The world innovation - the NEF 320 K - a conventional lathe with navigator system rounds off successful NEF product line.

The world innovation - the NEF 320 K - a conventional lathe with navigator system rounds off successful NEF product line. TWIN 500, CTV 200/250, TWIN 32, GM 35-8, or SPRINT 42 - behind all of these names are hitech innovations from the Gildemeister concern in the field of turning, each and every one of which has set new standards. But if you really want to be serious in claiming the attribute of full liner, then you shouldn't restrict your attention alone to the high-end segment.

What small production plant and the workshop and training fields especially need are flexible lathes for single indexing and job lot production.

These companies have always been the traditional clients of Gildemeister, and now they are given a very special innovation in the form of the new NEF K line, in other words a 'conventional' lathe that optimises both the data processing and its operation alike with electromagnetic IF gears, digital drives, pretensioned (and so zero backlash) ball spindles, electronic handwheels, and - last, but not least - the control panel with touch screen display.

Armed with a 750 mm centre distance and 320 mm swing, users can now profit from the latest equipment as soon as they enter the realm of lathe technology.

In brief, the advantages are as follows: a constant cutting speed optimises cutting conditions; the orientated spindle mount in place of the chuck key reduces tooling times; new drive concept for the finest of surfaces; continuously adjustable rpm and feed rates optimise cutting conditions; optimised cutting performance and tool life; chip breaks and surface quality optimised during cutting; production safety and the greatest ease of operation; greatest ease of use and an extraordinary price performance ratio.

Ease of use is a direct result of a special Siemens compact controller whose touch screen control panel lets you easily enter values for rpm, feed, and thread pitch and which provides functions for travelling to the stop measure, radiusing, and automatic taper turning.

So operators no longer need to set stops for the lathe saddle or radial facing slide, never again need to switch between change gears, never again need to set the levers for rpm, feed, and threads, and never again need to adjust taper turning attachments.

The NEF K line lets you do all this at the touch screen control panel in self-explanatory input masks and parameter dialogs.

So no matter whether for jigs and fixtures, tools, or moulds, whether for prototypes or models, whether for servicing or in training shops - the product lines NEF and NEF K from Gildemeisterhave redefined the field of universal lathes for single indexing and job lot production.

Specifications for the NEF 320 K include a swing of 320mm; distance between centres of 750mm; main drive of 7kW; 7 maximum spindle speed of 3,550 rev/min; tailstock sleeve diameter of 70mm and sleeve spindle nose MK 5.