Swiss machines or Swiss Screw machines were first developed in Switzerland to make the intricate small parts for Swiss watches, the precision components that gave Swiss watches their reputation for top of the line quality and accuracy. Today most CNC Swiss Screw machines are made in Japan, Citizen – an industry leader.
CNC or computer numerical controlled Swiss Machines, are unlike their cam operated predecessors. The computer controlled lathe has a sliding headstock that holds the bar stock and rotates it at 1000 to 10000 RPM. A collet in the headstock clamps the material and feeds it through a guide bushing. The material is held tightly enough that it can slide through the bushing, but not flex away from the cutting tools, resulting in precise machining. The headstock moves the material back and forth across multiple axes, as the cutting tools move in and out to create the desired profile. Multiple processes, including milling, turning, drilling, and tapping can be completed in one operation.
The Citizen CNC Swiss sliding headstock technology, along with the guide bushing that provides support for the material, prevents vibration and eliminates the need to reposition material for multiple operations. As a result, our Citizen CNC Swiss machines can produce components from 0.25 mm (0.010”) to 32mm (1.250”) in diameter with tolerances to plus or minus .0025mm (0.0001”). This precise machining also produces fine surface finishes, without the need for additional tumbling or polishing.
For our customers, this means that AW Screw precision components meet all the required specifications and tolerances, consistently from lot to lot.
Our automatic bar stock loaders maximize the efficiency of our Citizen CNC Swiss machines. The bar stock can be automatically loaded into the machine, allowing our operators to focus on quality control and operations, rather than constantly attending to reloading bar stock. These efficiencies are passed on to our customers through cost savings, especially in the case of large production runs.
Our Citizen CNC Swiss machines, CINCOM L32, CINCOM A16, CINCOM L20, are capable of machining even the most challenging materials:
aluminum
plastic (polycarbonate, Teflon, Delrin)
carbon steel
stainless steel
nickel
copper/brass
titanium
and others
Our components are used in a variety of industries including:
communications
electronics
oil and gas
military
medical/dental
photography
automotive
tool manufacturing
