Latest Citizen C16-VII CNC sliding head mill/turn centre should be able to be cut over 30 per cent from the cycle time of the previous generation C16 machine when using an existing program.

The latest Citizen C16-VII CNC sliding head mill/turn centre should now be able to be cut over 30 per cent from the cycle time of the previous generation C16 machine when using an existing program. Central to the high output capability of the new machine is its new control system which uses the latest high speed processing technology and special software macros able to reduce by half, non-cutting and idle times such as for collet operation and tool positioning. Faster acceleration and deceleration of all axes significantly quickens machining cycles and a new chute-style parts-catcher is able to operate twice as fast as before.

Examples of the performance enhancement of the new machine are a mild steel dowel 8mm diameter by 20 mm long produced at NC Engineering's Watford showroom with the same NC program from a previous generation machine.

Using two tools to face, chamfer, feed-out and part-off, the time was just 3.5 seconds.

The previous C16 would have taken 10 seconds.

A further trial on a complex brass component which required 16 operations in a single cycle used to take 30 seconds.

The new machine cycled complete in 19.9 seconds while another 40 second cycle on a brass part using the machines 22 tool positions was cut to a fraction over 30 seconds.

The new C16-VII is also available with an optional 18mm bar size to complement the standard 16 mm capacity.

It also has four driven tools as standard with an option to specify up to 10.

Able to machine with two, or depending on the specification three tools simultaneously, the new machine provides a significant leap in productivity.

Both main and sub-spindles can be run at up to 10,000 rev/min and contribute to faster floor to floor times by overlapped cycles.

A 12- position toolpost has six tools facing each spindle while a two-axis yoke-style tool slide is able to mount four 8,000 rev/min rotary tools.

In addition, a perpendicular toolpost holds six turning tools.