Ecoca SJ-20

Small, fast and steeply slanted: the Ecoca SJ-20 is a 6 in (152 mm) chuck turning center with a 6,000 rpm spindle on a 45 degree slant bed. Its turret has 8 stations, and the working envelope is 225 mm (8.9 in) in turning diameter by 320 mm (12.6 in) in turning length.

For a machine this size the motor is strong. Ecoca lists 11/15 kW (14.8/20.1 hp), the same rating as the larger SL-8, behind a chuck that will mostly hold small-diameter parts. High speed with real power is what small-diameter turning in steel and stainless calls for, because surface speed falls with diameter and the spindle has to make up for it.

Ecoca describes the guideways as heavy-rigidity linear guide ways on the X and Z axes, fitted to increase cutting capacity, and the table row reads LINEAR. The 45 degree bed is credited with good chip disposal. The third point on the list is ergonomic: the machine is laid out so that the operator can work at it comfortably, which matters on a lathe that is loaded by hand many times an hour.

Note that swing over the cross slide and maximum turning diameter are the same figure here, 225 mm (8.9 in), within a 360 mm (14.2 in) swing over the bed. Weight is 3,300 kg (7,275 lb). Eight stations are enough for straightforward turned parts; for a longer tool list or milled features, the SJ-20MC has 12 stations and a 4,000 rpm milling speed in a slightly smaller envelope.