Swiss Turning

Swiss turning produces high-precision small-diameter parts by machining bar stock with a sliding headstock and guide bushing for superior support.

Overview

Swiss turning (Swiss lathe machining, sliding headstock) machines parts from bar stock while the material is supported close to the cut by a guide bushing. That support minimizes deflection, so it holds tight tolerances and good finish on long, slender features and small diameters. Most work runs with bar feeders for lights-out production and consistent cycle times.

Choose Swiss turning for high-volume or repeat production of small, complex turned components—especially parts with L/D ratios that would chatter or bend in standard turning. It’s strong on concentricity, tight OD/ID control, and fine details on medical, electronics, and instrument hardware.

Tradeoffs: higher setup/programming effort, limited bar diameter, and feature constraints driven by tooling stations and cut-off/part handling. If the part needs large prismatic milling, big diameters, or frequent one-off changes, cost and complexity rise quickly.

Common Materials

  • Stainless Steel 316L
  • Stainless Steel 303
  • Aluminum 6061
  • Brass C360
  • Titanium Grade 5
  • PEEK

Tolerances

±0.0005" to ±0.002"

Applications

  • Bone screws and surgical instrument components
  • Hydraulic or pneumatic spool valves
  • Electrical connector pins and contacts
  • Watch and instrument shafts
  • Micro fasteners and standoffs
  • Fuel injector and nozzle components

When to Choose Swiss Turning

Swiss turning fits small to medium diameter bar-stock parts needing tight tolerances, strong concentricity, and stable machining on long, slender geometries. It’s a good match for repeat production where setup amortizes across batches and bar-fed automation drives piece price down. It also works well when surface finish and dimensional consistency matter more than raw material utilization.

vs 2-Axis CNC Turning

Choose Swiss turning when the part is slender (high L/D), has small diameters, or needs tight control without deflection-induced taper or chatter. The guide bushing support and sliding headstock hold size and finish more consistently on long features and tiny IDs.

vs Manual Lathe

Choose Swiss turning when you need repeatability, documented process control, and production efficiency on small turned parts. Swiss programs and bar feeding deliver consistent dimensions across lots that are difficult to maintain manually.

vs Mill-turn (Live Tooling)

Choose Swiss turning when most features are turned and the key risk is deflection or concentricity on small diameters. Swiss machines can still do cross holes and light milling, but they excel when the part is primarily rotational with fine details and long reach features.

vs Multi-spindle Turning

Choose Swiss turning when you need flexibility for mixed part families, frequent engineering changes, or complex features that benefit from CNC control. Multi-spindle shines on very high volumes of simpler geometry; Swiss is typically better for precision complexity and changeover agility.

Design Considerations

  • Keep diameters within standard bar sizes and call out acceptable bar stock tolerance or provide pre-turned stock if critical
  • Avoid very thin walls on long sections; use supported IDs, add wall thickness, or shorten unsupported length to reduce chatter and out-of-round
  • Dimension critical features from a consistent datum and specify concentricity/runout where it matters instead of over-tolerancing every diameter
  • Minimize tiny undercuts and nonstandard groove forms; use standard grooving tools and radii whenever possible
  • Provide clear callouts for surface finish and edge breaks on tiny features; deburring expectations drive process and inspection time
  • If cross holes or milled flats are required, size them to standard tool diameters and allow realistic corner radii to reduce cycle time