The Swiss Screw Machine was initially developed in the late 1800’s to create high precision, subminiature watch parts at a rate faster than could be done manually. The quality of the watch was the direct result of the high precision that was built into its components. Today, Swiss screw machines use that high precision capability in much more diversified applications. Swiss screw machine parts can be found in almost any industry including aerospace, medical/dental, automotive, electronic and mechanical to name just a few.
Swiss Screw Machining Today
Today, Swiss machining uses either a traditional cam-operated or a CNC machine to produce sophisticated, tight tolerance components with a high surface finish. Many materials can be used in Swiss screw machining including brass, aluminum, nickel, bronze, copper, titanium, steel, and stainless steel. Many plastics, such as Delrin, Peek and Nylon can also be turned on a Swiss screw machine.
CNC vs Cam
All of our Swiss machines provide high precision, but both traditional and modern methods provide for different benefits depending on our customers' needs.
A CNC machine is controlled by a computer that tells the cutting tools when and where to move in order to cut into a fast-rotating bar of material fed through the back of the machine.
An old-school cam-driven machine does the same but without a computer. Instead, a complex mechanical arrangement of moving shafts, carefully orchestrated by the machinist, powers the movement and timing of the cutting tools. Often dubbed "magical", this process of creating an algorithm from metal and oil is something like the national art form of Switzerland and is still hugely valuable today for the production of high-precision parts in high volumes.
Benefits of Swiss Screw Machining
Swiss screw machining is ideal for parts that require precision and accuracy. CNC machines are perfect for the most complex parts, while cam machines are often utilized when high-volume production is needed. For even higher-volume, we have multi-spindle machines which can make more than one part at once. Whether you need 1,000 pcs of a highly-complex stainless steel medical component or 1 million brass electronic pins, we have the right Swiss machine for the job.