What Spindle / Auto Tool Changer?

[Chaz]

Thanks - am starting to look at other methods to machine these - bought a small lathe - might be able to take the gears down to a certain size and then mill the teeth. The semi circle gears however need a lot of work and need a few changes made to the tooling during a cut. I dont want to move the part once it gets machined - I struggle to get them back to where they were with the correct precision - perhaps I need to look at that again, biggest issue I have is stock holding and placement - main issue anyways.

[JAZZCNC]

Thanks - am starting to look at other methods to machine these - bought a small lathe - might be able to take the gears down to a certain size and then mill the teeth. The semi circle gears however need a lot of work and need a few changes made to the tooling during a cut. I dont want to move the part once it gets machined - I struggle to get them back to where they were with the correct precision - perhaps I need to look at that again, biggest issue I have is stock holding and placement - main issue anyways.

I was going to suggest you look at fixture methods and machining multiple parts at same time to improve productivity. That said if you cutting gears then are you using 4th axis.?

Fixture jigs using precision dowl pins are very accurate and repeatable if done correctly. Without knowing your machine and it's cutting area it's hard to say but to give an idea of what I mean to help improve productivity you could do this.
Say you want to cut 12 parts all the same but only have room for 3 on table then make 4 identical fixture plates that align to the same dowl pins or holes on the bed with 3 parts on each fixture.
Now simply cut all with first tool removing and adding each fixture plate then start again with next tool and replace fixture plates. Do this for each tool and you'll have 12 parts done in no time with minimal tool changes.
If care is taken when making fixture plates your parts will always be exactly back in correct alignment to high repeatability has they where never actually removed from the fixture until finished.

[Chaz]

I was going to suggest you look at fixture methods and machining multiple parts at same time to improve productivity. That said if you cutting gears then are you using 4th axis.?

Fixture jigs using precision dowl pins are very accurate and repeatable if done correctly. Without knowing your machine and it's cutting area it's hard to say but to give an idea of what I mean to help improve productivity you could do this.
Say you want to cut 12 parts all the same but only have room for 3 on table then make 4 identical fixture plates that align to the same dowl pins or holes on the bed with 3 parts on each fixture.
Now simply cut all with first tool removing and adding each fixture plate then start again with next tool and replace fixture plates. Do this for each tool and you'll have 12 parts done in no time with minimal tool changes.
If care is taken when making fixture plates your parts will always be exactly back in correct alignment to high repeatability has they where never actually removed from the fixture until finished.

Thanks, no, only 3.

Here is a pic of the gears im doing.

[JAZZCNC]

Thanks, no, only 3.

Here is a pic of the gears im doing.

Ok so your milling them rather than hobbing them. How many can you get on the bed at ounce.?

If your cutting 1 at time then the small time investment in making fixture plates will be very much worth it.

With bit of careful code cut & pasting it would be very easy to cut 2 or 3 different parts that use the same tools on the same fixture plate.

[Chaz]

Ok so your milling them rather than hobbing them. How many can you get on the bed at ounce.?

If your cutting 1 at time then the small time investment in making fixture plates will be very much worth it.

With bit of careful code cut & pasting it would be very easy to cut 2 or 3 different parts that use the same tools on the same fixture plate.

Ye, I just do 1 at a time. I have space for a few more - when I designed the mill it was done for reasonable size (500 x 300 at least)