Even in its standard version, the C200 lathe built in Germany by Index-Werke is a highly productive bar auto, with three turrets and two horizontally opposed spindles.

Now, the manufacturer has introduced a tandem version, with two main spindles mounted side by side and two counter spindles for even more cost-effective production.

The sole sales and service agent in the UK, Ireland and the Middle East is Gosport-based Kingsbury (www.kingsburyuk.com).

The new Index C200 tandem, which has an identical machine housing to that of the original lathe, doubles its output in the same footprint ‘without increasing’ labour or energy costs.

The three VDI-30 tool turrets, which can be used simultaneously, have remained the same in terms of their arrangement, power, speed and feed rate.

New, however, is the turret design, which enables five double tool-holders to be fitted.

Each side is equipped with identical tools in pairs (fixed or live), which are used in parallel at the main and counter-spindles for simultaneous front-end and rear-end machining.

Bar stock up to 52mm in diameter is fed by the specially developed Index MBL52 tandem magazine, allowing two bars to be advanced into the lathe at the same time.

An integrated handling device was also developed, whereby two grippers ensure that the two machined components are removed from the counter-spindles and placed on a conveyor belt to exit the machine quickly and without damage.

Index’s patented SingleSlide guide system remains in use for the tandem version of the C200.

Kinematically driven steel plates replace compound slides for supporting the three turrets, significantly reducing the distance between the turret centre-line and the point at which it is driven.

The result is a structure with double the stiffness of a conventional lathe, increasing the resonant frequency of the machine and damping vibrations.

This design supports a higher metal removal rate; it also results in improved accuracy, surface finish and tool life— the latter by up to 30%.

Spindles rated at 20/25kW (115Nm of torque) offer a top speed of 4,500rev/min. The maximum traverse rate of the counter-spindles is 50m/min, and control is via a Siemens S840D sl.

This, in combination with an 18.5in touch-screen, forms the basis of the Index iXpanel, an Industry 4.0-ready operating system that enables the machine to be integrated into a customer’s network.