be Customized?
Flex-Custom Series allows manufacturers to enhance a standard Flex Series unit with features that matter most without overengineering the entire system. So, what exactly can be customized? The answer depends on the application and the need to meet production goals.
Custom Templates
To ensure consistent part staging, orientation, and repeatability during automated loading and unloading, custom templates can be designed for specific part geometry.
Part Turnover Stations
Enabling multi-operation workflows by rotating or repositioning parts automatically between operations supports OP10/OP20 processes without extra labor.
Gage Stations / CMM Integration
Integrating in-process or post-process measurement systems verifies part quality, improves consistency, reduces scrap, and maintains tighter tolerances.
Part Wash / Blowoff Systems
Accomplish cleaner handling and improved downstream processes by removing coolant, chips, or debris between cycles.
Part Marking
Incorporate tracing, identification, or qualification directly into the automation process using a dot peen or laser marker.
Application-Specific Enhancements
Because Flex-Custom is built on a proven platform, it can be configured to support:
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One CNC machine tailored to the workflow
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Single parts, multiple parts, or part families
This allows manufacturers to match CNC automation to their exact production mix without the need for a full custom solution.
Why, When, and Who Is Flex-Custom Designed For?
Why do manufacturers select Flex-Custom?
Shops turn to Flex-Custom when standard automation solves most challenges but not all. Instead of forcing processes to fit or overinvesting in full-custom automation, the Flex-Custom delivers a balanced approach. Built on a proven Flex Series base unit, it delivers specified enhancements while maintaining efficiency, reliability, and ease of use. The solution improves consistency, reduces manual handling, and aligns more closely with the manufacturer's real production requirements.
When should you choose Flex-Custom Series?
It's the right choice when your CNC machine tending application falls between standard and custom automation. Flex-Custom typically applies when manufacturers require specific enhancements, such as custom templates, part marking, part turnover station, or additional process steps, but still require faster deployment and controlled costs.
Ideally, it's best when standard automation is close, but it falls short in your processes, creating inefficiencies, leading to workarounds, or raising quality concerns. The Flex-Custom Series allows manufacturers to address these gaps directly by avoiding longer lead times and the higher upfront investment required for fully tailored automation.
Who is Flex-Custom Designed For?
The Flex-Custom Series is designed to support job shops and production manufacturers with evolving CNC automation needs. For small- to mid-size job shops, it enables efficient handling of multiple part families without rebuilding an entire cell. In production environments, it adds process stability through features such as inspection, marking, or part washing to help maintain quality and throughput. Flex-Custom is built for manufacturers on both ends who demand more than standard automation provides but don't require a fully engineered solution to achieve their production goals.
What to Know Before Getting Started with Flex-Custom
Flex-Custom is engineered for targeted, application-specific customization, not to change every aspect of the system. While the system starts with a standard Flex Series unit, certain modifications, especially those involving fixtures, templates, or process-specific needs, may impact the platform’s original QuickTouch programming capabilities. This trade-off enables the automation solution to perform more consistently for the specific application.
Stop Choosing Between Standard and Custom
If your current machine tending process relies on workarounds, or your automation investment feels too complex — there's a better solution.
Flex-Custom Series delivers customization where it matters.
- Solve specific production challenges
- Improve consistency and throughput
- Maintain control over cost and timeline
Whether you're refining an existing workflow or exploring automation for the first time, Flex-Custom helps you protect your CNC automation investment from unnecessary complexity. Reach out to our automation team to find the best solution for you.
