subject: Sliding Head Lathes Are Accurate And Cost Effective [print this page] Sliding head lathes are a key component of sliding head machining and there are a number of good reasons you should consider them for your business.
Originally they were used to produce the small components found in watches but are now used extensively for a wide range of manufacturing tasks across the globe.
One of the key benefits of sliding head lathes is the excellent accuracy they provide, enabling your cuts to be made down to less than a millimetre. This also means that less time often no time is needed to be spent on grinding because the finish is superb.
Like all businesses, profitability is going to be your key concern and because sliding head lathes make things quicker and more accurate, companies often find that they can conduct more work each hour using this technology rather than conventional turning machines.
Naturally, the cost to purchase sliding head lathes is greater than turning machines but replacement part prices are lower.
If your business makes machine parts which are complex in their structure then do not despair, three sliding head lathes can be set up to work simultaneously, slashing cycle times but not compromising on the quality of the finish.
And that's not all. Unlike other machine parts it is not necessary to pay someone to stand and watch them work. If your business needs to turn work around quickly then you can leave the sliding head lathes running unattended through the night and still be confident that the end result will remain the same.
Setting up is easy also. They can be fitted quickly and set into motion immediately. Programming is straight to the point and requires the minimum level of time and fuss.
Cannock-based firm Key Precision is one company which has felt the benefit of the technology. Managing director Neil Dawson purchased a brand new Citizen L32 CNC sliding head lathe in 2004 when the firm was based in his shed.
Now the company has ten lathe machines and is on course to turn over more than 2.4 million this year.
