Compound fabrication process and apparatus

A compound fabrication process comprising:

• providing a machine having a first station that includes tooling for mechanical removal of material from a workpiece and a second station that includes processing equipment for creating non-mechanical dimensional change in said workpiece;
• locating said workpiece relative to one of said equipment stations by gripping said workpiece in a clamping structure;
• and
• processing said workpiece in said two stations successively, with transfer of said workpiece between stations without regripping of said workpiece with respect to said clamping structure.

Apparatus for performing compound fabrication steps on a workpiece, comprising:

• a processing machine having first and second stations for performing successive operations on said workpiece;
• one said station including tooling for mechanical removal of material from said workpiece;
• the other said station including processing equipment for creating dimensional change in said workpiece;
• said apparatus including a clamping structure for gripping said workpiece and indexing equipment for movement of the clamped workpiece between said stations such that processing of the workpiece at both stations can be performed without re-gripping of the workpiece in said clamping structure.