Swiss Turn Machining

Swiss lathe originated in Switzerland and are primarily used for machining bar stock with diameters ranging from 1mm to 32mm (though larger sizes exist but are less common). They are widely applied in industries such as instruments, gauges, watches, cameras, home appliances, medical devices, hardware, telecommunications electronics, and automotive, aerospace, and military sectors.

Swiss turn machining is an advanced manufacturing process that can produce high-precision components. It is suitable for machining small parts and cover the shortage of other lathes and milling-turning centers in processing such small parts.

This machining method involves operating a lathe controlled by a CNC unit, where the lathe rotates the part in radial motion while cutting. Swiss turn machiningis the capability to change multiple different milling tools, enabling it to quickly complete the different machining of workpieces.

Masion specializes in Swiss turn machining focused primarily on micro-sized parts with diameters ranging from 1mm to 4mm. It can also handle complex B-axis milling and eccentric applications with diameters up to 26mm. It offers functions such as drilling, boring, knurling, turning, and milling, as well as external thread cutting, tapping, rolling, and single-point threading. Swiss turn machining can process various materials, including stainless steel, titanium alloys, high-temperature alloys, aluminum, and even plastics. Our machines are also equipped with automatic loading capabilities for high-volume production.

Working Principle of Swiss turn machining

The working principle of a Swiss lathe involves the rotation of the main spindle (C-axis) and movement along the Z-axis, as well as the coordinated movement of the tool turret along the Z/X/Y axes for product machining. The cutting tools in a Swiss lathe remain in a fixed position and perform machining operations by the combined movement of the main spindle along the Z-axis and the rotation of the C-axis.The guide bushing is used to securely hold the required bar material and transport it to the tooling area for machining. The sturdy support provided by the guide bushing ensures that the bar material enters the machining area safely and accurately, enabling stable and precise machining. This unique mechanism makes the Swisstype machine play an important role in industrial production.A spring collet inside the main spindle through-hole clamps the bar stock and rotates synchronously with the spindle. In the case of Swiss lathe with a guide bushing, the guide bushing provides support at the front end of the bar stock, allowing for stable longitudinal cutting. Radially distributed tools can move radially (relative to the machine’s X and Y-axis directions) to perform radial cutting. The main spindle box can move longitudinally (i.e., in the Z-axis direction of the machine) to accomplish longitudinal cutting.

In traditional lathes, the workpiece is typically fixed at one or both ends and undergoes cutting operations through rapid rotation. However, Swiss lathes differ in that the workpiece not only rotates but also moves along another Z-axis. Additionally, Swiss lathes feature a tool turret that allows for the interchange of different tools to perform milling operations on the workpiece. Furthermore, Swiss lathes are capable of machining the workpiece at different positions, whereas conventional lathes can only perform single-point machining at one position at a time.

Although Swiss lathes are commonly used for machining high-precision and high-value screws, they are actually more widely employed for machining complex components such as various motor shafts, valve cores, and bone screws.The flexibility of Swiss lathe machinings allows them to meet various machining requirements and play a significant role in precision manufacturing.