Producing precision parts that are moderately complex and up to 20mm in diameter, a 'mirror image' CNC automatic has almost an equal number of tools for the main and counter spindle.

Tornos Technologies' new DECO 20s Swiss-type machine is targeted to medical, automotive, electronics, connector, and general manufacturing companies producing precision parts that are moderately complex and up to 20mm in diameter. 'The DECO 20s addresses a need in the marketplace for a versatile Swiss-type machine that sets up and produces parts quickly, and priced at under US$200,000, it also won't break the bank,' said Mark Saalmuller, Tornos' marketing and communications manager. This machine will be making parts at IMTS 2006 in Chicago.

According to the company, the DECO 20s is a 'mirror image' machine, having almost an equal number of tools available for both the main and counter spindle.

Both tool systems have three fully independent axes, for a total of six axes.

The company also refers to this versatile and flexible model as 'two lathes in one'.

The DECO 20s is the only machine in its range to have a counter spindle as powerful as the main spindle.

A total of 22 tool positions are available.

Quick-mount tooling reduces setup time.

The powered or 'live' tooling can perform milling and drilling operations in addition to turning, so that many parts can be completely produced in one setup.

Up to 15 different operations can be carried out on the 20s, such as internal and external turning, drilling along the axis, offset drilling, plus axial and cross milling, all on both spindles.

Further, special attachments can be added to perform operations such as thread whirling, polygon milling, etc Simplicity, power, versatility, and an excellent price-to-performance package are the primary benefits of this new offering from Tornos.

The cast iron frame imparts excellent stability and strength.

Ball screws and generously sizes linear guides provide fast movement without loss of accuracy.

An innovative shock absorbing system is another key element that contributes to the machine's rigidity.

'Because of the independent tool systems and spindles, operations can be overlapped to optimize cycle times,' said Saalmuller.

'Our customers are brilliant at grasping the concept and making it work to their profitable advantage.' Additional specifications include a maximum part length of 220mm (500mm possible).

Both the direct drive spindle and the counter-spindle offer power of 3.7kW (5.5 HP) and a maximum spindle speed of 10,000 rev/min.

The 20s features the popular Fanuc 30i control; programming software is via conventional ISO G-code or Tornos' dedicated TB-DECO.

CNC automatic lathes can now be equipped with a thread whirling attachment to cut single and/or double lead threads with high pitch angles of up to 24 deg on orthopedic components.

Some of the newer orthopedic screw designs feature single and/or double lead threads with high pitch angles of up to 24 deg. These high helix threads have considerably steeper pitch angles than in the past. Typically these high pitch threads had to be manufactured as a secondary operation after blanking on a 'Swiss' style machine.

This was due to a limitation in the pitch angle adjustment on the thread whirling attachment.

To meet this new market demand, Tornos is offering a new thread whirling device on its DECO series machines to produce these high angle bone screws efficiently, accurately, and in one setup.

The company will show the new thread whirling device on a DECO 20a, 10-axis multi-function turning center at IMTS 2006, in Chicago.

'The most efficient and economical way to make these 20-24 deg orthopedic screws is with our configuration of 10 independent axes with the new high angle thread whirling device,' said Mark Saalmuller, marketing and communications manager for Tornos.

'The part is supported while it is being whirled, which results in better accuracy, with burr-free results, and made completely in one setup.' The 20a, with bar capacity up to 20mm diameters (25.4mm optional), is offered with up to 12 axes (10 axes is standard).

The 20a provides up to 10,000 rev/min spindle speeds powered by a 5.5kW motor and will be shown equipped with a Tornos integrated bar loader.

The well-equipped, easy-access machine features a counter spindle and an interchangeable combination of 22 tools, 17 of which can be 'live' rotating tools for milling and drilling functions.

These multiple, independent axes allow up to four tools to cut simultaneously.

Users can opt for 12 axes with 'C' axis.

Programming is accomplished offline through the use of Tornos' patented TB-DECO software.

Users may also opt to program their DECO machine with PartMaker 'SwissCam' software.

A high precision, single-spindle Swiss-type multi-axis, multi-function turning machine accommodates 'moderately complex' parts up to 8mm and offers accuracies of +/-1 micron.

Tornos is introducing the new 'DECO 8sp' single-spindle Swiss-type multi-axis, multi-function machine at IMTS 2006. It will be making disk drive parts in booth A-8140 during the September 6-13 show in Chicago. This machine accommodates moderately complex parts up to 8mm.

This 'extreme' precision machine boasts accuracies of +/-1 micron.

This machine was initially developed for new markets in the electronics sector, particularly for mini disk parts for mobile IT units, however this machine is being applied for many other types of short parts requiring high precision in the watch, medical, automotive industries also.

Key specifications of the new DECO 8sp include spindle rev/min up to 15,000 powered by a 3.7kW motor.

Four tools serve the main spindle; up to six for the subspindle with up to seven 'live' tools - five for the main; two for the subspindle.

Programming can be accomplished with traditional ISO G-code or via Tornos' dedicated TB-DECO ADV program, which takes full advantage of the DECO's unique kinematics designed for speedy processing, which eliminates almost all non-productive time.

Machine tool specialist has a diverse range of high-performance Swiss automatic lathe workholding products - headstock collets, pickoff collets, carbide guide bushings and bar loader collets.

Keeping bar stock unmarked, holding small diameter bar stock on centre, holding thin-wall parts, ejecting parts and working with extruded bar shapes etc are all common workholding issues facing manufacturers of high-precision Swiss -turned parts. Market-leading machine tool and workholding specialist - Hardinge-Bridgeport - renowned worldwide for its Super-Precision technology solutions - has a diverse range of high-performance products (headstock collets, pickoff collets, carbide guide bushings and bar loader collets) - designed to overcome these problems - enabling customers achieve high accuracy and repeatability when machining small diameter parts for the medical and aerospace sectors. * Guide bushings - stringent quality approvals and in-depth performance checks on manufactured aerospace and medical parts - means that there is little room for error.

Marked or scuffed components which can affect part accuracy, surface finish, and surface integrity put demands on precision manufacturer's machine tools - and their workholding equipment.

Hardinge-Bridgeport's range of guide bushing solutions ensure the elimination of scrapped and sub-standard parts - which in turn helps manufacturers maintain productivity, better meet delivery times and control costs.

Hardinge-Bridgeport's guide bushings have a carbide lining to ensure that parts remain clean and unmarked.

Even for stock material that is not compatible with Carbide - Hardinge-Bridgeport has 'specially-designed and manufactured' solutions and provides bushings available in hardened steel or with Meehanite-linings.

Such be-spoke solutions also extend to bushings for D-shaped and extruded stock material too.

* Headstock and emergency collets - Hardinge-Bridgeport has designed a comprehensive range of extended-nose headstock collets to give customers extra flexibility and improved performance.

The collets feature increased nose length (flat or tapered) to enable pickoff work and/or to compensate for tooling interference.

And, like all Hardinge-Bridgeport collets - rigorous quality and accuracy checks and inspections (concentricity, run-out accuracy etc) are performed on each collet to make sure they are up to the job Sometimes when precision manufacturers don't have the right size collets in stock - an 'emergency' solution is required.

Hardinge-Bridgeport's 'Emergency' collets provide the answer.

They can be machined to the desired bore size by a customer and can be used to achieve small production runs until the standard collet arrives.

* Holding bar stock on centre - as every precision engineer knows - holding small diameter bar stock (more and more a requirement today for aerospace and medical component manufacture) is difficult to keep on centre - and, as a consequence, the ability to maintain part accuracy can be a casualty.

To help Hardinge-Bridgeport has designed a bushing that fits in the back end of a headstock collet that ensures reliable and repeatable on-centre feeding of bar stock.

This provision eliminates the problem of small diameter stock accidentally pushing through a slot and part quality being compromised.

* Pick-off collets - Hardinge-Bridgeport's ID gripping (custom expanding) pickoff collets are the solution for secure and safe holding of parts with delicate outside threads or thin walls - and can significantly reduce (even eliminate) the additional time and cost involved with secondary operations.

Hardinge-Bridgeport's collets have a built-in spring ejector that allows each part to drop into a basket or a conveyor - thereby automating production and increasing productivity.

Hardinge-Bridgeport has designed pickoff collets to be compatible with a number of machine tool manufacturer's machines - Citizen, Star, Tornos Deco, Tsugami, etc Hardinge-Bridgeport also designs and manufactures other high-performance 'special' Swiss-application collets that include stepped, tapered, chamfered, radius and off-center order, and over-the-shoulder options.

Said David Andrew, sales and marketing director at Hardinge-Bridgeport said: 'The business opportunities that exist for precision engineering companies in the aerospace and medical sectors - can only really be fully exploited if these companies have the very best technologies in place - and that quite clearly includes quality workholding equipment.

Contact machining company said it is able o program a Star CNC sliding-head lathe on the shop floor in half the time that it takes to program other makes of CNC sliding head automatics.

Ronnie Denton, works manager of contract machinists, NICC Precision, said he is able to program a Star sliding-head lathe on the shop floor in half the time that it takes to program other makes of 'slider' at their Bradford, UK, works. It is one of the main reasons that he has ordered a Star SV-32 for delivery in October 2006. He only has to prepare two programs, one for the main spindle and another for the opposed spindle, the two programs being easier to synchronise than the three that have to be written for 'sliders' (sliding head automatic lathes) requiring separate details for the turret movements.

Moreover, he can program the Star off-line on any PC using Windows Notepad, without the need for bespoke software.

The Star's Fanuc control synchronises the program after the data has been uploaded.

Great importance is placed on speed of programming because only three fifths of throughput at the Bradford factory is repeat work, so for the remainder of components, new programs have to be written.

Average batch size is only 300- to 500-off, and sometimes as low as 100-off, so it is essential to program quickly, as it often accounts for a high proportion of overall production time.

'The Fanuc control is more like the CNC you find on a fixed-head lathe, and is more user friendly,' commented Denton.

'In my opinion it is far ahead of other controls - it does exactly what you want it to do and it is very responsive to key strokes, unlike some other CNC systems.' NICC Precision is a user of fixed-head lathes for work over 32mm diameter, which accounts for about 20% of turning at the Bradford factory.

A typical production route for components might involve between three and five operations requiring manual intervention between each, including transfer to a machining centre.

Sliders, on the other hand, are able to produce similarly complicated parts in one hit practically every time, despite the average complexity of NICC Precision's jobs being 6 or 7 on a scale of 1 to 10.

Half of components machined requires dedicated back-end machining, not just de-pipping, and a similar proportion undergoes live tool work.

Denton added that without sliding-head technology, he would have to turn down many jobs he receives, as it would be uneconomic to turn and mill them conventionally.

Such components are now completely machined in typically the same time as it would take just to turn them on a 3-axis, fixed-head lathe.

It allows NICC Precision to offer a fast turnaround on orders, which is important in today's just-in-time manufacturing environment.

NICC was established over 20 years ago to serve the North Sea industry, although its first manufacturing facility, NICC Precision, is a relatively recent venture, having been formed in 2004 to bring some work in-house that was previously subcontracted.

The firm has since expanded its operations to encompass non-group work in the medical industry, which accounts for 40% of turnover, as well as in the instrumentation sector and in machine repair, where customers are especially appreciative of the fast service that NICC Precision can provide using its sliding-headstock lathes.

As a postscript, Denton commented that he was one of the first ever users of Star machines back in the late 1980s, when he was working at Schneider Electric, formerly Yorkshire Switchgear.

The three Star KNC lathes he operated there were later sold and all three machines are still producing parts today.

Schutte offers the most extensive lineup of Multispindle machines of any builder and the next generation of its CNC lineup is in production and will complement PC series machines.

Schutte offers the most extensive lineup of Multispindle machines of any builder. The next generation of our CNC lineup is in production and will complement our PC series machines. Schutte offers the most extensive lineup of Multispindle machines of any builder.

The next generation of our CNC lineup is in production and will complement our PC series machines.

In keeping with the Schutte tradition, these machines will be very fast with extreme precision - and built with the quality to assure return on your investment.

Our primary objective is to provide the manufacturing community with the most flexible lineup of production machines.

With Schutte CNC automatics you can pursue with confidence, the most difficult parts and materials with the kind of speed accuracy, and rigidity that is synonymous with our name.

Fully independent spindles and compound slides, linear technology, and tremendous backworking capability - all on a Schutte platform.

Both the PC and SC series machines will be on display.

The four-axis sliding headstock automatic lathe presented a dedicated user of cam automatics with a totally new perspective on machining flexibility and is now able to reset jobs in 2-3h.

Prior to installing the first Dugard Eagle 25 sliding headstock lathe that was available in the country at the end of 2005 managing director Paul Francis of Atlas Precision was a confirmed user of single spindle cam autos. Indeed, he is still making cams for his seven mechanically driven machines, but it seems their days could be numbered as he contemplates emptying a bag of 20,000 parts into his palm. The 1.27mm diameter by 2.5mm long parts featuring a 0.075mm spigot are produced from magnetic stainless steel and the batch is worth well over GBP 1,000.

But he maintained: 'I still have to second operation them on a capstan and that is simply not viable today even for a small company like us of five people.' Setting up the company in Sturminster Marshall, Dorset with the seven cam machines giving a capacity of 13mm diameter plus various other items of manual equipment, Francis was keen to enjoy 'being his own boss' and wanted to play golf at least once a week.

He had very little CNC experience and gradually, after employing a freelance salesman to give him more time to set and run the autos rather than interface with customers, he built up a customer base of 10 companies.

However, the downside was that it was taking a day to change over parts on the cam machines and the golf was really suffering.

Then, the chance to win a larger diameter component contract with an automotive related company got him thinking that perhaps newer technology had to be a better solution.

Checking out the sliding head machine market led to a bit of a shock to his planned investment budget and then a chance meeting with the C Dugard technical sales engineer led him to be able to go CNC in a cost-effective manner with a new sliding headstock Dugard Eagle 25.

The machine, with a starter tooling package, was going to cost less than a third of other machines he was considering.

With the contract won and with driven tools on the Eagle 25, Francis realised he was now in a totally different business.

The four-axis Dugard Eagle 25 was sold as a 'ready-to-run' package with an automatic three metre barfeed, parts-catcher and chip conveyor.

The servo-driven counterbalanced sliding headstock design had a maximum turning diameter of 26mm by 165mm long.

With up to 18 tool positions, axial and radial milling attachments, six stationary tools, as well as three driven tools for endworking and four driven tools for external features, Atlas Precision was presented with a totally new perspective on machining flexibility.

Suddenly he was able to reset in 2-3h, run unmanned overnight then go back to the factory after five to six hours to re-bar and check the condition of the tooling and parts.

He said: 'I also found I was able to run a stainless job in the day, breakdown and run brass through the night and change back to stainless.

Then, once I really got into understanding tool life and tolerance drift on jobs, I became confident to change tools before I went home and knew the machine would run for 12 hours or so unmanned, even on some of the stainless materials.

In around four months, I must have run 60 to 70 different jobs on that machine.' He was now producing parts in brass, bronze, plastics, mild and stainless steel, Tufnol and aluminium and so successful was the installation that within four months, the capacity of the Eagle 25 was filling up.

An order for 28,000 model train wheels in nickel silver, involving turning with radii, angles, back forming, drilling and broaching of internal grooves was won just before the MACH 2006 exhibition at the NEC in May, to be followed with an enquiry for 20,000 larger wheel sizes that were out of the capacity of the Eagle 25.

This prompted Francis to take a day out at the NEC with cheque book in hand to extend his capacity.

He said: 'After a few hours scouting, I ended up on the C Dugard stand deciding that the newly launched and larger capacity Eagle 32 best met my needs and budget.

Most importantly for me, this subspindle machine gave me the opportunity to move my business on again by providing 'single-hit' mill and turn complete cycles.

As I have common tooling and control systems I decided to sign up to have the show machine delivered from the stand.' The Eagle 32 has seven axes and carries 22 tools, of which seven are driven.

It has a three metre barfeed, chip conveyor and an outfeed conveyor and a Y-axis cross feed.

the Y-axis has enabled Paul Francis to mill flats giving an added bonus of no longer having to order hexagon bar.

Already, on some parts he has combined five to six separate operations into one cycle.

'This was work I would have previously declined because of the cost and time to tool up even when using simple jigs and fixtures.

Now parts come from the machine into the wash and are packed with no risk of marking or damage.

What also makes it easier for me is that I know the relative position of different features is correct due to the single operation.' Even though the Eagle 32 has not been installed for very long, using the subspindle requires different thought patterns to lay down the best method for a job.

Following training on the Eagle 25 most of the jobs being set simply involve modifying existing programs at the machine control.

Francis cannot believe the transition of his business and he is fascinated by what can be achieved at the machine.

Is he planning to spend more time on the golf course?

Not yet.

'I want to stay small and enjoy the business and a bit later possibly take on a machine setter.

These cam machines have served me well but it has to be CNC for the future of the business,' he maintained.

UK sub-contract precision turned parts maker looked at leading Swiss and Japanese CNC automatic lathes but it was ease of set-up and accessibility that determined a Swiss machine.

Like many UK sub-contract manufacturers of precision turned parts, Edmonton-based Turnomatic is steadily diversifying away from volume production. Formed 50 years ago to supply batch quantities of up to 1 million to the electrical plug and socket industry using coil-fed rotary transfer machines, the past five years have seen the company gradually move towards far lower batch sizes of more complex components produced using CNC sliding head technology from Tornos. The CNC aspect of Turnomatic's business has grown from zero to 45% in recent years; a fact that works manager Ray Reeve says would not be possible without the introduction of CNC sliding head lathes.

'We looked at all of the leading Swiss and Japanese models but in the end it was the ease of set-up and accessibility that convinced us to purchase Tornos,' he explained.

'Add that to their reputation and brand name and we knew we could not go far wrong.' Reeve said that having a large working envelope is crucial in order to achieve rapid changeover and set-up.

'On certain sliding head machines it is not always easy for an operator to get his hands in and set-up for the next job easily.

When handling batch sizes of around 100, quick changeover is vital to profitability.

Tornos was by far the best option for us in this respect.' In 2001 Turnomatic acquired its first Tornos CNC single spindle automatic sliding headstock lathe - a Deco 13a, 10-axis reconditioned model.

Such was the impression made by this machine that the company subsequently embarked on a period of intense investment, purchasing a further four Tornos machines in the following two years: two Deco 13bi models and two Deco 20/26 variants.

'Components that were produced on the rotary transfer machines we can now do in one-hit on the Tornos machines,' said Reeve.

'This has cut our set-up times dramatically, as well as our work-in-progress (production inventory) - we can just turn and ship the parts.' The Deco machines work daily producing a wide variety of parts from brass, steel, phosphor bronze and aluminium for industries such as the electrical, electronic, display and modelmaking sectors.

Overnight the machines are often set and left to run 'lights out', something Mr Reeve says he can do with confidence, safe in the knowledge the machines will hold tolerances of 0.02mm consistently.

He adds that costing a job when it is run unmanned has a huge effect on competitiveness.

Tornos also got praise from Reeve for its level of applications support.

'Even though programming is exceptionally straightforward on the Deco machines, when we have had highly complex parts and asked for applications advice, Tornos engineers have always been more than prepared to help,' he stated.

'I have often congratulated them on that side of their business.' Reeve concluded by emphasising the importance of investment in the latest technology.

'Investment is critical to remain competitive,' he said.

'I can honestly say that our five Tornos machines have helped attract around 50% of the new orders we have secured in recent years.'