Single Spindle Chucking Automatics

Single Spindle Chucking Automatics

Single Spindle Chucking Automatics - Single spindle chucking automatics are designed for efficient production of parts which must be held in a chuck. All tool movements, and speed and feed changes are controlled automatically. Parts are usually loaded and unloaded manually.

These machines are built with numerical controls or with electromechanical or hydraulic control systems.Single spindle chucking automatics vary in size from 150 mm to 600 mm chucking capacity.

The drive from the motor is to the spindle via change gears and from thence, through feed change gears, to tbe control shaft which operates the turret by means of a drum earn having the same number of lobes as there are turret faces, which vary from four to six. Driven from this shaft, at right angles, is the cross slide earn shaft, having single lobe drum cams driving the front and rear slides.

Fitted at an accessible place on the central shaft are various trips. Two, set to operate when the turret is in the back position, work gear change mechanisms, so that a limited range of speeds and feeds may be employed at each turret position. Alternate speeds and feeds are obtained by using different change gears.

Turret and cross slide feed strokes are altered by adjustable trips on the central shaft operating a clutch, which dis­engages the feed drive from the work spindle and brings in a constant fast speed drive to the central shaft, so that although the turret has a constant stroke, the feed stroke can be tripped in at any time.

Single spindle machines can be set up in a reasonably short time, to perform turning operations, of a simple nature with a minimum of tooling and so are invaluable for small batch work.

Cycle times, whilst being high when compared with the more sophisticated multispindle automatics, even then the machining costs are reduced where the operator works two machines grouped together to perform the two operations usually required to produce both sides of a finished blank.