Used Swiss-Type CNC Lathes for Sale
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SOLDTsugami - B0205-III Swiss Type
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SOLD2021 Tsugami SS38MH-5AX
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SOLD2021 Tsugami SS38MH-5AX
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SOLD2021 Tsugami SS38MH-5AX
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SOLD2021 Tsugami SS38MH-5AX
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SOLD2021 Tsugami SS38MH-5AX
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SOLD2021 Tsugami SS38MH-5AX
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SOLD2021 Tsugami SS38MH-5AX
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SOLD2021 Tsugami SS38MH-5AX
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About Used Swiss-Type CNC Lathes
Swiss-type CNC lathes (also called sliding headstock or Swiss screw machines) are designed for high-precision, high-volume production of small turned parts. The sliding headstock design supports the workpiece close to the cutting tool with a guide bushing, enabling exceptional accuracy on long, slender parts. Swiss machines excel at medical device components, watch parts, electronic connectors, aerospace fasteners, and precision pins and shafts.
A Swiss-type lathe feeds bar stock through a guide bushing while the headstock slides along the Z-axis, so the cut always happens right next to the support. That keeps long, slender parts from deflecting and holds tight tolerances on small-diameter work — medical screws and implants, connector pins, watch and electronics parts, and hydraulic fittings. Machines are specified by maximum bar diameter (commonly 12, 20, 32 or 38 mm), the number of axes and tool positions, and whether they have a sub-spindle and live tools for back-working.
When buying used, check the guide bushing and spindle condition, the bar feeder (usually part of the package), the number of live tool stations, and the control. Many Swiss machines can also run without the guide bushing for short parts, which saves bar remnant.
Guide bushing mode is the swiss lathe people mean when they say sliding headstock. The bar is supported at the cut, the tools stay close, and the headstock feeds the Z motion. Chucker mode, sometimes called non-guide-bushing mode, pulls the bushing out of the way so a short part can be cut with less remnant. The bar then has to be stiff enough to stand on its own, which is why chucker mode is for short work, not for a long pin. A fixed-headstock chucker on the CNC lathe machine is a different machine. It does not grow a guide bushing.
A sub-spindle and live tools are how the back of a screw or a fitting gets finished without leaving the bar. The main side turns the form. The sub-spindle takes the part and drills or mills the other end. Axis count follows that work. A simple pin does not need the same gang of live stations as a cross-hole fitting. Bar diameter is still the first spec. A 20 mm machine will not become a 32 mm machine because it has more axes.
The bar feeder is part of the cell, not an accessory you assume is in the photo. Remnant length is scrap on every bar, and it changes when you run with or without the bushing. On a used swiss lathe, look at the bushing and the spindle, run the headstock slide, and count the live stations that actually turn. A worn bushing is a taper you cannot see from the aisle until you cut a pin.
How to Choose a Used Swiss-Type CNC Lathe
How to Size a Swiss Lathe
Size maximum bar diameter first. Common steps are 12, 20, 32 and 38 mm, and the machine will not pass a bar larger than its rating. Buy the step that covers your largest regular part, not a wish for a job you do not have.
Then count the axes and the live stations the print actually needs. A pin with a thread is a smaller machine than a fitting with cross holes and a milled flat. A sub-spindle is for the back end. The guide bushing has to match the bar, and the feeder has to support that bar. Remnant length is part of the size, because every bar leaves a stub. If the parts are short, ask whether the machine runs in chucker mode so you are not throwing away bushing remnant you do not need.
Guide Bushing vs Chucker Mode
With the guide bushing in place, the cut happens next to the support and a long, slender part stays straight. That is the reason to buy a sliding-headstock machine. Chucker mode removes the bushing so a short part can be machined with a shorter remnant. The bar has to be rigid enough to hang past the collet.
Do not use chucker mode as a way to avoid a real chucker lathe for larger work. Diameter and length still decide. A part that is both large and long belongs on the CNC lathe machine. A part that needs a milling spindle, not a live station, belongs on the mill-turn machine. The bushing is a wear item. A used machine with a scored bushing will not hold the tolerance the layout promises.
Swiss-Type CNC Lathe Specs to Compare
| Spec | Typical range | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Max bar diameter (mm) | 12, 20, 32 or 38 mm are common steps | The bar has to pass the spindle and the bushing. A smaller machine will not be bored out later. |
| Guide bushing | The bushing is the support that keeps a long part straight. The wrong size, or a worn one, cuts a taper. | |
| Axis count | Axes follow the features. A plain pin needs fewer live stations than a fitting with cross holes and a milled flat. | |
| Sub-spindle | The second spindle finishes the back of the part so a medical screw or a fitting comes off complete. | |
| Live tool stations | Driven tools drill and mill on the bar. Count the stations you will use, not the brochure maximum. | |
| Remnant length | Every bar leaves a stub. Bushing mode and chucker mode do not leave the same stub, and the difference is scrap. |
Max bar diameter (mm)
Typical range: 12, 20, 32 or 38 mm are common steps
The bar has to pass the spindle and the bushing. A smaller machine will not be bored out later.
Guide bushing
The bushing is the support that keeps a long part straight. The wrong size, or a worn one, cuts a taper.
Axis count
Axes follow the features. A plain pin needs fewer live stations than a fitting with cross holes and a milled flat.
Sub-spindle
The second spindle finishes the back of the part so a medical screw or a fitting comes off complete.
Live tool stations
Driven tools drill and mill on the bar. Count the stations you will use, not the brochure maximum.
Remnant length
Every bar leaves a stub. Bushing mode and chucker mode do not leave the same stub, and the difference is scrap.
What to Inspect on a Used Swiss-Type CNC Lathe
Inspect the guide bushing
A scored or loose bushing lets the bar deflect at the cut. Match it to the bar diameter you will run.
Run the headstock slide
The sliding headstock is the Z axis. It should move without a tight spot, and the spindle should sound clean.
Count live stations that turn
A station listed on the spec sheet should spin under power. A dead drive is not a parameter.
Check the sub-spindle
It should pick off a part and hold it. A sub-spindle that only indexes in the air has not finished a back end.
Look at the bar feeder
The feeder is part of the cell. A bent pusher or a missing liner will mark the bar before the tool does.
Ask about remnant
Know the stub in bushing mode and in chucker mode. A long remnant changes every bar you buy.
Name the control
Confirm your crew can program it, and that the options you need, including chucker mode, are actually enabled.
Related Equipment
- CNC Lathes
Chucker lathes and turning centers for larger bar
- Bar Feeders
The magazine or channel that feeds the spindle
- Mill-Turn Machines
A milling spindle when live tools are not enough
Related CNC Lathes & Turning Centers
CNC Lathes & Turning Centers
CNC lathes and turning centers produce rotational parts including shafts, bushings, fittings, and precision turned components.
Mill-Turn & Multitasking Machines
Mill-turn machines (multitasking machining centers) combine full turning and milling capability in a single platform — a turning center with a B-axis milling spindle, or configurations like the Mazak Integrex and DMG Mori NTX series.
All CNC Machines
Browse the full used CNC machine inventory — machining centers, lathes, EDM, and more.
Top Brands for Used Swiss-Type CNC Lathes
Tsugami
Japanese builder of sliding-headstock and fixed-head lathes.
Van CNC
Citizen
Japanese builder of Cincom sliding-headstock lathes.
Common Applications
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a guide bushing change accuracy on a swiss lathe?
The bushing supports the bar at the cut, and the headstock slides the stock forward, so the tool is always working next to that support. A long, slender pin does not stick out and deflect the way it would in a chuck. The bushing has to match the bar diameter, and a worn bushing puts the taper back. That is the whole point of a sliding-headstock machine. If your parts are short enough to stand on their own, chucker mode takes the bushing out and leaves a shorter remnant.
When should I run without the guide bushing?
When the part is short and the bar is stiff enough to hang past the collet without walking off. That chucker, or non-guide-bushing, mode wastes less remnant because you are not leaving the land the bushing needs. It is the wrong mode for a long medical screw or a thin pin. Those still want the bushing. Confirm the machine you are buying can actually run both ways if you need both. A fixed-headstock lathe on the CNC lathe machine is still the machine for larger diameters.
Which bar diameter step should I pick before I count axes?
The step that passes your largest regular bar, commonly 12, 20, 32 or 38 mm. A machine rated under that bar will not be opened up later. Axes and live tools come second, because a 20 mm machine with many axes still cannot swallow a 32 mm bar. Size for the work you run, with a little room, not for a diameter you might quote once. The feeder, the collet and the bushing all have to match that same diameter. A mismatch marks the stock before the tool touches it.
What should I look at on the headstock slide of a used machine?
The slide is the Z motion, so it should travel without a tight spot and the spindle should sound the same at both ends. Look at the bushing and the spindle nose for wear. Run the live stations you care about, and watch the sub-spindle pick off a part if the machine has one. The bar feeder should advance stock without a bent pusher. Alarm history matters, but a scored bushing tells you more about the next pin you cut.
What does a sub-spindle add on a small medical part?
The back end. The main spindle, working at the bushing, turns the form, the thread and the head. The sub-spindle takes the part as it is cut off and drills, taps or turns the other side so the screw or the implant comes off finished. Without it, that end is a second operation and a second chance to lose the part. Live tools on the main side still do the cross holes. The sub-spindle is not a milling spindle. If the part needs a real mill, look at a mill-turn.
What is a Swiss-type lathe?
A Swiss-type lathe feeds bar through a guide bushing while the headstock slides. The bushing supports the bar right at the cut, which is how a long, slender part stays straight. A fixed-headstock chucker grips a larger blank and does not support the bar that way. Swiss machines are sized by bar diameter in millimeters, often for medical, connector and shaft work. Many can also run without the bushing for short parts, which is a different mode and a different accuracy story. The remnant is the uncut end of the bar the bushing cannot use.
Related Resources
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