Shift work with heavy-duty lathes is a good way to learn the difficulties associated with setting up irregular castings and rough forge blanks. Standard three-jaw chucks close on circular, finished workpieces. They are of little use in holding the uneven surfaces, off-center bulk, and unbalanced masses of most forged and cast components. This is where you need a chuck system of a different approach to grips, like the UBL Chucks from Vishal Machine Tools.
Problems of Using Traditional Chucks with Irregular Parts
Naturally, clamping with a traditional chuck relies on symmetry, and that just won’t work when dealing with castings and forgings. Naturally, they have irregularities like parting lines, drafts, scales, and uneven walls.
When dealing with castings or forgings, which are naturally unequal, and you attempt to use a traditional chuck, you can expect the following in your machining operations:
– Irregular contact of jaws results in uncontrollable movement of the workpiece during machining
– Chucking induces vibrations, leading to premature tool failure and a deterioration of the surface finish
– The accuracy of repeated setups is unreliable, especially during a high production run
– Lengthy cycle times due to time-consuming manual adjustments
It can be clearly seen that the problem is not of poor workmanship. It simply arises from a mismatch of the workpiece and the fixture.
Why Do Rough Stocks Act Differently When Loaded?
Components produced via casting and forging techniques have residual stress that machined bar stock do not have. During machining, the stresses are relieved and a small amount of movement is likely. There is insufficient clamping ability of the chuck to compensate for this movement.
Why Are UBL Chucks Different?
UBL chucks are designed specifically for this application. UBL chucks have a design philosophy that focuses on jaw stroke, clamping ability, and high tolerances for surface imperfections, which are critical when the raw material is highly irregular.
Practical advantages of UBL chucks for these applications are:
Jaw stroke is longer, allowing for a wider range of material diameters without the need to change jaws.
High clamping ability ensures that the workpeice remains stationary even under heavy machining loads, which is common when machining forgings with a heavy stock.
High clamping ability helps eliminate any vibrations when gripping the material, an important feature when machining an asymmetric workpeice.
Workshops that use UBL chucks for machining their rough stock will see a decrease in the amount of material scrapped due to the shifting of the workpeice during machining. Setup time is also reduced due to the higher grip force, less need for adjustment.
Choosing the Right UBL Chuck Manufacturing and Suppliers
Experience and knowledge in industry terminology are separating factors in deciding the right chuck for you. For example, not all chucks advertised as “heavy duty” are capable of serving the foundry and forge shop industry. Engaging UBL chuck manufacturers and suppliers with the necessary experience means you are getting equipment that has been tested in foundry and forge shop applications.
This is precisely why Vishal Machine Tools decided to expand its UBL chuck product line. They decided to design chucks with robust jaws and bodies that can withstand the impacts of irregular loads and rough components, as opposed to designing what could be a general-purpose heavy duty chuck.
Factors to Consider Before Purchase
Buying a chuck for machining cast or forged parts should consider the following:
– What are your stock size requirements and does the chuck allow for that jaw travel?
– Is the suggested jaw clamping force sufficient for the material and cut depth?
– What is the quality of the after sales support including replacement jaws?
– Does the manufacturer have adequate application experience?
In most occasions, your questions will be promptly answered and justified by UBL Chuck suppliers.
Application, Not Lathe, Based Chuck Selection
In a lot of situations, a manufacturing shop will select a chuck based on its compatibility with the shop’s lathe. A correctly sized UBL Chuck would be more advantageous for a certain forging operation than a larger, more expensive chuck that does not accommodate your stock.
To address this, it is generally a good idea to speak to a manufacturer directly. For example, instead of using trial and error, Vishal Machine Tools uses your sample components and drawings to select the right chuck size and jaw design.
Final Thoughts
Forged and cast components are always going to respond differently to machining compared to bar stock, and the negative implications of using the wrong chuck will never be remedied. When it comes to choosing the right chuck, suppliers, and manufacturers, the reputation of the supplier or manufacturer is less relevant to the availability of the equipment appropriate for the specific machining operation.
For manufacturing shops that deal with rough stock on a regular basis, a UBL chuck from Vishal Machine Tools is a better option than a temporary solution.