Schunk explains its productivity-boosting Synergy Concept plus introduces product developments at MACH 2014

Schunk Synergy is the phrase the company uses to describe the benefits of using its various clamping, holding and gripping technologies together to boost productivity. See the company's detailed explanation at the link below. Moving onto individual product developments and the Tribos toolholding system will see latest interfaces on show, with these delivering a higher level of standardisation for precision toolholding systems for micro-machining, now available in the Tribos RM and Tribos Mini ranges. The Tribos-Mini has been designed for high speed micro-machining applications can now be integrated with a high speed HSK-E 20 spindle interface. This newly standardised interface is said to be superior to many short taper interfaces, due to its accuracy at high speeds. In addition, it needs much less space, compared to the HSK-E 25 interface. Schunk has designed the robust Tribos-RM with an extended L1 dimension of 78 mm, especially for high efficiency 5-axes machining. In order to allow precision machining of hard-to-reach areas, the mount can also be combined with the standardised Tribos-SVL tool extension, which has adaptations for HSK-A 32, HSK-A 40, HSK-E 32 and HSK-E 40 interfaces. In addition, Schunk has expanded its range in such a way that many of the previous special solutions are now be included in the standard catalogue. For example, Tribos-Mini will be standardised with 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 6 mm and 1/8 inch diameters and Tribos-RM with 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 mm and 1/8 inch diameters. In addition to the HSK-A 25, -A 32, -A 40, -E 25, -E 32 and -E 40 interfaces that are already available, both mounts will also be available for HSK-E 20, HSK-F 32, as well as for BT 30 and SK 30. These units are, says the company, part of the world's most comprehensive programs for high precision tool clamping and can now be manually actuated via the SVP Mini and SVP-RM devices, something that will be of interest to MACH 2014 visitors, believes the company. Additionally, Schunk will emphasise the benefits of its Tendo E Compact hydraulic expansion toolholder. Capable of reducing set-up times by up to 60%, whilst generating 2000 Nm of torque, the Tendo E Compact delivers micron precision capability for a host of machining applications. With this precision toolholder, even demanding applications having tight tolerances on form, position and surface finish can be rapidly and reliably machined. Additionally, the innovative SPM Plus 138 fixture membrane, manufactured from aluminium, provides for the clamping of a multitude of geometries to be milled from all sides via its innovative pull-down effect. Firstly, a 0.5 mm high tuning ring is inserted between the quick-change pallet module and the fixture membrane, and then the exact workpiece geometry is milled, according to the blank on the fixture's clamping surface. Once prepared and the tuning ring is removed and workpieces can be inserted within seconds, with their complete circumference clamped by locking the Vero-S module. This in turn deforms the fixture membrane to provide the clamping. Since the whole process is carried out within the elastic range of aluminium, the clamping operation can be repeated several thousand times. In contrast to conventional clamping blocks, the clamping force of this method is carried out at the circumference of the whole workpiece contour and not just along an axis. Due to the clamping depth of only a few millimetres, the workpiece is fully accessible from five sides. The fixture membrane can be located on the quick-change pallet module with a repeat accuracy of better than 0.01 mm. Image is the VeroS NSE mini, which alows small workpieces to be directly clamped MACH 2014 - Birmingham NEC, 7-11 April