Thame turns up the efficiency with Powerpull

The Powerpull is a two-jaw lever chuck with variable gripping pressure jaws that cater for most types of material. The robust bar puller is available in two body sizes covering bar capacity from 6 to 90 mm diameter, with one set of reversible clamping jaws for internal bore clamping. Designed to pull bar stock and tubes into position for CNC machining it supports unmanned manufacturing operations, without the expense and floor space required for a bar feeder.

Operation is very straightforward, the bar stock is initially fed manually through the machine’s hollow spindle to a fixed stop. The bar is then clamped by the spindle mounted chuck or collet and the programmed machining cycle is completed. The Powerpull mounted in the tool turret is brought towards the headstock and the jaws of the Powerpull are forced over the parted off bar clamped in the spindle chuck. The spindle chuck is then unclamped and the spring-loaded jaws of the Powerpull grips the bar stock, enabling the bar to be dragged out to a pre-determined stop position on the lathes Z-axis.

The spindle chuck is then operated to clamp the bar and the turret is withdrawn further, overcoming the spring tension to release the jaws. The bar is then ready for the machining process to be repeated. This sequence is repeated until the batch is completed, or the bar stock is depleted.

“It is a simple, but elegant solution that will pay for itself over and over again,” says Sales Director, Maurice Day. “Of course, with engineering support from Thame, special jaws can be designed and manufactured to suit any unusual applications.”