Swiss turning

Where it comes up

• Screw machine productsTurned pins, fittings, shafts, and bushings made from bar stock on multi-spindle and Swiss screw machines at volume.
• Production machining, turning, and sawingCNC milling, turning, and production sawing from bar, plate, castings, and forgings, from prototype to production.

Related terms

Screw machine

A screw machine is an automatic lathe that turns small, round parts from bar stock at high speed, with several tools cutting at once. Cam-driven multi-spindle machines make high-volume parts such as fittings and pins in seconds each, while CNC screw machines shorten setups for smaller lots.

CNC

CNC is computer numerical control, the use of programmed instructions to drive machine tool motion. CNC mills and lathes cut parts from solid stock to typical tolerances of ±0.005 in (±0.13 mm), and ±0.0005 in (±0.013 mm) on critical features. It suits prototypes and low-to-medium production.

Cycle time

Cycle time is the time needed to complete one full production cycle, such as one mold shot, one press stroke, or one machined part. It sets machine hours per part, so it is a primary input to piece price. In injection molding, cooling usually takes most of the cycle.