Swiss Machining
Sliding-headstock lathes for small, slender, high-precision components
Guide-bush lathes support the bar millimetres from the cutting edge, making it possible to hold ±0.005 mm on parts with length-to-diameter ratios that would deflect on a conventional lathe.
Slenderness without deflection
Medical-grade traceability
Cost that falls with volume
Why it works
Slenderness without deflection
The guide bush reacts cutting force millimetres from the edge, so 20:1 length-to-diameter parts stay round and straight down their full length.
Medical-grade traceability
Implant-adjacent work runs on material traceable to the melt, with lot segregation, cleanroom packing and documented cleaning validation available.
Cost that falls with volume
Above roughly 1,000 pieces Swiss turning is typically 40–60 % cheaper per part than milling the same geometry — we will tell you where your crossover point sits.
Process specification
| Bar capacity | 2 – 32 mm |
|---|---|
| Max part length | 300 mm |
| Diameter tolerance | ±0.005 mm |
| Axes | 7 – 9 CNC axes |
| L:D ratio | up to 20:1 |
| Surface finish | Ra 0.4 µm achievable |
Tighter tolerances than those listed are achievable on review — please mark critical dimensions on your drawing.
Why Swiss turning exists
On a conventional lathe the workpiece is cantilevered out of the chuck, and deflection grows with the cube of the unsupported length. A sliding-headstock (Swiss-type) lathe moves the bar through a guide bush positioned within a few millimetres of the tool, so the cutting force is reacted almost at the point of cut.
The practical consequence: parts with a length-to-diameter ratio of 20:1 or more can be turned to ±0.005 mm without steady rests or intermediate operations.
What we make on Swiss machines
Medical bone screws, dental abutments, catheter tips, electrical contact pins, miniature shafts, fittings and valve spools — anything small, slender and dimensionally critical.
Our Swiss cell runs 20-mm and 32-mm capacity machines with 7 to 9 axes, driven tooling, back-working spindles and high-pressure coolant. Complete parts, including cross holes, flats, hexagons and threads, come off the machine finished.
Volume economics
Swiss machining earns its setup cost on batch sizes above roughly 200 pieces, and becomes dramatically cheaper than milling at 1,000+ pieces. For prototypes below that threshold we will often quote mill-turn instead and tell you why.
Materials
316L and 17-4PH stainless, titanium Gr5 and Gr23, brass C360, phosphor bronze, PEEK and PTFE. Medical-grade material with full traceability to the melt is standard for implant-adjacent work.
Industries
Frequently asked
How quickly will I receive a quotation?
Most quotations are returned within 24 working hours. Simple turned or milled parts are often priced the same day; assemblies, multi-process jobs and requests requiring a material enquiry may take up to two working days. If a quotation will take longer, we tell you when to expect it rather than leaving you waiting.
What files do you need to quote?
A 3D model in STEP, Parasolid (X_T) or IGES is enough to start. Where the part carries tolerances tighter than ISO 2768-m, GD&T, surface finish callouts or thread specifications, please add a dimensioned 2D drawing as PDF or DWG. Telling us the quantity, material and required finish avoids a round of questions and usually gets the price back the same day.
Is there a minimum order quantity?
No. We machine single prototypes as readily as 20,000-piece releases. There is a minimum order value on very small jobs to cover setup and programming, which we state clearly in the quotation — there are no charges that appear later.
What actually drives the price of a machined part?
Four things, roughly in order: the number of setups, cycle time, material cost and the tightest tolerance on the drawing. A tolerance of ±0.01 mm where ±0.1 mm would function can add 30 % to the price, and a feature that forces a fourth setup can add more. Our quotations flag these drivers so you can decide whether the requirement is worth the cost.
Need this process for your part?
Send your drawing and we will confirm feasibility, cost and lead time.
- Reviewed by a manufacturing engineer
- NDA available before file exchange