By Jack Burley

Many shops are unaware that a lot of their spindles are BIG-PLUS, so they don’t realize the capabilities they possess that this system provides. If you identify these spindles on your floor and want to start taking advantage of them, there are some things you should know

I was recently chatting with our friends at SPS Spindle Parts and Service, LLC (Goffstown, NH). They are, to my understanding, the only certified BIG-PLUS® spindle grinder in America that performs onsite regrinds. Chris Vigneault, their onsite grinding manager, explained that most of their onsite visits, BIG-PLUS or not, are the result of a crash or poor drawbar retention that allows a tool to loosen in the spindle. That isn’t usually surprising news, but Vigneault explained that their testing and examination process often does reveal something else that is very surprising for customers: “One of the things that most customers are unaware of is that a lot of their spindles are BIG-PLUS and they simply don’t know it,” he said. “Not all, but a lot of customers lately are looking for that ability and just don’t know that they already have it.”

This is common after the purchase of a used machine tool, but shops are even more surprised when they hear this news about new machines. There are a couple of reasons this happens:

All of which begs the question, how do you find out if you have a BIG-PLUS spindle?

We have learned over the years which builders are making their spindles to BIG-PLUS as a standard or as an option, and on which models. So when I visit a customer or talk to them over the phone, I ask what brands of machines they use and compare this with the master list of authorized machine tool builders for BIG-PLUS. However, the easiest way to figure it out is to place a standard tool into the spindle and see how much of a gap there is between the tool holder flange face and spindle face. Without BIG-PLUS, the standard gap should be visible, or about .12 in. If it is BIG-PLUS, the gap is half of this amount, or only .06 in. These values change depending on 30 taper, 40 taper or 50 taper sizes, but the gap is visibly less than usual.

If you identify BIG-PLUS spindles on your floor and you want to start taking advantage, there are some things you should know. First, if you’ve been using standard V-flange tools in that spindle, you likely won’t be able to realize the full benefits of the system. Over time, standard tooling will wear the spindle in ways that change its geometries. “We were just at a shop in Connecticut checking out a BIG-PLUS spindle,” recalled Vigneault. “Because of the way it wears when you don’t use BIG-PLUS tooling – which is exactly the way this customer was using the machine – the face was very heavy, or oversized. If we were grinding it back into spec, it would probably take quite a bit of work. We would have to take a lot of material off the face to get there.”

Because both taper and face contact are what make the system shine, the geometry is critical. If someone trying to transition to BIG-PLUS tooling after learning they have the spindle doesn’t understand that, they won’t experience the performance they expect. There’s also the factor of maintenance.

If a shop didn’t know it had BIG-PLUS machines, it’s a safe bet they didn’t take the preventive steps to help preserve the crucial geometry. These include keeping the spindle, tools and carts clean; misaligned automatic tool changer arms can also harm a BIG-PLUS spindle. These very reasons are why we offer spindle and tool taper cleaners, as well as arm alignment tools. Also, resist the temptation to use less expensive, unlicensed dual-contact tools if you want to give the system a shot. These tool makers do not have the master gauges necessary to create the correct geometry . . . for reference, read my Depth of Cut column titled “Is BIG-PLUS an International Standard?” It shares comparative test results and details the risks.

There’s really one proven way to restore a BIG-PLUS spindle to proper specifications: with a certified regrind. Just as tool makers need the right gauges and measuring devices, so do spindle grinders. If you discover you have BIG-PLUS spindles and want to take advantage, keep these factors in mind to see what the system can do.

Jack Burley is the vice president of sales and engineering at BIG KAISER Precision Tooling Inc., 2600 Huntington Boulevard, Hoffman Estates, IL 60192, 847-228-4011, Fax: 847-228-0881, jack.burley@us.bigkaiser.com, www.bigkaiser.com.

We are very excited to announce that David Edge has joined the Next Generation Tooling team. David has a wealth of experience from his 45+ years in the metalcutting industry.  He not only knows the technical aspects of cutting tool applications but also the procedural functions that are important to manufacturers, Industrial distributors and machinery dealers.

We where very excited to meet and greet many of our customers at the 2017 Western Tool & Supply Open House.

 It was held at their San Jose, CA. on September 21- 22, 2017.

We featured quite a few featured products from our principals during the two day event. It was great discussing lots of technical applications that machinists brought to us! ​

We got to spend a few days in Chicago to get a great preview of some of the newest products and innovations for the kind of machining we do on the West Coast.

There's some really informative videos on quite number of the products so be sure and give yourself some time to watch them.

Use as a single or double station fixed jaw vise.  Two vises for the price of one.

The small footprint allows for multiple units to be ganged together on vertical or horizontal machines.​

BIG KAISER is continuing down the path of digital tooling innovation with the introduction of the EWD EVO, a digital boring head designed with a single goal in mind—making the life of an operator as easy as possible.

It will be synched with the new BIG KAISER smartphone and tablet app, which was developed to enhance user friendliness while assembling and running BIG KAISER boring tools. 

Not only will you be able to read the cutting diameter change, but the app will also help operators determine optimal cutting parameters from their tool assemblies. The app will also log historical adjustments for all tools ever synched with it, a critical piece for shops joining the smart manufacturing movement.

Heimatec Inc. spotlighted its complete line of live tools and showcased them at IMTS in a series of four new catalogs. Already offering the most complete line of live tools available in the industry, with over 40,000 designs in its database,

Check out the video! Matt Saccomanno discusses the Microconic Workholding system at IMTS 2016.  

Masa Tool has developed the Microconic™ system specifically for holding workpieces from Ø0.15mm to 10mm (Ø0.006" to 0.390") in any machine that has a collet-type chuck.

The Microconic™ system works with either draw-type or push-type standard collet systems that are in any machine.

​The Over-grip collet capabilities of Masa Microconic™ System, introduces a whole new world of time saving opportunities awaiting. Our Overgrip Collets open up to 4mm (0.157") diameter larger than the clamping diameter.

Read this section or just watch the video! The SpinSelect Multi-Pocket Selectable Tool Holder was created to increase productivity and consistency by decreasing downtime associated with tool and insert setups and changovers.

Designed for use on most lathes having a turret or tool post, SpinSelect™ offers significantly better throughput on machining tasks such as heavy roughing, harder material removal, and short runs. Machining operators have seen up to an 85% savings on changeover/setup times as SpinSelect creates a nearly continuous runtime with offline insert changes/reloading.

The high speed turning of aluminium alloys and non-ferrous materials has now been taken to a new level with the introduction of the NTK PD2 insert line. With exceptional edge sharpness and adhesion resistance, the new PD2 range of inserts are ideal for extending tool life and productivity on difficult to machine alloys.

Furthermore, the edge toughness and composition give the PD2 tool life and consistency that is unrivalled when conducting interrupted and continuous machining.

​The new PD2 is available as a positive insert with a CCMT, DCMT and TPMT geometry that provides a PCD cutting edge length of 2.3mm with the option of a 0.2 or 0.4mm corner radius. The various insert geometries and available with an insert thickness from 2.4 to 9.5mm. 

Complementing the positive geometry inserts is a complete selection of negative type inserts for the PD2. The CNMX, DNMX and TNMX geometries have a cutting length of 3.4, 4.5 and 3mm respectively and all inserts have a 4.76mm thickness that promotes strength and rigidity. The three insert types are available with a corner radius of 0.4 or 0.8mm to prevent edge breakages and prolong tool life and consistency.
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Both the positive and negative type single cutting edge inserts are available with a range of toolholder designations to suit all types of turning centre from the smaller sliding head centres through to heavy duty turning machines.

A variety of cutting tools exhibited included the new EXOPRO AERO end mill series for composites.

Ever dream of machining composites without delamination and tool life issues? Composites are constructed with layers of material that are prone to delamination. They are also known to be abrasive and could easily wear your tool down. If your tool loses its sharpness, the material gets pushed away instead of cut, producing uncut fibers. OSG’s EXOPRO® AERO-BNC routerovercomes these problems and even provides high feed roughing and a superior finish.

Longer Tool Life
The AERO-BNC also features OSG’s patented diamond coating which has a maximum diamond grain size diameter of 2μm. This ensures our coating is super smooth. Unlike our competition, we manufacture all diamond products in-house using our grinding technique on our special carbide substrate. This patented diamond coating coupled with the AERO-BNC router’s thick core diameter and multiple flutes extends tool life significantly. Improved part finish and sharper cutting edges are also the end results of the diamond coating.

Versatility
​The AERO-BNC is extremely versatile and can be applied in both thick and thin laminates. It is versatile enough to handle trimming, slotting and shoulder milling applications! It also can engage parts by plunging, ramping or helical entry and is available in various end cuts to enable you to find the right tool for your job.

The International Manufacturing Technology Show is one of the largest industrial trade shows in the world, featuring 1,900 exhibitors and 100,000 visitors. The event is held every two years in September at McCormick Place, Chicago.

Don't miss out on the biggest show in Manufacturing - Register today! On-site registration is open Monday, Sept. 12 through Saturday, Sept. 17 in all four buildings of McCormick Place.

Tooling & Workholding Systems Pavilion in the West Building is open 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Several of our Principals will have products on display at IMTS 2016. Below is where you can find them at the show.

• Click on the company name for more information about the company 
• Click on the Booth Number to add them to your show planner.

Pavilion: Tooling & Workholding Systems 

• 5th Axis Workholding  Booth W-1158
• Allied Machine & Engineering Corp. Booth: W-2034 
• BIG Kaiser Precision Tooling Inc. Booth: W-1600
• Blue Photon Workholding: Booth W-1392
• Earth Chain (Techniks USA):  Booth W-1075
• Heimatec Inc. Booth: W-2054
• M.A. Ford  Booth: W-2374
• Masa Tool Microconic Workholding: W-2232
• MPower Workholding Booth: W-1916 
• NTK Cutting Tools Booth: W-1179
• OSG Tap & Die  Booth: W-1779
• TechniksUSA Booth: W-1075

Let us know if you're attending and let's make plans to meet each other in Chicago!

BIG Daishowa, the original developer of this system and a major reason that it has been so widely accepted throughout the world, still holds all of the proprietary information and, more importantly, the grand master gages that are used for reproducing spindles and tooling. Access to this information and gaging is well protected by BIG and is only provided to those companies who acquire a license agreement, mostly to protect the integrity of the system, which uses very close tolerances in order to function at its designed performance level.
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The popularity of BIG-PLUS has surged over the past ten years as many shops have tried the system and have witnessed for themselves the huge benefits in higher performance and accuracy over standardized taper contact tooling systems, such as CAT or BT. Other dual contact systems, such as HSK, have also seen a rise in popularity for similar reasons, but perhaps not with all of the same benefits of BIG-PLUS. Unfortunately, all of this increased popularity and demand has been accompanied by a surge in unlicensed copies to the market that offer all kinds of promises and prices never seen before.

Master gages for tooling are quite common. Generally all of them are traceable to a known master to compare the accuracy for rate of taper for production of tool holders, such as CAT or BT. ISO dual contact systems such as HSK rely on the use of a grand master gage that all other master gages are produced to, thereby guaranteeing that all HSK tool holders are the same everywhere in the world. Our company decided to find out how the world’s leading suppliers of HSK tool holders compared to the tolerances of the ISO standard. After acquiring more than 30 HSK-A63 taper tools from our competitors from all over the world and making a detailed quality inspection of the taper itself, we found that 50 percent of the samples were not in tolerance.

Jack Burley
Jack Burley is the vice president of sales and engineering at BIG KAISER Precision Tooling Inc., 2600 Huntington Boulevard, Hoffman Estates, IL 60192, 847-228-4011, Fax: 847-228-0881, jack.burley@us.bigkaiser.com, www.bigkaiser.com.