Since 2006, watchmakers and bar turners creating small and very precise short parts have been able to rely on the Micro8 turning machine from Tornos. Originally designed for creating shafts for hard disks, the very high level of precision offered by this machine quickly won over specialists from the watchmaking world. A new version is now on its way! With almost 200 machines installed with watchmaking suppliers in Switzerland (400 machines installed in total), this turning machine, which (…)

A machine tool becomes "quickly" obsolete, nevertheless its life can be extended and its performance improved by the installation of new equipment. The evolution of production and technological developments, make it a less competitive tool. It is not always possible to renew the machine pool and the overhaul and reconstruction of a machine may be the solution. Moreover this allows companies keeping tools, machine environment, structure and some components. Working from A to Z Only (…)

Braillon Magnetics invented and built the first Electro-Permanent magnetic chuck in 1963. Since then the E-P technology has evolved constantly, resulting in a range of very powerful, reliable and sturdy magnetic chucks for chip removal operations. Magnetic workholding for milling by Braillon Magnetics. Today, the most common EP technologies are Full demag system: energizing by a single current impulse; de-energizing by alternating current impulses resulting in a complete demagnetisation (…)

With an important specific weight of 19.3 kg/dm3, tungsten is used in watchmaking for the realization of oscillating weights, in medical where its density makes a much better insulation than lead and in aeronautics where its high resistance to heat (3200 degrees) makes it ideal for strategic functions. With more than 6.5 million oscillating weights produced each year, Zürcher Frères located in the small village of Les Bois (Jura/Switzerland) is partner of any Swiss watchmaker. Meeting with (…)

We continue the discovery of this new product from behind the scenes: how is its production organised to ensure the combination of constant quality, short lead times, a very good price for the customer, while also recognising ecological concerns? When we visited the MultiSwiss assembly, we were struck by the organisation and neatness prevailing in what is a genuine assembly line. The machines are mounted on carriages running on rails. There are 5 stages in the complete assembly of a (…)

Depending on countries, it is easier to find h11 quality bars than h7 or h8 dedicated to high precision turning (not to mention the price difference). To guide this material is not easy and to be able to rely on a very flexible guide bush that adapts to this type of material is very interesting. Walter Dünner presents a new four positions rotating unit. Meeting in Moutier with Daniel Dünner the director of the company. The DunnAir four position rotating unit is a pneumatic device developed (…)

Formerly Hahn & Kolb Switzerland SA, Zimmerli SA, now has about 20 employees based in the canton of Neuchâtel for Swiss customers. For some years the company has opened subsidiaries in France and Italy, where, more than reseller it is advisor and provider of tailor-made solutions. For 40 years the company has the habit to organize "demonstration days" twice a year. On these occasions, polyglot machine providers and sales engineers are present throughout the week to bring customers (…)

This year’s Chiron Open House will take place from Wednesday, April 25 to Friday, April 27, 2012, in Tuttlingen. With live machining demonstrations, the company will show a series of innovations for more productivity, shorter throughput times and greater resource efficiency. For the FZ 12 MT, simultaneous turning and milling is possible. That means halved throughput times and therefore doubled productivity. The new machines are the FZ 08 MT and the FZ 12 MT, which feature an integrated (…)

With more than 20 different models of machines, Emissa offers a range of products beyond those of many builders. Simultaneously, the company is renowned for developing tailored solutions to its customers. How to combine these two aspects? A free discussion with Mr. Pierre Boschi, director of the company, can be read in our next issue. M. Boschi presenting the basis of a machine being built for an automotive customer. If offering a wide range may appear contradictory with the (…)

When talking about machining, we often estimate that producing chips is paramount, but the evacuation out of the machines and treatment of chips remain operations for which little professionals are available. At the Siams, Rimann SA, the chip processing specialist will present Novaxess universal conveyors. I discussed with MM Eichler (Rimann) and Fouillot (Novaxess) at Simodec… the solutions I discovered are great. Customised and… Novaxess products approximately 300 conveyors per year. (…)