{"id":13420,"date":"2021-09-10T10:23:21","date_gmt":"2021-09-10T10:23:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ixox.net\/?p=13420"},"modified":"2024-07-17T14:02:42","modified_gmt":"2024-07-17T07:02:42","slug":"tool-holder-maintenance-prevents-downtime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ixox.net\/tool-holder-maintenance-prevents-downtime\/","title":{"rendered":"Tool Holder Maintenance Prevents Downtime"},"content":{"rendered":"

The best way to prevent issues with collets is to simply keep them clean by removing swarf, particles, coolant residue and oil.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
There are three particularly sensitive areas of the tool holder assembly that can experience process-affecting wear and tear and cause a cycle to change. By identifying and addressing issues early in these areas, you can prevent small tool holding imperfections from turning into bigger problems.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ve got a brand new setup working on the floor. You\u2019ve invested in new holders and cutters. The job\u2019s been expertly engineered and programmed. Everything is going smoothly. Then, suddenly, something starts changing and nobody knows exactly why. All the fundamentals are the same: material, machine, tooling, temperature, etc.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a good chance the issue is with a tool holder system, one of its small, hard-to-reach, often-overlooked nooks or crannies. While I understand it can be time-consuming to clean and maintain holders, doing so is critical to long-term process control. If you treat holders and accessories right, both in and out of assembly, not only will their performance improve, but overall costs will be reduced by avoiding costly spindle repairs and tool breakage. Proper use and maintenance is especially important for three particular areas of the assembly that can experience process-affecting wear and tear: pull studs, collets\/nuts and the tool holder taper. Let\u2019s examine these so you can identify and address issues early to prevent small tool holding imperfections from turning into bigger problems.<\/p>\n
Pull Studs<\/strong><\/h2>\n
$\"The$
The pull stud is the single component that keeps a holder in the spindle. Because it weathers up to 7,500 lb of load in 50-taper arrangements, it is critical to protecting both employees and machinery. If the tool comes out, it will damage the spindle and cause repairs that could exceed $50,000.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
I\u2019ve visited shops of all shapes and sizes for more than 15 years and I\u2019m still amazed by how often I see buckets of pull studs sitting around. Though small commodities, as the single component that keeps a holder in the spindle \u2013 weathering up to 7,500 lb of load in 50-taper arrangements \u2013 pull studs are critical to protecting both your people and machinery. If you\u2019ve ever experienced a break, you know how scary and dangerous it can be. What\u2019s more, if that tool comes out it\u2019s going to damage the spindle, resulting in necessary repairs that can easily exceed $50,000.<\/p>\n
As with any metal-on-metal contact, one is the wear part. In a tool holder setting, the backside of the pull stud assumes this role. Depending on the collet type, repetitive ATC (automatic tool change) can cause dents that lead to stress risers and potentially breakage. A testament to how important this is to consistent performance is that we\u2019ve actually changed all of our smaller-taper knobs to a high-purity tool steel. Regardless of the type of pull stud you\u2019re using, we recommend inspecting them every time you change the cutting tool, both for wear and to make sure they aren\u2019t loosening. Get the bad ones out immediately or you\u2019ll begin to see effects throughout the interface and the workpiece. Pull studs generally last about three years, so finding a way to track them, whether you use studs manufactured with date coding or develop a system of your own, is very helpful.<\/p>\n
Finally, in addition to helping to maintain a consistent form longer, installing pull studs correctly ensures the taper won\u2019t bulge at the end and disrupt spindle contact. Use a removable thread locker and a torque wrench, but definitely not a cheater bar or hammer. Torque recommendations are:<\/p>\n
\n
30-taper: 18-22 ft-lb<\/li>\n
40-taper: 55-65 ft-lb<\/li>\n
50-taper: 100-120 ft-lb<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Collets\/Nuts<\/strong><\/h2>\n
When it comes to a traditional setup like solid clamping nuts with an ER style collet, it\u2019s all about friction. Collets and nuts are wear products too. The repeated twisting and sliding of the nut on the collet during clamping adds up. Likewise, since the nut\u2019s threads are what\u2019s actually pulling, the coating of the thread that helps maintain the proper relationship between the two can deteriorate. What\u2019s the big deal, you ask? The nut and collet connection directly impacts runout and gripping force \u2013 becoming other potential culprits of those unexpected, hard-to-explain changes in a cycle\u2019s performance. In testing, we found that after 500 clampings with a solid ER nut, runout accuracy changes by about 35 percent \u2013 that 12xD drill you\u2019re using is now off center. We also found after 500 clampings that gripping force can decrease up to 50 percent, increasing the chances of tool breakage. And the price of carbide is only going up.<\/p>\n
The best way to prevent these issues is pretty simple: keep them clean. I recommend an ultrasonic tank with a precision part cleaner. A small bench-top tank is great for removing swarf, particles, coolant residue and oil. Immediately after cleaning, dip them in rust-preventative oil \u2013 the longer the planned storage period, the heavier the oil. Since you must only ever work with a clean, dry collet, give them one more cleaning before returning them into cycle. This cleaning method is not, however, recommended for bearing nuts since cleaning fluid can get caught in the bearings and cause premature failure. Then again, their design in and of itself addresses most of these common to ER styles.<\/p>\n
<\/iframe><\/p>\n
The Taper<\/strong><\/h2>\n
$\"The$
The best way to prevent issues with collets is to simply keep them clean by removing swarf, particles, coolant residue and oil.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The longer I wear a shoe the more it reshapes to adapt to my foot. Spindles and holders aren\u2019t much different. The problem for machinists is that holders rarely stay paired with the same spindle. As such, trauma on a holder or spindle \u2013 dings, scratches, gouges, etc. \u2013 can magnify quickly. One bad holder can spread its problems like an illness. I\u2019ve said it twice, I\u2019ll say it again, if you\u2019re seeing disruptions like these on your holders, get them out of the rotation. For the sake of this discussion, I\u2019ll address the most common type of taper wear \u2013 fretting \u2013 the thin, rust-looking build-up that appears over time. Interestingly, it\u2019s not actually oxidation due to exposure; rather, it\u2019s caused by micro vibrations that push oil off the contact points resulting in metal-to-metal rub. Need another reason to get bad holders out of play?<\/p>\n
Well here it is: if there\u2019s fretting on the taper, you can bet it\u2019s on the spindle. The good news is that we know this is almost always caused by pushing the tools too hard for the machine, fixturing or workpiece. If you see fretting, I advise reevaluating your processes and dialing back to the proper specifications for each part of the process. As with collets and nuts, proper and thorough cleaning, with taper and spindle cleaners, also helps prevent fretting and other damage from starting in the first place. That said, an easy way to nip this in the bud is with a dual-contact interface that will all but eliminate the root cause of fretting: micro vibrations.<\/p>\n
Of course, every part of the tool holding assembly wears in one way or another, which speaks further to the importance of proper maintenance and use, but these three areas are especially sensitive. So when a cycle mysteriously changes, don\u2019t overlook these three parts of the holder assembly. Better yet, instead of waiting for the \u201cwe aren\u2019t sure what\u2019s going on\u201d stage, take care of your holders.<\/p>\n
*Source: bigkaiser.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"*
There are three particularly sensitive areas of the tool holder assembly that can experience process-affecting wear and tear and cause a cycle to change. By identifying and addressing issues early in these areas, you can prevent small tool holding imperfections from turning into bigger problems. You\u2019ve got a brand new setup working on the floor. […]\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":13423,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1975],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technical-news"],"lang":"en","translations":{"en":13420},"pll_sync_post":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ixox.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13420"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ixox.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ixox.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ixox.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ixox.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13420"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ixox.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13420\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24070,"href":"https:\/\/ixox.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13420\/revisions\/24070"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ixox.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13423"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ixox.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ixox.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ixox.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

The best way to prevent issues with collets is to simply keep them clean by removing swarf, particles, coolant residue and oil.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
There are three particularly sensitive areas of the tool holder assembly that can experience process-affecting wear and tear and cause a cycle to change. By identifying and addressing issues early in these areas, you can prevent small tool holding imperfections from turning into bigger problems.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ve got a brand new setup working on the floor. You\u2019ve invested in new holders and cutters. The job\u2019s been expertly engineered and programmed. Everything is going smoothly. Then, suddenly, something starts changing and nobody knows exactly why. All the fundamentals are the same: material, machine, tooling, temperature, etc.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a good chance the issue is with a tool holder system, one of its small, hard-to-reach, often-overlooked nooks or crannies. While I understand it can be time-consuming to clean and maintain holders, doing so is critical to long-term process control. If you treat holders and accessories right, both in and out of assembly, not only will their performance improve, but overall costs will be reduced by avoiding costly spindle repairs and tool breakage. Proper use and maintenance is especially important for three particular areas of the assembly that can experience process-affecting wear and tear: pull studs, collets\/nuts and the tool holder taper. Let\u2019s examine these so you can identify and address issues early to prevent small tool holding imperfections from turning into bigger problems.<\/p>\n
Pull Studs<\/strong><\/h2>\n
$\"The$
The pull stud is the single component that keeps a holder in the spindle. Because it weathers up to 7,500 lb of load in 50-taper arrangements, it is critical to protecting both employees and machinery. If the tool comes out, it will damage the spindle and cause repairs that could exceed $50,000.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
I\u2019ve visited shops of all shapes and sizes for more than 15 years and I\u2019m still amazed by how often I see buckets of pull studs sitting around. Though small commodities, as the single component that keeps a holder in the spindle \u2013 weathering up to 7,500 lb of load in 50-taper arrangements \u2013 pull studs are critical to protecting both your people and machinery. If you\u2019ve ever experienced a break, you know how scary and dangerous it can be. What\u2019s more, if that tool comes out it\u2019s going to damage the spindle, resulting in necessary repairs that can easily exceed $50,000.<\/p>\n
As with any metal-on-metal contact, one is the wear part. In a tool holder setting, the backside of the pull stud assumes this role. Depending on the collet type, repetitive ATC (automatic tool change) can cause dents that lead to stress risers and potentially breakage. A testament to how important this is to consistent performance is that we\u2019ve actually changed all of our smaller-taper knobs to a high-purity tool steel. Regardless of the type of pull stud you\u2019re using, we recommend inspecting them every time you change the cutting tool, both for wear and to make sure they aren\u2019t loosening. Get the bad ones out immediately or you\u2019ll begin to see effects throughout the interface and the workpiece. Pull studs generally last about three years, so finding a way to track them, whether you use studs manufactured with date coding or develop a system of your own, is very helpful.<\/p>\n
Finally, in addition to helping to maintain a consistent form longer, installing pull studs correctly ensures the taper won\u2019t bulge at the end and disrupt spindle contact. Use a removable thread locker and a torque wrench, but definitely not a cheater bar or hammer. Torque recommendations are:<\/p>\n
\n
30-taper: 18-22 ft-lb<\/li>\n
40-taper: 55-65 ft-lb<\/li>\n
50-taper: 100-120 ft-lb<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Collets\/Nuts<\/strong><\/h2>\n
When it comes to a traditional setup like solid clamping nuts with an ER style collet, it\u2019s all about friction. Collets and nuts are wear products too. The repeated twisting and sliding of the nut on the collet during clamping adds up. Likewise, since the nut\u2019s threads are what\u2019s actually pulling, the coating of the thread that helps maintain the proper relationship between the two can deteriorate. What\u2019s the big deal, you ask? The nut and collet connection directly impacts runout and gripping force \u2013 becoming other potential culprits of those unexpected, hard-to-explain changes in a cycle\u2019s performance. In testing, we found that after 500 clampings with a solid ER nut, runout accuracy changes by about 35 percent \u2013 that 12xD drill you\u2019re using is now off center. We also found after 500 clampings that gripping force can decrease up to 50 percent, increasing the chances of tool breakage. And the price of carbide is only going up.<\/p>\n
The best way to prevent these issues is pretty simple: keep them clean. I recommend an ultrasonic tank with a precision part cleaner. A small bench-top tank is great for removing swarf, particles, coolant residue and oil. Immediately after cleaning, dip them in rust-preventative oil \u2013 the longer the planned storage period, the heavier the oil. Since you must only ever work with a clean, dry collet, give them one more cleaning before returning them into cycle. This cleaning method is not, however, recommended for bearing nuts since cleaning fluid can get caught in the bearings and cause premature failure. Then again, their design in and of itself addresses most of these common to ER styles.<\/p>\n
<\/iframe><\/p>\n
The Taper<\/strong><\/h2>\n
$\"The$
The best way to prevent issues with collets is to simply keep them clean by removing swarf, particles, coolant residue and oil.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The longer I wear a shoe the more it reshapes to adapt to my foot. Spindles and holders aren\u2019t much different. The problem for machinists is that holders rarely stay paired with the same spindle. As such, trauma on a holder or spindle \u2013 dings, scratches, gouges, etc. \u2013 can magnify quickly. One bad holder can spread its problems like an illness. I\u2019ve said it twice, I\u2019ll say it again, if you\u2019re seeing disruptions like these on your holders, get them out of the rotation. For the sake of this discussion, I\u2019ll address the most common type of taper wear \u2013 fretting \u2013 the thin, rust-looking build-up that appears over time. Interestingly, it\u2019s not actually oxidation due to exposure; rather, it\u2019s caused by micro vibrations that push oil off the contact points resulting in metal-to-metal rub. Need another reason to get bad holders out of play?<\/p>\n
Well here it is: if there\u2019s fretting on the taper, you can bet it\u2019s on the spindle. The good news is that we know this is almost always caused by pushing the tools too hard for the machine, fixturing or workpiece. If you see fretting, I advise reevaluating your processes and dialing back to the proper specifications for each part of the process. As with collets and nuts, proper and thorough cleaning, with taper and spindle cleaners, also helps prevent fretting and other damage from starting in the first place. That said, an easy way to nip this in the bud is with a dual-contact interface that will all but eliminate the root cause of fretting: micro vibrations.<\/p>\n
Of course, every part of the tool holding assembly wears in one way or another, which speaks further to the importance of proper maintenance and use, but these three areas are especially sensitive. So when a cycle mysteriously changes, don\u2019t overlook these three parts of the holder assembly. Better yet, instead of waiting for the \u201cwe aren\u2019t sure what\u2019s going on\u201d stage, take care of your holders.<\/p>\n
*Source: bigkaiser.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"*
There are three particularly sensitive areas of the tool holder assembly that can experience process-affecting wear and tear and cause a cycle to change. By identifying and addressing issues early in these areas, you can prevent small tool holding imperfections from turning into bigger problems. You\u2019ve got a brand new setup working on the floor. […]\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":13423,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1975],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technical-news"],"lang":"en","translations":{"en":13420},"pll_sync_post":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ixox.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13420"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ixox.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ixox.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ixox.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ixox.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13420"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ixox.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13420\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24070,"href":"https:\/\/ixox.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13420\/revisions\/24070"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ixox.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13423"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ixox.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ixox.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ixox.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}