Choosing between Tsugami B0206 vs Citizen A20 3F7 vs Star SR20 type G. Help!

Hello,

My company is in the process of purchasing our first CNC Swiss Screw machine. Of the three options available here between the machines mentioned above, I am unable to decide the best option.

One of the differentiating factors between these companies is after sales & service, which are pretty much good around here from my market study.

However, I am unable to select amongst the three for machining of varied materials such as Brass, Bronze, SS, Titanium.

From a cost pov, Tsugamis are the most affordable ones and Citizens are the most expensive ones.

Anyone having experience with these machines can help me out to select the best option based on a performance point of view? That would be immensely helpful.


Thanks!

I have used the Tsugami B0's and Citizen L20's, very similar to the A20.

To me, Citizens are better to program. Their sync codes are easy to remember, phasing is easy, superimposition is easy, the codes are the same across their whole line, the machine knows where the face of the part is and how much is sticking out of the sub. Citizen parameters are harder (once maintenance becomes an issue in a few years. Fanuc is very straight forward. Citizen/Mits is a little more convoluted). If you're running very high production, Cit also has the pre-call like indexing C axis on a tool change command, or starting the live tool when a tool is commanded, etc. Maybe this shaves milliseconds (which add up if you're making 100,000 of something)

Tsugami has top notch service in most places and a huge spare parts inventory state side. Good apps support (available directly from Rem Sales if needed). I'd say on smaller machines (<20mm) the tsugami might be slightly more accurate on turned diameters just because their X axis is shorter with the opposed gang plate. Fanuc parameters are relatively easy to understand and get support with.
Also, it looks like the A20 does not have a Y2 axis but the B0206 does. If they are similar price, I will almost always go for the machine with Y2. That's a big capability gain for what you say is a cheaper price.


I have never used star, but looked into purchasing them for a couple companies I worked at. Personally I just hate their tooling layouts. They're a cluster. I just foresee lots of blood spilled the way they lay out tools. Other than an opinion of their layout, I dont have experience with them though.

If indeed the B0206 has Y2 and the A20 doesnt, and the 206 is cheaper, I'd probably lean towards the 206, but Cit is a close second depending on your priorities and typical work