'Streamline Machining' is a major factor influencing faster cycle times, by reducing the non-cutting elements, giving improved flexibility and introducing features to assist unmanned running.

'Streamline Machining' will be the focus depicted at NC Engineering of Watford's MACH 2006 display of the latest technology from Citizen for producing components up to 32mm diameter on CNC sliding head turn/mill centres or 42mm through the Citizen Boley fixed-head machine range. By the start of the exhibition there will be more than 1,000 Citizen machine installations in the UK demonstrating the significant market-leading position in producing largely single-cycle operations involving combinations of turning and milling tasks. One of the major reasons for Citizen's world-leading success in this sector is the continuous development strategy that saw almost the entire range of its machines either updated with significantly improved specifications or the introduction of totally new models during 2005.

Here 'Streamline Machining' has proven to be a major factor influencing faster cycle times, by reducing in particular the non-cutting elements, giving improved flexibility and further features introduced to assist unmanned running.

In short, Streamline Machining is delivering the opportunity to obtain a massive 30% reduction in cycle times on the new machines against the same programs already well-proven on a previous generation machine.

The NC Engineering stand will have six of its high technology machines on demonstration plus Citizen's latest Cool Blaster III 2,000 lb/in2 high pressure coolant system, a new CNC editor and a demonstration of palletised unloading.

Five of the six machines will be shown for the first time at a UK exhibition.

The recently introduced and very competitively priced Citizen K-Series sliding head lathe available in 12mm and 16mm bar sizes; the best-selling L20-VIII now even faster than ever with customers benefiting from up to 40% quicker cycles; the top of the range M32-V with the added bonus of three-tool simultaneous cutting and the flexibility of two Y-axis cross-feeds to the turret and toolslide, will all be producing features on components in single 'one-hit' cycles.

Linear slide technology will be demonstrated on the Citizen R07 with high speed cycling and 16,000 rev/min, ceramic spindle bearings producing parts up to 7mm diameter to extremely close tolerances while on the fixed head 42mm, Boley BE42-Y with twin driven-tool turrets, and Y-axis will be showing three tool simultaneous cutting.

Major elements of the Streamline Machining package include a vastly improved control system software able to help shorten non-productive times, and handle up to five-axis simultaneous machining and a 30% increases in motor power for the servo drives.

Rapid traverse rates are up to 32m/min with simultaneous movements created through shockless acceleration and deceleration curves and acceleration improvements of up to a factor of 1.6 for each axis with overlapped axis movements further reduce lost time.