Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Re: Swiss turning conversion

If you look at Star micronics their swiss type cncs work with ordinary
rolled bar but it does need to be consistent, not mixed batches. There is a
collet at the front which allows the bars to be slid forwards but rotating
with the bar and a collet "inside" which actualy rotates it and moves
forward or back, also milling and drilling spindles to work on the sides and
ends, and a second spindle to get at the back end, sadly not in the hobby
price range but it does work and they are acurate. There are two where I
work but the only involvment I have with them is repairing the odd broken
part. Some brave person might fancy making a home version.----- Original
Message -----
From: <dougrasmussen@...>
To: <CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2001 6:06 PM
Subject: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Re: Swiss turning conversion

> Smoke,
>
> One of the major drawbacks of roller bearing setups is chips get
> pulled in under the rollers, plus they don't give full contact
> support. A solid support of the bar is important to getting the
> accuracies these machines are capable of.
>
> The "standard" of the Swiss turning business is still the fixed (non-
> rotating) carbide bushing. They look similiar to a collet except for
> the carbide pads. Some swiss machines use a rotating guide bushing
> (basically like the ID of a ball bearing), but those bushings are
> incredibly expensive. Of course for hex and other non-round shapes
> you would have to use a rotating bushing.
>
> When I first looked at swiss machines I thought there must be a
> better way than the fixed bushing. Apparently not, as yet no one has
> come up with a workable solution that's better.
>
> Doug
>