Conventional Tool Holders and Modern Turret Technology: A Comparison

Posted on Oct 10, 2019

Conventional Tool Holders Turret

In the machine tool industry, all types of machine tools have the design of and are installed with at least one or more tool holders.

About Tool Holders

Turning machines, milling machines, machine centers, drilling machines, boring machines, and even tapping machines are all designed with tool holders. A Tool holder is used to clamp and un-clamp tools so that the worn-out cutters can be replaced with a new one or be re-shaped again for future machining tasks.

:: Read More: CNC Tool Holder Rack Helps the Storage of Various Tool Holders for Workers

 

Tool Holder and Machine Taper

In the field of machine tools, the taper is a design for fixing the cutting tool in the spindle of the machine. In principle, a conical male member is fitted into a female socket, with matching tapers of equal angle.

Almost all machine tool spindles have a tapered design as their main method of connecting tools. Chucks on traditional and advanced drilling machines, hand-held drills, and lathes are also designed to install tools in their tapered holes. On the other hand, on drill bits, drilling machines, and milling machines, the male member is the tool shank or tool holder shank, while the female socket is integral with the spindle.

 

Drill Press

Although in drilling press applications, the operator may wish to install the drill bit directly or use a drill chuck. But almost all milling machines, from the oldest manual types to the most modern CNC or NC controlled types, use taper holes to hold the tool. This tool-holding method greatly improves convenience and productivity, thereby shortening the cycle time.

 

Turning Machines

In the case of the turning machine, the male part may belong to the tool or the spindle, and the spindle nose may have a male taper, a female taper, or both. Machine tool operators must be able to install or remove tools quickly and easily to shorten the work cycle. Therefore, when the headstock on the turning machine is equipped with a rotating spindle, the operator may prefer to install a spur drive or a collet device on the spindle.

 

Power Transmission

The machine taper allows for a high power transmission rate across interface devices, which is necessary when the milling machine is used con-jointed. In addition, the machine taper can be further divided into two types: self-holding and self-releasing. In a self-holding taper, the male wedge and female wedge are combined with each other so that a given drilling force can be effectively resisted without a drawbar.

 

The New Trend Is Coming or Now?

In the automotive and 3C consumables electrical fields, manufacturers tend to purchase machining centers for more diverse processing tasks. The machine tool is a basic asset of the manufacturer and can determine the final quality of its products. The working quality of the machine tool is the key, which makes the machine tool manufacturer constantly reform and improvements in design and manufacturing.

After the machining center and programmed control system (CNC, computer numerical control) were invented, the processing standards became more and more strict. In addition to CNC-controlled machining centers, there are CNC turning centers, CNC milling machines, CNC tapping, and milling centers, CNC drilling and milling machines, etc.

 

Merging Functionality

Nowadays, some machine tools similar to machining centers have become more important. Although they are not as flexible as machining centers, their advantage is that operators can add various functions or automation accessories to the production line according to the needs of different machining tasks, so that these machines can process workpieces in a complex method. They are usually used for customized machining tasks. Therefore, the accuracy requirements are higher.

Consumers in the market demand better quality and faster delivery. This trend makes manufacturers' challenges more severe. In recent years, many machine tool manufacturers have added CMM equipment to their machine tools, making the machine tool more precise and more competitive in the market.

 

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