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Old 11-07-2009, 01:07 PM
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SwissPro SwissPro is offline
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Join Date: May 2006
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Ox,

Europeans historically have been reluctant to buy Japanese machine tools. Until fairly recently that is. So for a while the market there was split between Tornos, Traub, Gildemeister, and Manhurin K'MX.

None of their machines impress me. They aren't more rigid and they sure aren't more accurate. And they certainly don't have a better reputation for reliability than a Japanese machine tool.

But they are, as a rule, more complex. In some cases with just the right kind of part they can be quite a bit faster than a Japanese machine.

I assume you're looking at a Traub TNL 26. With that machine you can have up to four tools in the cut simultaneously. So with just the right kind of workpiece, it can be smoking fast. But the reality is that for every job where the machine is untouchable speed wise, there are a dozen where it is the same or slower or less accurate than a less expensive, more reliable machine.

Not every part can have four tools cutting simultaneously. And even on those that can, you might have trouble with the cutting forces from one tool screwing up the finishes and dimensions being put in by the other. What looks good on paper often fails once the carbide hits the metal.

To that end all of the Euro builders have lost market share to the Japanese in Europe. It's enough of a problem that Tornos is having Tsugami build private label machines for them. In the US the European Swiss type lathes have next to nothing for market share. So there is the added concern of parts, repair and expertise. Not to mention resale value of a used one.

If they could figure out how to build all of this really cool stuff at competitive prices then the Japanese would have their hands full. But I don't see that happening anytime soon. Especially here in the United States of Wal-Mart where people will jump over dollars to save a penny.
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