The new Gewefa Venturi toolholder concept is a universal tool clamping solution that incorporates safety and adjustment features from three of its proven designs plus a unique through coolant capability. It has been designed primarily for aerospace applications where arduous, precision machining using challenging materials is becoming increasingly commonplace. It combines the established features of a hydraulic toolholder with the Gewefa Securlok clamping, the Radax adjuster and now the coolant feature.
Features of hydraulic tool clamping include vibration damping and 100% tool shank gripping concentricity. The grip design, a mechanical fail safe Securlok whistle notch (DIN 1835 Form E), complements the hydraulic features with a side clamping mechanism, said to make it ideal for general and heavy duty milling operations in titanium, composites and ISO S rated materials.
Radax features permit high precision pre-setting – even on the machine – using an externally accessible worm gear mechanism now complemented by new Venturi cooling. This offers coolant from two sources: one directed along the tool shank with a second flow via angled jets incorporated into the front of the tool clamping bore.
Another ‘first’ at MACH will be the Gewefa single point boring bar toolholder – the ‘HydroPin’. This Gewefa invented toolholder utilises the tool grip features of a hydraulic chuck with the added advantage of guaranteeing fixed orientation when positioning the bar. It does away with securing boring bars by fitting an adaptor reduction sleeve into a VDI mechanical boring bar holder. In so doing, it is said to reduce inaccuracy and bar deflection during boring operations.
Gewefa has five specialist partners in the UK and each will be featuring their latest products.
- Pibomulti is introducing a new economical and energy-efficient spindle speeder specifically for quick change, high volume tapping operations offering a halving of cycle times while producing a 90% saving in power consumption. Also from Pibomulti is a micro engineered right-angle head for drilling in difficult-to-access areas (such as edge walls) that are typically found in aerospace, automotive and hydraulic component manufacturing. The unit can operate at up to 12,000 rpm in even the most confined spaces and accommodate tools up to 6mm in diameter.
- EWS, a manufacturer of driven and static toolholders for CNC lathes, has upgraded its quick change Varia modular toolholding system into Varia-VX, offering increased performance for turning and milling processes. Its three-point locking system and triangular drive spigot enables maximum concentricity and transmits even high spindle torque (up to 200 Nm).
- OTT-Jakob now offers a Mark III version of its Power Check pull force gauge, the unit that provides readings remotely via a handset, enabling the automated checking of the spindle pull-back force. It can be housed in a machine toolchanger carousel.
- Simon Nann is showing a modular quick change MZ manual clamping unit that converts the base unit from a conventional clamping head to a dead length collet system, a draw-back collet or for expanding mandrels. MZ offers versatility being suited to double sided machining or machining of long parts (with a tailstock support). A simple key movement through 180 degrees converts the base unit from clamped to unclamped.
- Rineck is introducing a new upgraded induction heating device for undertaking clamping and unclamping of tools in heat shrink toolholders. The vertical ‘elevator’ design permits a compact benchtop installation and the unit features automatic tool cooling for safety and consistency. Carbide and HSS tools up to 32 mm in diameter can be shrunk in the new 10 kW machine with all parameters stored on the machine’s internal database.
