Swiss machining: the process of choice for manufacturing "small, precise and difficult" parts

When you think of Swiss machining, you must think that the term is related to the country of Switzerland. Yes, the Swiss lathe was originally developed to meet the Swiss watch industry's demand for ultra-high precision and tiny parts. Now it is a fairly versatile machine that can produce small, slender and complex parts.

In this article, we will explain what Swiss machining is, what are the advantages of Swiss machining, the structural composition of Swiss machine tools, what role each part plays in cutting, what is the difference from traditional CNC machining, and what are the application areas of Swiss machining.

⏩ What is Swiss machining? Reasons for the development of Swiss CNC machining

Swiss machining is an advanced subtractive manufacturing method that usually focuses on the production of small, complex and slender parts. The technology is one of the most effective processes today because it is accurate and there is little material waste during the production process. Swiss machine tools have developed to the present and are known for their excellent precision because they can process at the micron level and are suitable for manufacturing high-precision parts.

Tool system of a Swiss-type lathe

Fields that require Swiss machining usually have strict tolerance requirements for parts, such as high-tech products, emerging electronic products, precision medical equipment, etc. The advancement of Swiss machining technology is also based on the promotion of certain market demand.

With the development of modern high-tech industries, especially the IT industry, the emerging manufacturing industry represented by the computer industry has increasingly developed its parts in the direction of small size, light weight and high precision, and the use of special materials is also increasing. This processing demand characterized by "small, precise and difficult" is a new challenge to the manufacturing industry, and Swiss machining is the subtractive manufacturing process that meets this challenge. It is also called Swiss CNC machining, because modern Swiss-type lathes have advanced CNC systems that can fully realize automated control and precise machining.

⏩ Advantages of Swiss machining

Swiss CNC machining has become synonymous with precision manufacturing with its high precision, high efficiency, high automation and excellent quality. The following is a specific introduction to its advantages:

High part precision and excellent surface quality

Swiss CNC machining provides good support for the workpiece during machining, which can reduce tool deflection and vibration, ensure that the machined parts have extremely high dimensional accuracy, the error can be controlled at the micron level, and the surface quality is also excellent.

Close-up image of the internal structure of a modern Swiss lathe

Highly efficient and automated features

At the same time, Swiss processing technology integrates the high efficiency and automation characteristics of CNC technology. Swiss lathes are equipped with high-speed spindles and fast tool change systems, which can greatly improve production efficiency, especially suitable for mass production of complex parts.

Wide range of materials

In terms of material adaptability, it can efficiently process difficult-to-cut materials such as stainless steel and titanium alloys. Combined with multi-axis linkage and complex surface processing capabilities, it can greatly reduce the problems of unstable cutting, tool vibration, and workpiece-tool adhesion of traditional lathes.

Good consistency of parts

After programming, Swiss CNC machine tools can effectively manufacture the same parts without any differences. CNC automation technology prevents human errors and ensures consistency in mass production, making it an excellent choice for manufacturing precision parts.

Save money

First, because the parts processed by Swiss machine tools rarely or never need to be reworked for secondary processing due to dimensional deviations, from this perspective, it saves processing costs.

Second, it can minimize material waste. Even in the rough processing stage, there is no need to remove a lot of material. Because Swiss machine tools are mainly for the processing of small parts, Swiss processing also has economic advantages.

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⏩ What are the main structures of Swiss lathes? What is the difference from traditional CNC lathes?

The main structure of Swiss lathes:

Standard tool structure of a Swiss-type lathe

Swiss lathes usually refer to Swiss-type longitudinal lathes, also known as core-type lathes. Their structure mainly includes core components such as bed, spindle box, tool holder system, feeding system, sub-spindle, hydraulic system, cooling and lubrication system. These core components will work closely together to complete the cutting movement of the workpiece. The following is an explanation of the Swiss machine tool processing process:

One of the distinguishing features of Swiss machine tools from traditional lathes is the design of the sliding spindle box. Instead of keeping the workpiece in a fixed position, the spindle box moves the workpiece material when the spindle is running.

The workpiece is pushed from the rear end of the spindle to the processing area through the feeding system, and the tool holder cuts at a fixed position. After the processing is completed, the workpiece is connected to the sub-spindle to continue the subsequent process.

Due to this movement, the machine can easily and accurately cut slender and thin parts.

In addition, the function of the hydraulic system is to drive the tool holder to quickly change tools and clamp, and the function of the cooling system is to efficiently remove chips and cool down. The structure of the entire Swiss machine tool is compact and highly integrated.

The difference from traditional CNC lathes is significant:

Traditional CNC lathes mostly adopt a horizontal layout, with a fixed spindle and the tool holder moving along the X/Z axis, which is suitable for processing shorter or disc-like parts; while the design of the Swiss lathe's spindle movement makes it good at processing slender shafts with a large aspect ratio. The coordination of the spindle, sub-spindle and feeding system can

reduce the overhang of the workpiece, thereby reducing the risk of deformation of slender parts.

In addition, the Swiss lathe is equipped with a sub-spindle to achieve "relay processing", which can complete multiple processes on a single machine tool, with a higher degree of automation and significantly improved efficiency.

Structurally, the Swiss lathe's feeding system and sub-spindle linkage are its unique advantages, while traditional CNC lathes rely on independent clamping and tool changing processes, which are more suitable for single-piece or small-batch production. The two have different focuses on precision, rigidity, applicable scenarios and maintenance complexity. The former is biased towards precision batches, while the latter takes into account versatility and flexibility.

⏩ Application areas of Swiss processing technology

Swiss processing technology, with its high precision, high efficiency and strong adaptability, has shown its application value for fine, small and difficult parts in many fields.

In the medical device industry

Swiss processing technology is used to manufacture micro-complex parts such as artificial joints and implants to meet the requirements of high precision and high quality.

Electronics industry

Swiss processing technology is used to produce components such as connectors and pins to meet the challenges of product miniaturization and complexity.

Aerospace field

The aerospace field has a very high demand for high-precision and complex geometric parts. Swiss processing technology plays a key role in this field, processing difficult-to-process materials such as titanium alloys and aluminum alloys.

Automotive industry

This industry also benefits from Swiss processing technology, which is used to manufacture small and complex components to improve automotive performance and safety.

High-tech industry

With the development of technology, the application of Swiss processing technology in emerging industries such as new energy vehicles and semiconductor equipment is also expanding. These precision parts are driving the progress of the manufacturing industry.

Summary

Swiss machine tools have unique internal structures, such as sliding spindle boxes, sub-spindles that realize "relay processing", multi-tool tool holder systems, etc., which are better than traditional CNC lathes, especially for "small, fine, and difficult" parts. For those who need these parts, after reading this article, you should know what process your parts should be processed by. Then the next question is how to choose a processing manufacturer and how to process them. We are very happy to help you solve the problems related to Swiss processing. Welcome to consult our Xavier engineers, you will get professional answers.