Quick Bits

Automotive Manufacturing & Production, May, 2000

Quick Change: Got a turning center with A2-5 and A2-6 spindles? Hardinge Inc. (Elmira, NY) offers quick-change collet systems for them. Change time takes less than 20 seconds. The design features greater concentricity control for faster feed rates and higher spindle speeds. Details: 120 on the RSC.

Quick Setup: Moving parts from one machine to another? KPT/Kaiser Precision Tooling (Elk Grove Village, IL) has a low-cost workholding system to eliminate fixturing setup time. KPT/Unilock combines a pneumatically actuated chuck with a pallet to hold the workpiece. The clamping lock has up to 11,240 lbs./ft. clamping force with a repeatability of 0.0002" or better. A reference location need only be established once, as alignments for the chuck are established from its center line and stored in the machine's CNC program. Details: 121 on the Reader Service Card.