Small components that require tight tolerances and high surface quality are the specialty of the Swiss contract manufacturer Léon Jaccard. For the machining of micro parts, he uses a Tsugami P034WE sliding head lathe, which is optimized for maximum performance and process reliability with a high-pressure system LubiCool-XS from KNOLL.
The Swiss Jura arc is home to many contract manufacturers specializing in highly precise parts, primarily serving the watch and jewelry industry, medical technology, and micromechanics. This also applies to Léon Jaccard SA based in L'Auberson. In its hundred-year company history, it has acquired extensive expertise in micro machining. Managing director Sébastien Vouillot specifies: 'Our ten employees have extensive experience, especially in turning and stamping small components.'
But know-how alone is not enough. Another important success factor is the machine park. 'We continuously feel increasing demands in production – especially with small parts,' says Sébastien Vouillot. 'The components are becoming increasingly complex and should ideally come out of the machine fully finished. Highest precision and surface quality are fundamental requirements.'
To optimally serve its customers, Léon Jaccard expanded its machine park two years ago with a 3-axis and a 5-axis machining center, so that the precision machinists can now also take on demanding milling operations. In the core competence area of turning, the company has of course continuously invested over the years – in state-of-the-art sliding head lathes from Star Micronics, Tsugami, and Tornos.
Small sliding head lathe for micro machining
The latest acquisition, a small Tsugami P034WE, was delivered in 2025. This sliding head lathe is designed with a bar passage of 0.8 to 3 mm for the series production of extremely small, precise parts. In this machine, Sébastien Vouillot and his manufacturing team placed special emphasis on a powerful coolant supply system. 'On the Tsugami P034WE, we primarily manufacture components for watches and medical devices. The high pressure helps us improve chip removal, extend tool life, enhance surface quality, and make the process more reliable.'
According to Vouillot, lathes of this size are often equipped with too weak high-pressure pumps. Therefore, he inquired with his machine supplier Tsugami NP Swiss, Delémont, whether there was a more powerful solution for the P034WE. The answer came promptly: We could supply this machine with the new high-pressure system LubiCool-XS from KNOLL Maschinenbau, Bad Saulgau. Brice Ackermann, managing director at Tsugami NP Swiss, argues:
'This KNOLL KSS system delivers a pressure of up to 70 bar. It is extremely compact with dimensions of 1013 x 532 x 320 mm in length, width, and height, quiet, and reliable. An ideal solution for our small machines and at an absolutely competitive price.'
Proven partnership
Tsugami NP Swiss has maintained a partnership with KNOLL Maschinenbau since 2014. To optimize the reliability and performance of the small sliding head lathes for micro production, the Tsugami executives initiated the development of a suitable small high-pressure station a few years ago. 'We know the expertise at KNOLL in the areas of high pressure and filtration. The LubiCool product family with the variants -S, -M, and -L is a perfect example of this. It has already covered a wide range of applications, so we had already integrated these systems into our larger machines. With the LubiCool-XS, KNOLL has optimally fulfilled our wishes for a small variant, allowing us to round off our related offerings.'
High-pressure pump and filter unit in the smallest space
At Léon Jaccard, KNOLL is also not an unknown supplier. Sébastien Vouillot mentions that his sliding head lathe Tornos GT32 is equipped with a KNOLL high-pressure pump, combined with the compact filter KF 200/1700 and a hinge belt conveyor of type 480 S1. 'This solution works very well, but it is a bit large for our space conditions,' explains Vouillot. 'The offered KNOLL LubiCool-XS, on the other hand, appeared to us as the optimal solution for supplying the Tsugami P034WE.'
This small high-pressure system essentially consists of a proven KNOLL screw spindle pump KTS, which provides pressures up to 70 bar and a flow rate of 5 l/min. The basic equipment also includes a 30-liter tank system, a transfer pump, four switchable high-pressure outlets, and an additional pressure-reduced outlet for flushing processes.
For cleaning the coolant in the LubiCool-XS, KNOLL developed a new concept based on an exchangeable filter bag with a filter fineness of 25 µm. The housing is lockable, which supports the safe recovery of chips from valuable materials such as gold.
At Léon Jaccard, they particularly appreciate the small space requirement of the LubiCool®-XS. Because in production, the machines are closely spaced, additional space is correspondingly tight. 'We were able to place the LubiCool-XS under the bar loader without it protruding anywhere,' says Sébastien Vouillot happily. He also praises the 30-liter tank, as it increases the available cutting oil volume.
Completely satisfied
Léon Jaccard received the high-pressure system LubiCool-XS from KNOLL as a field test customer. 'A small startup problem was quickly resolved by Tsugami and KNOLL, and since then the system has been running to our complete satisfaction,' judges Sébastien Vouillot. 'For series production and also in unattended operation, it is indispensable.' Vouillot adds that high-pressure machining also supports him in small series production: 'The system allows for greater flexibility in tool selection and a quick response to changing production tasks.' In his company, the benefits are especially noticeable with demanding materials, particularly with tough and other difficult-to-machine materials, such as the commonly used stainless steel 316L.
Easy operation and maintenance
The machining team at Léon Jaccard is thrilled with the LubiCool-XS. Not only because of its performance, reliability, and low noise levels. “The system is extremely user-friendly in daily operation,” reports Managing Director Vouillot. An LED status light informs the operator of the operating condition through different colors and flashing frequencies. Additionally, it notifies when filter changes and coolant refills are necessary.
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