Posted to News on 25th Feb 2014, 00:00
Disc springs ensure consistent clamping on CNC machines
Disc springs from Spirol have provided a solution to ensuring a consistent clamping force in the operation of pick-off spindles for CNC screw machines. These spindles are designed to hold a part as it is cut to length and finished. They use a collet to release the part when it is complete and then to grasp a new part.
>When the machine is set up, the clamping force required to hold each part in the collet must be precisely calibrated. This will prevent the finished product from slipping or being crushed, if the force is too low or high. This clamping force is therefore critical and the quality of the finished product relies on a consistent clamping force for thousands of cycles at a time.
>The required high degree of reliability and consistency in the clamping force can be provided by Spirol disc springs. When the collet is opened these disc springs, which are stacked in series, are compressed by a hydraulic cylinder. Each time the force from the cylinder is released, they provide a consistent force to close the collet on the part.
