2024 Star SR-38 Type B CNC Swiss-Type Lathe

The Star SR-38 Type B is a twin-path, 9-axis CNC Swiss-type (sliding-headstock) automatic lathe with a reputation for accuracy and reliability that has made Star Micronics a standard in medical, aerospace, automotive, and high-precision production machining. This 2024 machine handles bar stock up to 38 mm (1-1/2 inch) diameter, pairing a built-in main spindle rated to 7,000 RPM with a 7.5 kW (10 HP) continuous drive and a built-in sub-spindle served by an 8-spindle backworking unit for complete front and back machining in one operation. Type B adds a B-axis controlled power-driven tool unit for angled and contoured drilling, milling, and tapping, supported by Y-axis tool control, C-axis main- and sub-spindle indexing, a 320 mm headstock stroke, and cross-milling for up to four power-driven tools. Running a FANUC 31i-B5 control with five axes on Path 1 and four on Path 2, the guide-bush design delivers the rigidity Swiss turning is known for on long, slender parts, and the machine converts between guide-bush and non-guide-bush operation to run both long and short stock efficiently.

Compared to the SR-38 Type A, the Type B replaces the angle-adjustable power-driven tool unit with a fully B-axis controlled unit, enabling true contour and compound-angle machining the Type A's fixed-angle attachment cannot match - decisive for complex medical and aerospace geometries. Against Star's earlier-generation SB-38 platform, the SR-38 series adds Star's proprietary Motion Control System that significantly cuts non-cutting idle time, higher main-spindle capability, and more flexible guide-bush / non-guide-bush conversion. For a shop producing intricate small parts, the SR-38 Type B is a meaningfully more capable and more flexible machine than its predecessors, delivering more simultaneous tool engagement and shorter cycle times in the same compact Swiss footprint.