L-Series Citizen launched at MACH 2010 with up to 32 tools

The L-series follows the trend set by Citizen, in the K- and A-series, to eliminate losses due to idle time in a machining cycle and such has been the achievement, that on production trials typical idle time reduction, against the previous generation, has averaged 35 per cent and, in some cases, up to 60 per cent. The L20E has a 20 mm capacity by 200 mm machining length, has a 3.7 kW, 10,000 rpm main and 1.5 kW, 8,000 rpm subspindle. It has the capability to carry up to 32 tools, of which 22 can be driven by 1 kW, 50,000 rpm motors. The rapid traverse rate is now 32 m/min in each axis which has proven to be significant in the success of the Citizen A-Series machine. Important features that are major contributors to minimise losses, due to non-cutting actions, revolve around the CNC control that employs the latest version of the Streamline dynamic software, developed by Citizen. Streamline control enables independent management of the two-axis ganged rotary tool post, opposed tool holder and back rotary tool holder, to gain advantage from overlapped movements such as driving the next tool into position as the previous tool retracts. Direct spindle indexing eliminates any designated steps to stop, reference and index the spindle, with significant improvements in acceleration and deceleration. Greater machine setting flexibility helps raise machine utilisation, satisfy the trend to smaller batch sizes and the worldwide drive to produce a component from bar, in a single cost-effective cycle.