A family-owned engineering company in West Yorkshire is aiming to establish itself as an expert in work-holding devices for the production of machined components in electric vehicles.

Craftsman Tools says it is one of only a handful of British companies that specialises in work holding for machining processes, and the only one that designs and manufactures all of its own products. As a result of partnerships built up over several years, Craftsman Tools already produces a work-holding device used by almost all major automotive manufacturers in the machining of camshafts, and is familiar with the unique challenges faced by the industry.

The company’s initial developments are for a friction-welding process to bind two parts of a CV shaft and then machine the joint in situ. Critically, Craftsman Tools will use its expertise to develop work-holding equipment that will last in the harsh manufacturing environment of a fiction welder to ensure conformance with the required geometric tolerances. The company already has supply-chain partnerships with companies targeting major EV manufacturers, such as Tesla.

Electric engines have considerably fewer moving parts than internal combustion engines (20 versus 2000), thus the market for machined components is considerably smaller and there is an even greater emphasis on producing the remaining parts more accurately with tighter tolerances. The initial concept is for a modular design, which can be adaptable to different CV shafts and similar components, increasing its versatility with a host of automotive manufacturers.

Managing director Robert Johnson says: “This is a very exciting project, and one that plays to all of our expertise and knowledge. Sales of electric vehicles increased by 25% last year, and an increase in the uptake of electric vehicles is crucial to the UK achieving its net-zero carbon goal by 2050. The project will be a large step towards Craftsman’s own goal of moving away from carbon-intensive industries and towards the green economy.”

For further information
www.craftsmantools.com

SMW Autoblok has introduced its fully sealed MM e-motion four-jaw chuck, providing contact-free adjustment of the gripping force without unclamping parts during every phase of the production process.

An individual electro-mechanical drive independently controls and monitors each jaw of the MM e-motion. This capability allows for many clamping functions, including self-centring, compensating and individual jaw movement, all within one fully automated chuck.

Suitable for mill-turn applications, horizontal and vertical lathes, the MM e-motion facilitates the heavy-duty precision machining of easily deformed workpieces and provides an automatic centre adjustment for any workpiece shape or configuration, including round, square, rectangular and irregular shapes, as well as workpieces with different wall thicknesses. Also available is a lightweight (LW) version for when mill-turn load-bearing capacity on the spindle is limited. LW versions feature the same functionality as the standard MM e-motion yet allow for higher workpiece weight and more usable Z stroke.

The chuck body and internal parts are case-hardened for increased chuck life, as well as rigidity, precision and durability. This specialty power chuck accepts imperial serrated top jaws and is available in sizes from 500-1250 mm.

Suitable for Industry 4.0, permanent monitoring of the grip force and jaw positions can be stored and recalled for when the process needs repeating. As a result, digital data is easily interchanged between different machines in the same production facility or at other facilities worldwide.

SMW Autoblok’s MM e-motion uses the newly developed F280 wireless inductive radial coupler system that transmits energy and data contact-free through an air gap of approximately 3 mm between rotating and stationary components.

For further information
https://bit.ly/2GcQBEA