For OP 10 turning on forged, cast or irregular parts,
workholding is a difficult problem. Draft angles, parting lines, roughness, and
out-of-roundness are inherent in the raw stage of these parts. A pullback style
compensating chuck can grab the part and pull it back securely toward the chuck
face. The chuck jaws can compensate for surface irregularities.
Once the OP 10 is done, in a high production line, a more
accurate chuck is needed for OP 20 and onward. A pullback chuck can be useful
in these operations as well, as the more aggressive gripping force allows for
cranking up cutting conditions: feeds, speeds and depths of cut. On an
automotive line turning a million parts per year, slashing cycle time is key.
Machinists in the oil and gas industry know that too much
gripping force on tubular goods can deform the part. For these applications, a
self-contained air chuck is better than an aggressive pullback chuck.
Kitagawa chucks come standard on many machines, such as Mori Seiki and Okuma turning centers. A trade secret is that
most machines are overrated by 25 to 30 percent, allowing manufacturers to go
from a twelve-inch to a fifteen or even eighteen-inch chuck. Existing machines
can also be retrofitted with these workholding solutions.
Watch the video to hear more about these “chucks of choice”
from Yusuf Ali, business development manager of Kitagawa Northtech.
If you want to read more about CNC
turning centers, click here.