Not long ago, the mention of workholding might call to mind the traditional vise or three-jaw chuck. The integral nature of proper fixturing to successful machining has forever changed that paradigm and made workholding as critical to the manufacturing process as any of the machines or systems of which it is a part.
Kyocera Precision Tools, Hendersonville, N.C., has expanded its jet coolant-through toolholder series, which provides multiple high-pressure coolant streams at precise locations providing excellent chip control and wear prevention, according to the company.
The push to modernize technology-intensive sectors in Asia—such as automotive, aerospace and general engineering—is constantly stretching machine tool builders in the region to their limits. The demand is not just for standard machines.
One of mankind’s oldest manufacturing methods—making a hole—is now challenged by rapid advances, including new and harder materials, increased part complexity, ever smaller component parts, and the need for shorter cycle times.
While the initial investment for a modular quick-change tooling system is higher than that of traditional toolholders, significantly improving the connection between spindles and tooling is well worth it.
March 2020 U.S. cutting tool consumption totaled $189.8 million, according to the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute (USCTI) and AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology.
In the 1955 short story “Autofac,” Philip K. Dick envisioned a world dominated by self-replicating robots that work incessantly, eventually depleting the planet’s resources.
