BOTH JAPAN AND EUROPE ARE AHEAD OF THE UNITED STATES IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF JUST-IN-TIME (JIT) MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES. MUCH OF THE FUTURE OF U.S. MANUFACTURING RESTS WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS POWERFUL MANUFACTURING PHILOSOPHY. THE WAY EQUIPMENT IS POSITIONED ON THE SHOP FLOOR AND THE PROCEDURES USED FOR TOOL MANAGEMENT, PART SCHEDULING, AND SET UP ARE CRITICAL FOR A SUCCESSFUL JIT OPERATION. MANUFACTURERS ARE REARRANGING THEIR PLANT FLOORS TO SET UP MACHINE CELLS IN THEIR EFFORTS TO CARRY OUT JIT. IN DOING THIS, THEY ARE DISCOVERING THAT THE TURRET PUNCH PRESS IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT FOR JIT MANUFACTURING.