Versatile workholding solutions showcasing at Advanced Manufacturing

Included will be the latest TT150 tilting type compound table with 150mm faceplate. It is designed to be interfaced directly with a machining centre control or operated via a MAC mini controller. Featured also will be the heavy-duty GT series models that deliver extreme rigidity, fast operation and clamping torques up to 2,800Nm. Dozens of table variants are available, including multi-spindle versions for machining several components at once.

All machining centre users will benefit from seeing the wide range of workholding options available from 1st MTA for prismatic machining, including 5-axis clamping solutions. The range has been significantly expanded following the addition of the Italian-manufactured Tecnomagnete programme of magnetic equipment for securing workpieces.

Together with the established ranges of clamping equipment from Chick, Abbott and Mitee-Bite in the US, Tecnomors in Italy, the German firm Best and Finnish company, OK-Vise, they comprise the most comprehensive and varied workholding equipment portfolio available from one source in the UK. Some of the products may be used in conjunction with a rotary table to present multiple components to a spindle during a single cutting cycle.

Another theme of the stand will be 1st MTA’s ability to supply manually and hydraulically actuated clamping arrangements tailored to specific applications, often comprising complex configurations using equipment from several of its principals’ catalogues. Such solutions can solve difficult production problems or, in standard applications, reduce set-ups and idle times, leading to higher levels of efficiency, accuracy and repeatability.

In the area of rotational machining, 1st MTA’s solutions include an extensive range of Kitagawa jaw and collet chucks. The latter apply clamping pressure evenly around the circumference of a part, leading to tight concentricity during turning. They also open and close rapidly, boosting productivity for both long and short runs. Standard jaw chucks including a quick-change range are available to meet a wide variety of applications, including demand for large power chucks in vertical lathes.

Italian bar magazine manufacturer Iemca is another of 1st MTA’s principals, one of whose latest products is the KID 80 IV short bar magazine. It is suitable for feeding stock between 5-80mm in diameter and from 250-1,615mm long and integrates with fixed or sliding head CNC turning machines.

A notable design improvement avoids the need for the bar pusher to move during component transfer between the main and sub spindles. Productivity is therefore higher during single-hit machining of components requiring two operations, one at each end. A further innovation is the ability to load a new bar while the last part is being machined, reducing changeover time, and it is possible to feed into position without a bar stop.

Advanced Manufacturing will take place at the NEC, Birmingham from the 6^th-8^th June, and 1st Machine Tool Accessories will be on stand A41.