Swiss machining from independent machine shops
Small-diameter, slender, high-precision turned parts run in volume on sliding-headstock (Swiss) lathes. A guide bushing supports the bar right at the tool, so long thin parts hold size without deflecting. Upload a drawing and hear back from shops set up for Swiss work.
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Swiss machining shops on OpenSpindle
Real shops running sliding-headstock lathes for small precision turned parts. See their equipment and talk to the person making your part.
★ Top rated
"Precision CNC Machining & Fabrication Near Austin - 40+ Years"
"Rapid Prototyping, Digital Manufacturing & CNC Machining Since 1994"
"Hard Metal CNC Machining & Complex Parts Experts"
"Multi-Material Contract Manufacturing in Milwaukee"
"From Art to Part: Product Design, Prototyping & Manufacturing"
"Highly Complex, Close-Tolerance CNC Machining in Orange County"
How it works
How OpenSpindle Works
Upload your files
Share your CAD files or drawings (STEP, DXF, DWG, PDF) and note material, tolerances, and quantity. It takes a couple of minutes.
Get matched quotes
We route your part to shops with the machines and materials to make it, and they send competitive quotes.
Compare and choose
Weigh quotes, methods, and lead times side by side, then pick the shop that fits your budget and timeline.
Bar stock our Swiss shops run
Swiss work starts from small-diameter round bar. Free-machining alloys run fastest; common choices are below, and if yours is not here, ask when you request a quote.
Specs
Tolerances you can expect
| Feature | With a drawing | No drawing supplied |
|---|---|---|
| Turned diameter | ±0.0002 to ±0.0005 in | ISO 2768 Fine |
| Length / feature position | ±0.002 in | ISO 2768 Medium |
| Concentricity (OD to OD) | 0.0005 in TIR | As-run |
| Surface finish | 16-32 Ra | 32 Ra as-turned |
The guide bushing supports the bar at the cut, so small diameters hold tenths on a Swiss lathe that a conventional lathe cannot. Call out the critical diameter and any concentricity requirement and the shop confirms before running.
Secondary operations
Inserts, hardware and finishing
Threads and inserts
Single-point and thread-rolled threads, cross-holes, flats, slots, and knurls cut with live tooling in the same setup, so most small parts finish complete off the machine.
Finishing
Applied after turning. As-turned ships fastest; passivation, anodize, and plating are common on small turned metal parts.
| Finish | Materials | Adds | Can be applied with |
|---|---|---|---|
| As-turned | All | +0 days | Anything |
| Passivation | Stainless only | +2 days | Bead blast |
| Anodize | Aluminum, titanium | +3-5 days | Bead blast |
| Zinc / nickel plating | Steel | +3-5 days | Passivation not needed |
Plating adds thickness that can push a tenths-level diameter or thread out of spec. Tell the shop the finish so they cut for the final size.
Get a better quote
Getting a quote that comes back fast
| Instead of | Send this |
|---|---|
| "Small turned pin, need a quote" | "C360 brass pin, ⌀0.062 x 0.75 in, ±0.0003 on the OD, qty 5,000" |
| "Threaded contact" | "303 stainless contact, 0-80 UNF rolled thread, cross-hole ⌀0.020 per drawing" |
| "Needs to be concentric" | "0.0005 in TIR between the two journals, as-turned elsewhere" |
Swiss pricing is driven by cycle time and volume. Give the critical diameter, its tolerance, and the quantity; that is what shops need to quote.
Applications
Industries we serve
Swiss shops on OpenSpindle produce pins, contacts, shafts, fasteners, and implantable-grade components in volume, including ISO 13485, AS9100, and ITAR-registered shops.
More on OpenSpindle
Other capabilities
Need a different process? Browse shops for these too.
Designing for this process
What actually changes your quote
Not a definition of Swiss machining. The design choices that move your price and lead time.
Volume is where Swiss pays off
Setup and guide-bushing tooling cost the same whether you run 50 or 50,000. The per-part price drops fast with quantity, so batch parts and forecast runs rather than ordering in dribs.
One critical diameter, not five
Every tenths-level OD needs its own tool pass and inspection. Tolerance the diameter that mates a bearing or bore and leave the rest at a standard turned tolerance.
Match stock to the largest diameter
The bar has to feed the biggest OD on the part, then everything else is turned down. A large flange on a slender part means a lot of material cut to chips; simplify the profile where you can.
Live-tool features avoid a second setup
Cross-holes, flats, and threads done on the Swiss in one cycle are far cheaper than sending the part to a mill afterward. Design features the machine can reach and it finishes complete.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Swiss machining runs bar stock through a sliding headstock and a guide bushing that supports the material right where the tool cuts. Because the bar is held close to the tool, long and slender parts do not deflect, so small diameters hold very tight tolerances at high volume.
Get Swiss machining quotes
Upload a drawing once and compare quotes from independent Swiss machining shops.
STEP · STL · IGES · DWG · DXF · PDF · and more
Uploads are secure & confidential