SWISS TURNING: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW from dsfsdf's blog

When it comes to turning small, high precision parts, swiss machining servicesis a specialized process used for this purpose. Known variously as the Swiss Screw machine, Swiss Automatic machine, and Sliding Headstock machine, the Swiss Screw machine was invented in Switzerland in the nineteenth century to make it easier to mass produce the miniature screws required to support the rapidly expanding watch industry. It outperforms traditional "fixed headstock" lathes in terms of precision and accuracy, which is especially important as parts become smaller.

Traditional lathes function by firmly holding the work piece at one or both ends, depending on the model. In addition, as the part rotates, the tools will be brought into and out of contact with the workpiece in order to remove material along the entire length of the part. Swiss Screw machines are designed to spin and slide axially through a guide bushing while the bar of material is being machined. The tools are attached to the face of the guide bushing with a nut and bolt. Instead of the traditional lathe where the tool's force is exerted on the part far away from where the machine supports it, the Swiss lathe exerts its force right where the material emerges from the bushing. This results in a more accurate and consistent finish on the part. Because of this ingenious design, the effects of tool force on the part are kept to a bare minimum, allowing for significantly higher levels of precision. Under normal circumstances and assuming that all parts are of the same size and material, parts machined on a Swiss Screw machine will deflect and vibrate less during machining than those machined on an ordinary lathe. The advantages of the Swiss CNC Machining process over the traditional lathe become more apparent as the size of the parts gets smaller. Swiss type parts are typically less than 1 14 inch (32 mm) in diameter, with the majority of them being less than 3 14 inch (16 mm) in diameter. Furthermore, the Swiss CNC Machining industry was built around the ability to produce components in large quantities at a low cost.

When Swiss lathes were first introduced in the 19th century, they were belt-driven, mechanically cam-controlled machines that were primarily used for the production of miniature watch screws. As we move forward into the twenty-first century, the most recent Swiss lathes are fully CNC-controlled, with an array of additional capabilities such as milling and even laser cutting available to them. It is still possible to find the parts that they manufacture in the movements of fine automatic watches, but they can also be found in hydraulic valves for heavy construction equipment, implants for medical devices, miniature connectors in electronics, and even posts in musical instruments such as flutes and clarinets. The modern Swiss Screw machine takes the technological breakthrough that was achieved more than 160 years ago and refines it to meet the needs of all areas of 21st century manufacturing, including aerospace and defense.