Turning
Swiss Screw Machining
Small-diameter, slender turned parts, quoted from your print or STEP file.
Swiss screw machining (also called Swiss turning) is a turning process for small-diameter, tight-tolerance parts such as pins, contacts, shafts and fittings. The bar feeds through a guide bushing, so the cut happens right beside the support. Send a 2D PDF or 3D STEP file and a real person quotes it in 24-48 hours. No minimum to ask, every part is inspected against your print before it ships, and parts ship Rush 1-2 weeks, Standard 4-6 weeks, or Extended 6-8 weeks.
Updated October 2026
What Swiss machining does that a standard lathe can’t
A Swiss-type lathe feeds the bar stock through a guide bushing, and the cutting tool works close to that bushing (sources 1, 4). Because the cut sits right beside the support, a slender part is held firmly, with little chance of deflection or vibration (source 3).
That’s why Swiss machining suits the small, slender end of CNC turning: pins, dowels, contacts, micro-shafts, threaded studs, nozzles, and fittings where the diameter is small and the tolerance is tight. Trade press describes the arrangement as effective on thin parts at least 3 or 4 times as long as they are wide (source 2), and Wikipedia calls Swiss-style lathes ideal for large production runs of small-diameter parts (source 3). Modern Machine Shop also describes them running small quantities of tight-tolerance parts (source 1), so quantity alone does not settle the route.
Free-machining grades are made to machine easily. 303 stainless is the free-machining version of 304, made so by added sulfur and phosphorus (sources 5, 6), and C360 brass is rated high for machinability (source 7). Aluminum, titanium, steel and engineering plastics are quoted too. Other alloys and plastics quoted on request. Name the grade on the print.
Tolerances, features, and finishes
Critical turned diameters are quoted to ±0.001 in, and anything tighter on the print is quoted from the print.
Many Swiss-type CNC lathes carry live tools, powered cutters that can drill a hole perpendicular to the part’s axis while the bar is held, and a secondary spindle that picks the part up as it is cut off for second operations, so a simple part can come off in one cycle (sources 1, 3). Cross-holes, flats, slots, knurls, and threads are quoted from the print.
Mark the critical diameters, the thread spec, and any finish callouts on your drawing. Those are the dimensions the quote is built around. A finish called out on the print is quoted with the part.
When Swiss is the right call, and when it isn’t
Swiss fits long, slender, small-diameter work. A part that is short for its diameter gains less from the bushing’s support (source 2) and may suit conventional turning instead, and a quote will steer you there if that’s the better fit. No maximum size is published: for a large part, send the print.
Not sure which side of the line your part falls on? Send it. A free design review comes with every quote, whether or not you order.
Quoting a Swiss job
Send a STEP model plus a PDF drawing through the quote form, with material, quantity, and any date you’re working against. Lead time starts at order approval. Put your need date in the part description and the quote answers it. Ask for more than one quantity, such as 1, 25 and 100, and the quote shows each. 25 pieces is a good start. At 200, the price per part drops a lot.
Small turned studs, standoffs, and contacts overlap with custom fasteners, which covers the thread classes and the full parts table; this page covers when a small part fits the Swiss route.
Sources
All accessed 30 September 2026. Where a figure here differs from your print, the print governs.
1. Peter Zelinski, "Understanding Swiss-Type Machining", Modern Machine Shop, published 26 June 2013, updated 14 July 2022: mmsonline.com/articles/understanding-swiss-type-machining (the part feeds through a guide bushing and the turning tool engages it close to the bushing; Swiss-types suit small, delicate parts with tight tolerances and small production quantities; on a conventional lathe the stock sticks out from the chuck; a new Swiss-type user completes in one cycle a part that took several operations).
2. Alan Richter, "Let Precision Be Your Guide", Cutting Tool Engineering, 15 July 2025: ctemag.com (the guide-bushing arrangement is effective on thin parts with a length-to-diameter ratio of at least 3 or 4 to 1).
3. Wikipedia, "Metal lathe", section "Swiss-style lathe / Swiss turning center", last edited 27 August 2026: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_lathe (slender workpieces held firmly with little chance of deflection or vibration; ideal for large production runs of small-diameter parts; live tools can drill a hole perpendicular to the main axis; the secondary spindle picks up the part as it is cut off and accepts it for second operations; the style is commonly used under CNC control).
4. Wikipedia, "Automatic lathe", last edited 21 March 2026: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_lathe (in Swiss screw machining the workpiece is supported with a guide bushing near the cutting tool; small- to medium-sized cam-operated automatic lathes are usually called screw machines).
5. Wikipedia, "SAE steel grades", last edited 14 April 2026: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAE_steel_grades (303 is the free-machining version of 304 through added sulfur and phosphorus; 304 as the most common grade; 316 adds molybdenum for more chloride resistance than 304).
6. Wikipedia, "Machinability", last edited 26 September 2026: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machinability (AISI 303 and 416 are easier to machine because of added sulfur and phosphorus).
7. Wikipedia, "Brass": en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brass (free-machining C360 listed with high machinability).
Questions
Before you send a job.
01 What is the difference between Swiss machining and regular CNC turning?
A Swiss-type lathe supports the bar stock in a guide bushing right at the cutting tool, so slender parts are held firmly with little deflection or vibration (sources 1, 3). Regular turning holds the stock in a chuck with the part sticking out from it, so on a long part the tool works farther from the support (source 1); that suits parts that are short for their diameter. The guide-bushing arrangement is described as effective on parts at least 3 or 4 times as long as they are wide (source 2).
02 Is Swiss screw machining the same as screw machine work?
They are related. Small- to medium-sized cam-operated automatic lathes are usually called screw machines, and in Swiss screw machining the workpiece is supported in a guide bushing near the cutting tool (source 4). Swiss-style lathes are commonly run under CNC control today (source 3). The name does not limit the parts to screws: pins, shafts, contacts and fittings are typical, and a part is quoted from the print whatever the machine is called.
03 What stainless steel is best for screw machining?
303 is the free-machining grade: the version of 304 with added sulfur and phosphorus, which make it easier to machine (sources 5, 6). 304 and 316 are quoted too: 316 adds molybdenum for more chloride resistance than 304 (source 5), so choose it when the part sees salt or chlorides. Name the grade on the print, or type "Not sure - please advise" in the quote form’s material field and the quote recommends one.
04 What tolerances can Swiss turning hold?
Critical turned diameters are quoted to ±0.001 in, and anything tighter on the print is quoted from the print. Position, perpendicularity and runout callouts are quoted from the print. A STEP file with no drawing is quoted to a ±0.005 in general tolerance, or the one your notes name, so call the tight dimensions out in the notes or on a PDF.
05 What parts and quantities suit Swiss screw machining?
Small-diameter, slender parts (sources 2, 3), such as pins, contacts, shafts, studs, nozzles, and fittings. There is no minimum quantity and no fixed size cutoff: send the print and the quote says whether Swiss turning or conventional turning fits. Wikipedia describes Swiss-style lathes as ideal for large runs of small-diameter parts (source 3), and Modern Machine Shop describes them on small quantities of tight-tolerance parts (source 1), so the part decides, not the count.
06 How fast can I get a Swiss machining quote, and when do the parts ship?
24-48 hours from a real person who reads your file. Rush: 1-2 weeks. Standard: 4-6 weeks (typical). Extended: 6-8 weeks, for jobs that aren’t time-sensitive. Rush 1-2 weeks applies to machined parts with no secondary operations. Heat treat, grinding, EDM and finishing add time, and the quote gives the real date.
07 Can Swiss turning make screws, studs and other threaded parts?
Turned screws, studs and other threaded parts are quoted from the print, with the thread callout on the drawing. Custom fasteners covers the families, thread classes and materials, and this page covers whether a small part fits the Swiss route.
08 Do Swiss turned parts ship with material certifications or inspection reports?
No C of C or material certifications ship with parts by default. If your PO needs them, say so before the quote. Inspection reports on critical dimensions aren’t included by default. If you need one, ask when you place the order. If a part doesn’t match the print, it’s remade or credited.
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