Hydraulic Tracer Control Systems

Hydraulic Tracer Control Systems

Hydraulic Tracer Control Systems - Hydraulic tracer controlled machining is widely employed in modern engineering. For this purpose, lathes are equipped with a special hydraulic tracer-controlled slide. To install this slide it is first necessary to remove the tool post slide, to remove the cross slide from the saddle and then to secure the hydraulic slide on the plate which is mounted on the saddle ways at the back of the lathe.

Fig. shows hydraulic tracer controlled system for a milling machine.

Hydraulic Tracer Controlled System For a Milling Machine

Both the workpiece and the template are clamped on the milling machine table. Assume that the table moves longitudinally and the stylus, moves down the template, remaining in contact with it under spring pressure. Ports 2 and 4 of the tracer valve shall open, thus the oil delivered by the oil pump is admitted through port 2, of the valve, to the head end (H) of the hydraulic actuating cylinder.

This pressure of the oil forces the piston (P) together with its rod (R) and spindle head to move downward, thereby reproducing (cutting) the shape of the template on the workpiece. The oil from the tail end (T) of the cylinder draws through port 4, back to the oil tank.

The spindle head continues to move downward until the ports 2 and 4 are covered by the body of the tracer valve. Likewise, when the stylus moves upward on the template, ports 1 and 3 of the tracer valve operate to move the cutter accordingly, i.e. upward on the workpiece.