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At the September 2014 IMTS show, Emmett Quigley, the Manager of the Airborne Instrument Development Lab at NASA Ames Research Center, was looking for a modular workholding system that would help him to quickly change over the fixturing on his table to meet the lab's demands of rapid prototyping and development.
Demanding design requirements for future developmentQuigley had several initial requirements:
Emmett looked at a couple of systems but post IMTS only mPower had followed up with the information he needed to start the design. He found that the Modern Industries mPower modular tombstones and fixturing systems would meet his needs, but would need some customization to truly get the maximum use of his machines table space and travels. The mPower system was to be implemented on two machines to begin with. The first would be the labs workhorse, a Deckel MAHO DMU70V. The next machine would be a Deckel Maho MH600C Universal Milling Machine. The MAHO is unique in that it has both a horizontal and vertical spindle as well as a full fourth axis capability. After several email exchanges and design discussions with regional manager Chris Savolainen and Ron Bemis, the Application Engineer at Modern Industries the team spent from from October 15th through 17th reviewing the various part shapes and size requirements to define the subplate hole locations that would provide the very best versatility to meet the needs of the lab.
It was decided to go with 2" x 2", 1/2 -13 bolt hole pattern in 1.5 “ thick aluminum plates. However they needed to modify the DMU plate by adding the through hole so they can reach the table with their tool setter. Quigley then need to duplicate the plates in steel. The final requirement was that the lab needed to have the locating/clamping features below the surface as these plates will need to be surfaced from time to time. Due to budget constraints the system had to be developed with consideration for the longer term lab requirements so that it could eventually expand for upcoming new projects. Preparing for the unknown problem has always been part of the mission at NASA so long term contingency planning is the norm. In June of 2015, phase one of the project was implemented on the Deckel Maho DMU70V machine. Quigley's thoughts on the implementation thus far: According to Savolainen "NASA's Airborne Instrument Development Lab at Ames really considers both current needs and future needs when they look at workholding systems. The machines and equipment have to be versatile enough to handle current projects but also new research projects that might not even exist until 10 or 15 years from now. They really put a great deal of thought into products before they get them and it's actually a real pleasure to work with engineers who plan and think so far into the future!"
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Masa Tool introduces a 5C Microconic cartridge that maintains 5 µm concentricity and is now available for machining centers, CNC lathes, CNC mills, gang-tool lathes, like Omniturn, CNC mill/turn, like Nakamura, Miyano, Mori-Seiki, and even rotary indexers as well as tool and cutter grinders!  Microconic 5C cartridge replaces a standard 5C collet to provide extended nose reach and 0.0002" concentriciy
by Steve McBride, Product Specialist, OSG Tap & Die There are a variety of Shrink Fit Toolholding Systems on the market, all of which use thermal contraction to grip cutting tools. However, while most Shrink Fit holders are one-piece type, OSG has improved upon this design with our “hybrid” Shrink Fit System. The word “hybrid” is defined as “something of mixed origin or composition” and this is what OSG has accomplished with our shrink fit system, as our holders have the accuracy and rigidity of Shrink Fit Holders, but the versatility of Collet Chucks.
HOW ACCURATE IS IT? Since all surfaces are precision ground, OSG’s Shrink Fit System maintains a runout accuracy of 5 microns (0.0002”) or less. This accuracy is consistently repeatable, since our Shrink Fit Collets are made of a stainless steel alloy (rather than tool steel) and our hot air Shrink Fit unit keeps the heat to a manageable level. This high level of accuracy helps the customer to machine the part to a finished state without worry.
Using the OSG’s Shrink Fit Holders with standard cutting tools (rather than EDM or special extended-length cutting tools) save customers considerable money. OSG’s Shrink Fit Collets can also be modified to fit extremely tight spaces
FLEXIBILITY In addition to accuracy and reach, OSG’s Shrink Fit System offers flexibility that others do not. One Base Holder can accommodate a variety of Shrink Fit Collets, allowing customers to keep initial investments low. Also, since Shrink Fit Collets can be used in any Base Holder, customers can use OSG’s Shrink Fit System in multiple machines simply by purchasing new Base Holders. This is particularly helpful since a shop can get greater versatility out of existing tooling when they purchase new machines. MAXIMUM COST SAVINGS OSG’s Shrink Fit System provides maximum accuracy, reach and flexibility, all of which contribute to increased productivity and cost savings. Your customers should consider our system not only for new tooling purchases, but also for improving productivity on existing jobs.
BIG Kaiser brings flexible workholding to 5-axis machine tables by surrounding Unilock zero-point quick-change receivers with a grid pattern. The benefits of 5-axis machines are greatest when workholding is based on the size and shape of the workpiece instead of the limitations of the table interface. By providing multiple workholding opportunities, Unilock users quickly integrate most workholding products and keep their machine spindles up and running.
Providing BIG Kaiser with a drawing of your machine table (or the make and model number) is all it takes to get started. Clients can also request production drawings or use third party suppliers. BIG Kaiser offers several flexible machine table interfaces, some of which can be delivered as turnkey solutions. We can pull workpieces down onto the table to maximize the available envelope, or elevate workpieces for complete 5-sided access.
To be competitive in today's market, all machines need efficient workpiece handling. Efficient part loading systems are always included in the acquisition of high-volume manufacturing cells but all too often getting fixtures on and off the CNC milling machine is forgotten. In today's market, time is money. The UNILOCK system from Big Kaiser removes set-up time and replaces it with production time.
How it works The UNILOCK utilizes spring pressure to drive wedges against a tapered wedge lock (clamping knob). Air pressure is used to compress the springs, releasing the wedge lock. Clamping is achieved by bleeding the air pressure out of the chuck. To facilitate palletization, the clamping knob is attached to a base plate, fixture or directly to a workpiece. The result is quick and repeatable clamping. During day-to-day use, chucks can be cleaned with compressed air. The fit between the clamping rams and the chuck body will not allow air pressure to push chips inside of the chuck. If you get chips in the clamping pocket, simply blow them out with an air gun. When open, the wedges completely retract. The one-to-one length to diameter ratio of the pocket is easily blown out. There is no need for a vacuum. The 40mm tall by 40mm diameter clamping knob is extremely stable and can double as a foot when moving fixtures and workpieces around the shop. You will not need protective sleeves or special shelving when storing or transporting UNILOCK palletized fixtures or workpieces. Male and female threads are available in multiple sizes.
Fixtures and many workpieces are easily adapted to the UNILOCK clamping knobs. Tremendous savings are available if the fixture or workpiece can be reoriented
or transferred to machine additional faces while remaining attached to the UNILOCK clamping components. On horizontal machines with columns, fixtures can be rotated 90 degrees or moved to the top. Transferring fixtured parts through as many operations as possible eliminates additional fixtures and clamping/unclamping time. Less clamping and unclamping of parts also reduces scrap and improves feature-to-feature accuracies. Once you grab the part, you can use the UNILOCK to send it to as many operations as possible without removing the part from the fixture. UNILOCK positions and clamps from one face leaving the other faces available for machining. Rotary tables, angle/sine plates and multi-sided tombstones facilitate part reorientation for subsequent operations. Give us a call if you have an workholding application that costing you money and let's see if we can come up with a UNILOCK solution All too often, shops invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in a new machining center to increase production, when they could accomplish the same thing with existing machinery at a fraction of the cost. Many machines cut metal less than 50% of the time during working hours— even less in a flexible manufacturing environment where part runs are generally short. For the rest of the time, these machines sit idle while their operators are setting up tools in the spindle. Instead of purchasing an additional CNC machining center, a shop can invest in equipment that allows it to set up tools outside the machine, so the spindle can make chips while the next tool is being adjusted and prepared.
Presetters measure the cutting edges of your tools to assure they precisely match job specifications and are ready to be used in the machine. Adjustments that could take up to 15 minutes when made on your machine can be made offline in less than a minute on a presetter, while your machine continues cutting. The result - better parts, longer tool life, and less spindle downtime.
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NEWSOur NEWS blog section is written by several different people. Sometimes, it from our team here at Next Generation Tooling & at other times it's by one of the manufacturer's we represent. 
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