Tornos’s sexy new lathe arrives in UK

The machine has been working at Swiss pre-launch customer Krattiger for more than a year. In January, the company was reported to be satisfied with the machine's performance producing large numbers of watch parts (click here to read story). The 4 mm capacity machine has a frontal design for easy access to the machining area. The graphic tablet displays all the basic production data (workpieces, products, machine, bar changeover, fleet monitoring). At a glance, the operator can access all the data for a specific machine or for a whole fleet of machines. With a footprint of 1,800 by 650 by 1,600 mm (X, Y and Z) and a maximum workpiece diameter of 4 mm, the Swiss Nano incorporates an X1/Y1 tooling platen with seven turning tools with maximum shank dimensions of 8 by 8 mm. The 1 kW induction motorised spindle and counter-spindle are both capable of a maximum speed of 16,000 rpm. Furthermore, the machine offers fixed, rotating and guide-bushless operation. The SwissNano includes a precision tool setting system using a sensor and feeler probe, with the aim of this being to provide a user-friendly system able to position the tools to within 3 to 8 micron, according to bar diameter, Tornos says. Although designed for watchmaking, Tornos Technologies UK says that in the UK it envisages the SwissNano also being used for the production of small connectors and in the electronics industry.