Citizen Cincom K16E

The Citizen Cincom K16E is Citizen's economy-tier 16mm Swiss-type automatic lathe, designed to bring reliable Swiss-type production capability to shops that need solid 16mm performance without the full axis count and feature set of the K16-VII. The 'E' designation signals an economy configuration: simplified axis layout, reduced tool positions, and a lower acquisition cost that makes Swiss-type machining economically accessible for simpler part families or shops investing in their first CNC Swiss machine.

The K16E covers the fundamental Swiss-type operations that define the category: guide bushing supported bar feeding, gang-tool turning with overlapping axis movement, front-work drilling and milling with driven tools, and back spindle operation for secondary machining on cut-off parts. The axis count is reduced compared to the K16-VII—the K16E focuses on the operations that account for the majority of 16mm Swiss production volume, omitting the higher axis count and advanced simultaneous capabilities that are underutilized on simpler part designs.

Spindle specification on the K16E mirrors the K16-VII at 15,000 RPM maximum, maintaining the surface speed advantage that small-diameter Swiss work demands. The main spindle power rating is appropriately sized at 1.5 kW continuous for the modest cuts typical of 16mm precision parts in brass, aluminum, and standard stainless alloys. The back spindle provides adequate secondary machining capability for drilling, threading, and facing on the cut-off end.

The K16E uses the FANUC 32i-B control in a configuration matched to its simplified axis count, delivering the familiar FANUC programming environment at lower total cost. Guide-bushless is available as an option, and LFV chip-breaking may be available as an option on current production K16E machines rather than as standard equipment. For shops producing straightforward turned parts—dental components, small fasteners, electronics hardware, and simple turned/milled parts in the 16mm range—the K16E provides dependable production throughput at a price point that justifies the investment on lower-margin part families.