Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] cutting threads on lathe

fineartlight wrote:

>I am a small lighting manufacturer with one CNC mill running and now
>considering building or purchasing a lathe to thread 12" long 3/8"OD
>1/8 IPS tubing. Could be thin wall steel, brass or aluminum.
>
>Questions are:
>
>1. With a lathe is CNC the way to go for threading and cutting?
>

For production work, there are probably two choices. If you do mostly
the same pitch thread, multi-tooth threading tools are available that
cut the complete thread in one pass. These cutting tools are pretty
expensive, sometimes near $100 each!

If you need to be more flexible, a CNC lathe can cut a thread with multiple
passes of a single-point tool amazingly fast. A human cutting coarse
threads can't usually do it over ~500 RPM without a lot of sweating.
I've watched the CNC lathe at work cut threads at several thousand
RPM, and it can do each pass in about a second.

>2. Is a small cnc lathe with a auto feeder a realistic possibility?
>
>

A bar feeder is possible, but can be pretty tricky. Some of them float
your stock in a tub of oil to keep it from whipping, but that may not be
compatible with your stock.

>What are my other options for threading the tubing? I have seen
>something called an Automat ? What is it?
>
>

There are a variety of special-purpose threading machines on the market.
You can see the big ones anywhere they are doing industrial plumbing,
especially sprinkler systems.

Jon