NEXT GENERATION TOOLING
  • Home
    • Training
  • About
    • History
    • Contact
  • Territory
  • Principals
    • Tooling >
      • Achteck America
      • ARNO USA
      • BIG Daishowa
      • IMS
      • Mapal
      • OSG Tool
      • Performance Micro Tool
      • Platinum Tooling
    • Workholding >
      • BIG Daishowa
      • Jergens
      • mPower Workholding
    • MRO, Storage & Workspace >
      • Champion Storage
      • Ergo Advantage
  • Promotions
  • News
  • Technical

How Collets Work & What Impacts Collet Performance

9/6/2023

0 Comments

 
Technical Blog excerpt courtesy of  Techniks USA
Techniks Parlec ER Collet Set
Techniks offers the broadest selection of ER collets including standard, steelsealed, coolant, rigid & floating tap, and DNA - Dead Nuts Accurate, collets.
It is important to understand how collets work, what impacts their performance, how to maintain collets for long service life, and how to recognize when to replace them.
Collets are a high-precision wear component of a tool holding system and require maintenance to ensure accuracy. First, it’s important to remember that collets are the softest component in a collet-based tool-holding system assembly and are designed to wear out.

Here is an overview of the wear pattern of a collet-based tool-holding system. The machine spindle is harder than the tool holder/collet chuck that fits into the spindle, so any wear between these two components will mostly occur to the collet chuck. That’s good.  It protects the spindle from expensive maintenance.

Collets are softer than both the collet chuck body and the cutting tool, so any wear forces between these items will mostly occur to the collet. Since collets are generally the least expensive component in a collet chuck tool holding system, it is preferred that the collets wear out before the other components.

Worn-out collets will not achieve the same level of accuracy and rigidity that newer collets can provide. The result is more chatter when cutting workpieces, less accuracy, and shorter cutting tool life.

When to Replace Collets

Collets are designed to wear out as they lose accuracy and rigidity with use. High side-load forces during milling operations cause cutting tool deflection as illustrated below.
High side-load forces during milling operations cause cutting tool deflection
Over time, these side-load forces will bell-mouth the collet at its face.
Bell mouth Collet from cutting tool load
As the collet experiences bell-mouthing, the cutting tool is allowed to deflect more and more during milling operations.

​Unfortunately, the collet may still indicate good accuracy on a presetter where there are no side-load forces. However, once the tool is put into service and begins experiencing side-load forces, the cutting tool is allowed more room to deflect, resulting in increased chatter and reduced tool life.

It is recommended to change collets out every 4-6 months, depending on usage, to ensure the most rigid and accurate collet chuck assembly.
A good rule of thumb is to replace collets every 4-6 months to maximize the performance of your tooling. 

Again, collets are designed to wear out and are generally the least expensive component in the system. It is much less expensive to replace the collets as opposed to prematurely wearing out cutting tools.

The following tips will help you in maintaining collets:
  • Clean the collet with a cloth and the interior with a little brass brush (sometimes the broken ends of tools & other debris can become lodged within).
  • WD40 should be sprayed on fresh collets before being cleaned with a cloth. By doing this, the protective coating applied to collets before they are packaged will be removed (something that can make it harder to grip tools).
  • Ensure that there is no debris in the slots as this could reduce the clamping force. If an obstruction is seen in a slot, use a thin object, like a knife’s tip, to remove the obstruction.

Signs that Your Collet Should be Replaced

Any signs of fretting on the collet indicate the collet is vibrating in the tool holder.

​Fretting appears as rust-colored spots typically at the highest point where the collet sits in the collet pocket of the collet chuck.  

This is not rust but rather an indication that there is a vibration between the collet and the collet pocket connection.

​The vibration causing the fretting is also reducing cutting tool life.

Fretting on an ER Collet
If you see signs of fretting on the collet, it is advised to replace the collet. You should also ensure that collet nuts are tightened to the correct torque specifications during setup.

CLICK HERE to see all of our more in-depth articles on FRETTING to learn more.
0 Comments

    Technical Support Blog

    At Next Generation Tool we often run into many of the same technical questions from different customers. This section should answer many of your most common questions.

    We set up this special blog for the most commonly asked questions and machinist data tables for your easy reference.

    If you've got a question that's not answered here, then just send us a quick note via email or reach one of us on our CONTACTS page here on the website.
    ​

    email us

    Authorship

    Our technical section is written by several different people. Sometimes, it's from our team here at Next Generation Tooling & at other times it's by one of the innovative manufacturer's we represent in California and Nevada.

    Archives

    October 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    September 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    November 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    September 2013
    July 2013
    March 2013
    December 2012
    March 2012
    November 2011
    May 2011
    March 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010

    Categories

    All
    5th Axis
    Aerospace
    Allied Machine
    Aluminum Oxide
    Angle Head
    ARNO USA
    AT3
    Balance
    Bellmouthed Hole
    Big Daishowa
    Big EWA Automatic Boring
    Big Kaiser
    BIG Plus
    Blue Photon
    Bone Screws
    Boring Tool
    Carbide
    Carmex Precision
    CBN
    Centerline Deviation
    Ceramic Black
    Ceramic End Mill
    Ceramic Inserts
    Ceramic Oxide
    Ceramic Whiskered
    Ceramic White
    Chamfer
    Champion Tool Storage
    Chip Breaking
    Circular Saw
    Class Of Fit
    CNC Lathe Tooling
    Collet
    Collet Chuck
    Collet ER
    Collet TG
    Composites
    Covid-19
    Deep Hole Boring
    Deep Hole Drilling
    Drilling
    Dual Contact
    Dyna Contact Gage
    Dyna Force Tool
    Dyna Test Bar
    EMO
    End Mill
    Exotap
    Facemill
    Fixturing
    Fretting
    Gaylee Saw
    Hard Turning
    Heimatec
    Helical Interpolation
    Hohl Shaft Kegel
    How Its Made
    HSK A
    HSK-A
    HSK E
    HSK-E
    HSK F
    HSK-F
    HXL Tap
    Hy Pro Tap
    Hy-Pro Tap
    IMTS
    Jergens
    Jergens OK-Vise
    Kurt
    Lang
    Live Tooling
    MA Ford
    Maintenance Cart
    Mapal
    Martindale Saw
    Material: Aluminum
    Material: CFRP
    Material: D2
    Material: Hastelloy
    Material: Inconel
    Material: Peek
    Material: Stone
    Material Titanium
    Material: VC 10
    Material: VC-10
    Metric Course Thread
    Metric Fine Thread
    Metric Thread Chart
    Microconic
    Micromachining
    ModLoc
    Modular
    Mogul Bars
    MPower
    NextGen Tooling
    No Go Too Loose
    NTK
    NTK HX5
    On Site Training
    OptiMill-SPM
    OSG Tap & Die
    Oversized Thread
    Parlec
    PCD
    PCT Firm Hold
    Platinum Tooling
    Projection Length
    Pull Studs
    Reamer
    Retention Knob
    ROC® Mineral Cast Solutions
    Rotary Toolholders
    Rotary Toolholders BT
    Rotary Toolholders CAT
    Rotary Toolholders HSK
    Rotary Toolholders Hydraulic
    Rotary Toolholders Shrink
    Rough Thread
    Runout
    Runout Axial
    Runout Radial
    Safe-Flex
    Saw Selection
    Short Tap Life
    Sialons
    Silicon Nitride
    Smart Damper
    Speed Increaser
    SpeedLoc
    Speroni STP Essntia
    Spindle Mouth Wear
    Surface Roughness Ra
    Surface Roughness RMS
    Swiss
    Swiss Machining
    Taper Wear
    Tapping Feed
    Tapping; Form
    Tapping IPM
    Tapping: Roll
    Tapping RPM
    Tapping Speed
    Tap Tolerance
    Technical Training
    Technicrafts
    Techniks USA
    Thread Milling
    Thread Whirling
    T.I.R.
    Tolerance
    Toolchanger Alignment
    Toolholder Taper
    Tool Presetter
    Torn Thread
    Troubleshooting
    UNC Thread Size
    Undersized Thread
    UNF Thread Size
    Unilock
    Vises
    Washdown Tool
    Workholding

    RSS Feed

Picture

About
Contact
TOOLING
WORKHOLDING
EVENTS
NEWS
TECHNICAL


Established 1995
​

Next Generation Tooling
13962 Idaho Maryland Road
Nevada City, CA95959

916.765.4227
© 2025 Next Generation Tooling, LLC. 
All Rights Reserved
Created by Rapid Production Marketing

Find us on Instagram @nextgentool

  • Home
    • Training
  • About
    • History
    • Contact
  • Territory
  • Principals
    • Tooling >
      • Achteck America
      • ARNO USA
      • BIG Daishowa
      • IMS
      • Mapal
      • OSG Tool
      • Performance Micro Tool
      • Platinum Tooling
    • Workholding >
      • BIG Daishowa
      • Jergens
      • mPower Workholding
    • MRO, Storage & Workspace >
      • Champion Storage
      • Ergo Advantage
  • Promotions
  • News
  • Technical