Graff-Pinkert has sold numerous brands of CNC Swiss Lathes for many years, including Citizen, Star, Hanwa, Tsugami and Tornos. 

 

Swiss-type lathes are often not actually made in Switzerland, such as Star, Citizen, and Tsugami which are manufactured in Japan, Hanhwa, which is produced in Korea, Manurhin which is produced in France, or Swistek which is produced in China. Tornos is the most famous of the Swiss machine producers actually from Switzerland.

 

The "Swiss" classification originated because these type of machines were first invented and utilized in Switzerland to produce small watch parts. Swiss machines are designed to produce, complex, precision parts, sometimes very small in diameter. Unlike conventional lathes where the part is stationary and the tool moves, a Swiss-type turning center allows the part to move in the Z-axis while the tool remains stationary. This is why "Swiss machines" are also classified as "Sliding Headstock Machines."

 

Although the Sliding Headstock process can produce parts with extremily tight tolorences, it is relatively slow so it is best used for low volumes of parts. For larger volumes of parts in the 10s of thousands, 100s of thousands, or millions, multi-spindle screw machines or rotary transfer machines such as Hydromats may be better options.