TMX Workholding's 12-jaw power chuck was designed with three specific goals in mind: reduce part deformation caused by clamping forces, reduce the set-up time required to change over from one part to another and combine both of these benefits in a product that was sealed for use on a vertical lathe. The development of the 12-jaw power chuck, part of the TMX Workholding Engineered Solutions product line, addressed an agriculture manufacturer's need for specialized workholding.
"The part to be manufactured called for a very thin wall, which is why maintaining part geometry (i.e. roundness) was a key factor in the custom chuck design. Because of this the engineers at TMX Workholding came up with the unusual looking 12-Jaw design. The 12 jaws allow for 24 points of contact with the machined part, meaning less deformation of the workpiece caused by the localized clamping forces seen in a typical 3-jaw chuck. In addition to the 24 points of contact, the jaws were designed with carbide grippers to help get a better bite into the forging. This additional grip from the carbide grippers allows lower hydraulic cylinder pressures to be used while maintaining the proper gripping torque," said a company spokesperson.
According to the company, another key factor was a reduction in set-up time for the customer. The manufacturer needed to turn a diverse family of thin-walled rings that required several hours to change from one size ring to another. TMX engineers employed long jaw stroke in tandem with stepped jaws that allow the customer to grip five to seven different part diameters with the same set of jaws. This eliminated the need to remove and replace jaws each time they changed part diameters.
To address chip and swarf contamination, commonly an issue with vertical lathe applications, TMX engineers incorporated wiper seals along all sliding jaw surfaces, sealed chuck adapters with integrated coolant channels to help eliminate coolant while rotating and sealing collars on the drawbar used to connect the hydraulic cylinder with the back of the chuck. According to the company, sealing a chuck reduces maintenance costs by limiting the frequency of disassembly, cleaning and general chuck maintenance. The sealed chuck design also minimizes the amount of chip swarf contamination on the chuck's sliding surfaces, thus lengthening chuck life expectancy.
For more information contact:
Jim McSpadden, Marketing Specialist
TMX Workholding Solutions
2015 South Mitchell Blvd.
Schaumburg, IL 60193-4543
847-524-1074 Ext 119
mjim.mcspadden@toolmex.com
Shawn Luschei
VP - TMX Workholding
TMX Workholding Solutions
2015 South Mitchell Blvd.
Schaumburg, IL 60193-4543
847-524-1074 Ext 198
shawn.luschei@toolmex.com
www.toolmex.com