Product category:
Toolholders
News Release from: Mapal | Subject: Tool holding developments at EMO 2007
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 02 November 2007
Speeding up and securing tool changing
A tooling and tool holding company introduced some interesting tool holding developments at EMO 2007, which we present in this brief article.
During the last EMO 2007 held in Hannover, Germany, Mapal introduced a 'Clamp by Wire' tool clamping system intended to allow a safe tool change as quickly as possible The company also introduced manufacturingtalk.com to a front clamping device, which provides a high draw back force yet effects fast tool changing
* 'Clamp by wire' - Mapal has been developing a 'clamp by wire' electronic tool clamping system.
It combines precision mechanics with the latest electronic control ideas.
The result is an electronic system, which, according to electronic signals, clamps and releases tools held by 'electric energy'.
Mapal said it increases the safety in tool changing as well as speeding up the process.
The reasons given include elimination of hydraulics, while any standard machine tool control can actuate and monitor the tool changing.
Mapal said in its report to manufacturingtalk.com that the 'electronic clamping system' had been developed in a joint project with Aradex.
Aradex produces electronic servo-controlled drives and control systems.
The control system is able to monitor the following.
* Tooling wear.
* Precise clamping shank diameter.
* Contamination on the tool shank.
To do the above, Mapal's 'Clamp by Wire' system spots any deviations in tolerances relating to tool shank taper diameter or inaccuracies in the location of tool clamping shoulders.
Mapal said that this system ensures that a cutting tool is perfectly seated and is so capable of maintaining high production quality.
The system operates by monitoring the trend of clamping forces as they are applied.
A big advantage is that the user does not have to fit any other sensors to the machine tool.
As regards maintenance, Mapal said that the system does not use cup springs, so there is no reduction in the tooling draw-back forces arising from repeated cycling, so maintenance costs are low.
Mapal said too that good tool balancing is achieved.
* Front clamping device - a lever-operated front clamping device allows tool changes to be performed very quickly, said Mapal.
It uses an operating lever, which moves through a 65 deg angle to clamp up to a stop.
It produces a very high, defined draw-back force - said to be double that specified in the standard.
The front clamping device has very safe operation, in that the operator can only release the lever if the tool is clamped 100% effectively.
The system also activates a safety pin, which prevents the tool from loosening and falling free.
The front clamping device has extremely large central clearance.
For example in the HSK-63 model central clearance is 12mm instead of the standard 6mm.
So HSK-A chucks can also be mounted without having to remove the coolant hose first.
The periphery for applications with minimal lubrication or driven tools can also be passed easily through the clamping device.
* Machine tools with limited space ands close spindle pitches - Mapal's diagonal clamping device has a screw, which is located at 45 deg and is easy to get at and is applied with a hexagonal key.
Mapal told manufacturingtalk.com that the full draw-back force is well above the standard requirement and is achieved with a specified torque.
Like the front clamping device, the diagonal clamping device also has a large central clearance.
* Axial clamping device for disc-shaped tools - Mapal's axial clamping device is applied axially from the front or the rear.
So it can clamp disc-shaped tools with a central bore, such as grinding wheels or saw blades.
That is, it can clamp tooling, which has a hollow taper shank at the rear.
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