Swiss screw machining is a process by which a component or part is shaped by spinning and shaving using a Swiss screw machine. It is primarily used to manufacture metal components for a variety of industries.
How Swiss Screw Machines Work
A Swiss screw machine is a type of automatic lathe that operates by rapidly spinning a material and shaving it down to a desired shape and size. As the material spins, cutting tools are brought into contact with it, slowly shaving it down and forming it into the desired shape. Thanks to their design that mitigates unnecessary force and vibration throughout the machining process, Swiss screw machines allow for more precision than traditional lathes.
Today, the majority of Swiss screw machines are guided using computer numerical control, or CNC, and are used to machine precise components for industries that cannot afford to experience the effects of faulty parts, such as the aerospace, health care, and computer industries.
Types of Swiss Screw Machines
Swiss screw machines come in two styles: Turret and Swiss; both of these types can be guided by CNC, or they can be operated by a human. The two differ in their structure and origin.
Turret Style
Turret style screw machines, which are also referred to as Brown and Sharpe for their original manufacturers, have a vertical ram that moves towards the lathe. They generally come equipped with a transfer attachment that automatically transfers the machined part to a secondary location where it can be further machined, which can help its operator save time when machining multiple parts at once.
Swiss Style
Swiss style screw machines, which are named for Switzerland where they originate, mount the material to be machined on a rotary slide. They have about the same output as turret style screw machines.
CNC Swiss Screw Machines
The advent of the computer brought about an unprecedented change in how Swiss screw machines operate. Previously, they had to be closely controlled by an operator, requiring much more tooling and monitoring. Today, Swiss screw machines can be controlled by CNC, allowing more precise components to be machined than before, and at a faster rate, too. They also can have multiple spindles for increased precision and productivity.
Advantages of Swiss Screw Machines
The greatest advantage of Swiss screw machining is the ability to machine a high volume of the same part in a short amount of time. This increases the total number of the parts produced in a given period of time compared to other methods, while also lowering the cost to produce said parts. Additionally, the parts produced through Swiss screw machining showcase a perfect surface finish.
Swiss screw machines’ compact design ensures that space is not wasted, since all parts and tools on the machine (of which it can hold 20) are in close proximity. Swiss screw machines can also perform secondary operations, such as sawing, milling, or drilling.
In addition, the setup time for Swiss screw machines is relatively short, and using CNC Swiss screw machines allow one operator to supervise multiple machines at once.
Precision Screw Machining by Associated Fastening
At Associated Fastening, we have the equipment needed to fabricate machine quality components in a short amount of time. We are ISO 9001:2008 certified and serve a variety of industries, such as the agriculture, automotive, aerospace, electronics, healthcare, and pneumatics industries.
Materials
We can work with the following materials:
- Aluminum
- Brass
- Carbon Steel
- Copper
- Plastic
- Monel
- Nickel
- Nylon
- Stainless Steel
- Titanium Alloy
Secondary Operations
Our machines offer the following secondary operations in addition to traditional screw machining:
- Assembly
- Ballizing
- Broaching (internal and external)
- Burnishing
- Coining
- Drilling
- Grinding (centerless and double disc)
- Honing
- Knurling
- Lapping
- OD/ID grinding
- Slotting
- Tapping
- Thread rolling
At Associated Fastening, we believe educating our staff and providing them with the proper materials and equipment is the best way to produce quality parts and components for our clients.
With a proven track record encompassing 30 years, we have the necessary experience, equipment, and customer service skills to satisfy all of your machining needs. For more information on our precision screw machining services, including Swiss screw machining and CNC screw machining, please contact us today.