Part Name: Valve Stem

Material: alloy 655 silicon bronze (Everdur)

Challenge: This complex piece required very precise work in a very tough material, with surface finishes just this side of centerless grinding.

Solution: Originally, this piece was produced in two steps, the first on a 2-axis lathe and the second on a 4-axis VMC. The total cycle time was over 3 minutes. By running this part on the Tsugami CNC Swiss screw machine, we reduced the cycle time to under 90 seconds, and produced a part with better surface finishes and more accurately located features. This relatively fast cycle time in such a tough material was only possible because we used polycrystalline diamond inserts for the turning.