MACHINING & MACHINERY
CLAMPING TECHNOLOGY
SCHUNK
POLYGONAL CLAMPING DELIVERS
RESULTS IN TURNING APPLICATIONS
For years, customers have been using TRIBOS
polygonal clamping technology to achieve
excellent results in applications such as micro
cutting and to lower tool costs. With TRIBOS
ER, SCHUNK is now bringing the patented
technology of polygonal tool clamping to
sliding and fixed headstock lathes and rotary
transfer machines. Pilot users, such as Zisterer
Präzisionsdrehteile GmbH in Villingen-
Schwenningen, Germany, are impressed. The
company has reduced machining time in
demanding milling applications by one third
while significantly improving surface quality.
There are good reasons why SCHUNK is now
unlocking the potential of polygonal clamping
technology for lathe chuck technology. For
one, the requirements for sliding headstock
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lathes are constantly growing. At the same
time, customers are facing considerable
pressure to lower prices, particularly for
high-volume parts. For Zisterer Präzisionsteile
GmbH in Villingen-Schwenningen, SCHUNK’s
decision to standardise the TRIBOS ER came
just in time. The manufacturer of complex
hydraulic components was regularly
experiencing process disruptions due to tool
breakages as tools with a long overhang and
cutting diameters of 2mm could not withstand
the vibrations that occur. Halving the speed
was the only way to ensure the process
stability required for high-volume production.
Instead of 12,000 to 15,000 RPM, the company
had to accept speeds of 6,000 RPM and the
resulting reduction in cycle time.
MACHINING TIME REDUCED BY
A THIRD
“Until now, our maximum speed was 6,000
RPM,” explains Uwe Walikewitz, Head of CNC
longitudinal turning at Zisterer. Everything
beyond that would inevitably lead to tool
breakage, unless the company had switched
to expensive special tools with reinforced
shanks. “The TRIBOS system saved us around
200 seconds at a total machining time of
just below 600 seconds,” says the machining
specialist. “The rotational speed was only
reduced by 500 to 1,000 RPM as compared to
the recommended cutting parameters, and lo
and behold, it worked perfectly.”