Swiss machines greatly improve machine shop efficiency while achieving high tolerances on demanding and high-volume parts. As with many machining equipment, the biggest idle times are the setup and change of tools. Horn company and their German partner circumnavigated this issue with the use of modular blocks and cooling connectors for a quick change between tools. The challenge the company faced was ensuring the blocks are robust enough to endure stresses generated by machining processes. The repeatability that the modular system achieves is an impressive 2 microns, guaranteed to satisfy most demanding applications.
Key Takeaways:
- Tool manufacturer W&F Werkzeugtechnik recently developed the new W&F Linear Unit in order to make tool changes on Swiss lathes faster and less error-prone.
- The W&F Linear Unit consists of tooling blocks which contain plumbing that allows the operator to run high-pressure coolant through them.
- The new tooling blocks are modular, durable, and reliable, and help to eliminate human error during tool changes.
“Two of the largest time sinks in Swiss turning are setups and tool changes.”
Read more: https://www.mmsonline.com/articles/quick-change-tooling-improves-swiss-lathe-profits
