Schütte SC 12

At 12 mm bar diameter, the SC 12 machines: free-machining brass (CW614N, C360) - most common for precision electronics and instrument hardware; 316L stainless steel for medical components and food equipment parts; titanium grade 5 (Ti-6Al-4V) for medical implant screws and aerospace fasteners; aluminum 2011 and 2024 for precision housings and connectors; free-machining steels (1215, 12L14) for general hardware; and watchmaking-specific brass alloys. At 12 mm bar, cutting forces are low, enabling high spindle speeds (6,000-10,000 RPM) for optimal surface finish on small-diameter features. Coolant-through tooling is optional for improved chip evacuation on deep drilling operations.

For a small precision screw (M5 x 20 mm in stainless, 4 turning operations, 2 drilling, 1 threading): CNC Swiss lathe cycle time approximately 25-40 seconds = 90-144 parts/hour. SC 12 at 6 spindles in parallel: 8-15 second cycle per station = 240-450 parts/hour. Throughput advantage: 2.5-3x for this part. For simpler parts (2-3 operations): Swiss 10-20 seconds; SC 12 4-8 seconds = 3-4x advantage. The multi-spindle advantage compounds with production volume: at 300,000 parts/year, the SC 12 completes the order in approximately 650 hours vs 2,000 hours for a single Swiss lathe - the equivalent of adding 2 more Swiss machines on the floor.

Schütte SC 12 (12 mm max) vs Index MS 16 (16 mm max): The SC 12 targets strictly sub-12 mm applications - watchmaking components, micro-screws, and precision instrument parts where 12 mm is sufficient and the higher 10,000 RPM is valuable for surface finish at small diameters. The Index MS 16 adds 13-16 mm bar capability, opening the machine to a larger range of components including small hydraulic fittings and connector bodies not processable on the SC 12. For shops whose entire product range is under 12 mm (pure watchmaking or micro-fastener shops), the SC 12 is purpose-optimized. For shops with mixed small-diameter products from 8-16 mm, the MS 16 provides the broader range without paying the SCX premium for larger capacity.

SC 12 setup for a new part: (1) Offline programming in Schütte S-CAS software or CAD/CAM with Schütte post-processor - 2-6 hours depending on part complexity; (2) Transfer program to machine; (3) Load tooling at all 6 stations (typically 12-18 tools) - 1.5-3 hours; (4) Set bar feed collet and guide bushings for new bar diameter; (5) Run first-off parts for dimensional verification; (6) Adjust tools to print. Total setup: 3-6 hours for a typical complex changeover. This compares favorably to mechanical cam multi-spindles where cam design and machining adds 8-24 hours. Economic minimum run size on the SC 12: 5,000-10,000 pieces where setup cost is amortized reasonably.

Watchmaking component requirements served by the SC 12: (1) Sub-2 mm diameter shafts and pivots at high concentricity (journal runout under 0.003 mm) for balance staff and wheel arbor production; (2) Gear tooth blank turning at precise diameter tolerances (0.002 mm) for gear train components; (3) Crown and stem turning with multiple diameters and undercuts in brass; (4) Mainspring barrel arbor production in hardened steel; (5) Jewel setting holes in precision brass plates. The 10,000 RPM spindle speed enables the high surface feet per minute required for fine surface finish (Ra 0.2-0.4 um) on small-diameter watchmaking components. Schütte has established relationships with Swiss watchmaking consortium members for application engineering support.