Manufactured by Wahli Frères S.A. in Bévilard, Switzerland, the Wahli was a compact, modern, multi-function machine with an elevating headstock; it could double as a screwcutting lathe or as a simple horizontal stub miller and borer.
Quite different to other small, multi-function machine - for example the remarkable English-made Scope, the Swedish Almkvist and Carlstedt and ingenious German Hommel UWG -  the Whahi was built in at least three versions, the Multi 76, Multi 78 and W79, the first with a multi-V-belt spindle drive but the latter pair both equipped with variable-speed drive using a Reeves-type mechanical variator (expanding and contracting pulleys) with the control handwheel on the inner face of the headstock column. In direct drive (and using a 2-speed 0.5/0.9 kW motor) the speed range of the 125 x 55 mm Multi 78 spanned 300 to 3000 r.p.m. and, through the standard-fit reduction gearbox, 50 to 500 r.p.m. The larger W79 (170 x 500 mm) was a CNC model, geared to give a range from 50 to 4500 r.p.m.--though this version was fitted with a single-speed 2.2 kW motor
Further improvements to the 78 included enclosed changewheels and a more powerful 2-speed 0.5/0.9 kW motor. The spindle, with a No. 2 Morse taper nose, could be had with either a Schaublin W20 collet fitting, or as a Camlock in a D1-4" size. During the 1980s all three versions were been offered side by side, though obviously at a considerable difference in price. Eventually, in a bid to improve sales, the machines were to be badged as if made by Schaublin.
The bed on all models was identical with flat ways and the same construction used for the vertical column - upon which the elevating headstock rode. The saddle to bed fit and both the cross and top slides (the latter an accessory ar extra cost) all used tapered gib strips
An enormously wide range of accessories was offered including the expected collets with draw-in and lever-action closers, horizontal cutter-holding arbor, steadies, quick-set toolposts, 3 and 4-jaw chucks, carriage stops, tailstock chucks and rotating centres but also dividing attachments, T-slotted boring tables, T-slotted angle plates, a T-slotted and tapped faceplate, self-contained coolant equipment, a swivel-base precision machine vice, lever-feed cross-slide, a multi-position indexing carriage stop, capstan-handle driven tailstock, , a "dividing attachment" tailstock, a 6-station bed-mounted capstan unit and even an "overhead" to drive toolpost-mounted high-speed grinding and milling spindles.
If you reader has a Wahli, or experience of using one, the writer would be very interested in hearing from you.
Le Multi 78 est une petite machine-outil  universelle de precision a 3 axes. 1l  est constitue par  un bance de forme tubulaire tres rigide et une colonne verticale  basee sur le meme princi pe. Cette colonne permet  le deplacement de la poupee dans le plan vertical.  La vis-mere  actionne le deplacement du chariot longitudinal  sur  lequel est monte le chariot transversal. La reprise du jeu  dans les trois axes se fait pa r  lardons coniques.
L'entra inement se fait par u n variateur de vitesse et un reducteur. Ceci permet un reglage continu aise et tres rapide des nombres de tours de la broche, sans reducteur entre 300 et 3000 min-1, avec reducteur entre 50 et 500 min-1. Les roues de division pour les avances et les filetages sont logees dans un carter ferme avec bain d'huile.
Le Multi 78 possede les avantages suivants:
Construction moderne et rigide - Grande precision - Broche de la poupee montee sur roulements a billes a contact oblique precharges et graisses a vie - Entrainement de la vis-mere synchronise avec la broche sur toute la course verticale de la poupee - Roues de division et toutes les parties coulissantes trempees et rectifiees -
Manipulation aisee et rapide - Changements demise en train rapides - Entretien reduit au minimum - etc.
Ideal dans n'importe quel domaine de la mecanique, le Multi 78 permet d'executer toutes les operations courantes: tou rnage, filetage, ta raudage, centrage, percage, alesage, fraisage, travaux  de division,  rectification interieu re et exterieu re, etc., pour travaux en series et pieces unitaires.
La qualite et la grande variete d'accessoires disponibles destinent les machines Multi a tous les ateliers de mecanique, de reparation  et d'outillage, laboratoires de recherche, ecoles techniques et professionnelles, artisans, etc. Partout ou  des pieces en metal, matiere synthetique, bois, etc. doivent etre usi nees de maniere rapide, precise et rationelle, les Multi apportent  une solution elegante tout en econonisant la precieuse surface du sol dans les ateliers..