CITIZEN K-SERIES IS FAST, FLEXIBLE AND SETS NEW COST TO PERFORMANCE MILESTONE

Developed to take the lead in productivity achieved per pound invested, Citizen's new generation K-Series CNC sliding head automatic lathe combines two opposed spindles offering up to six turning tools, eight end-working tools and seven driven tools to give high precision single-hit cycles for parts up to 12 mm (½ inch) or 16 mm as an option.

The stylised machine presents new Citizen livery of two shades of silver with a polished stainless highline and lift-up guarding for easy access to the working area.

Fast floor-to-floor cycle times and flexibility of setting were key design briefings on the new K-Series represented by the initial launch of the K12-VII. The main spindle has a 3.7 kW drive, some 50 per cent more powerful than the previous entry level B-Series machines of Citizen and produces 15,000 revs/min. The maximum speed of the sub-spindle is 10,000 revs/min. The main spindle has C-axis as standard and the sub-spindle 150 indexing with an option of full C-axis. A massive 200 mm of headstock stroke is achieved through a synchronised motor driven guide bush.

Unusually for this type of machine, the tool shank is 12 mm to enable heavier, faster cutting cycles from the higher rigidity machine. There is also an option for 10 mm shank tooling. These square shank tools are mounted on the highly efficient yoke-style tool carrier set around, and close to the spindle, which minimises tool travel. And, even with the short distance between tool and workpiece, the rapid travel rate is 32 m/min, some 50 per cent higher than the previous B-Series machine range.

Central to simplicity of programming but also for ultra-fast data processing, the Citizen K12 uses a special version of the latest Fanuc 31i Series control system with newly developed processors. Citizen's own software minimises idle time, makes most of the high acceleration available for axis movements and capitalises on the capability for optimising the cutting process.

The machine is compact requiring a floor area of just 930 mm by 1680 mm.