Nikken helps unlock efficiency and precision

Last month, Nikken had the pleasure of welcoming representatives from Techpoint and DOF Tools to its European innovation centre in Rotherham for an exclusive hands-on experience with the company’s latest solutions for machine shops. Joined by Nikken’s export sales manager Iwao Miyahara, the visit provided an excellent opportunity to strengthen working relationships while showcasing the precision, reliability and performance of Nikken technology.

Throughout the day, guests witnessed live machining demonstrations, highlighting key areas of generating higher performance in processes like milling and drilling. Nikken says the demonstrations showcased how its solutions enhance productivity, improve tool life and deliver precision across a range of machining applications. Discussions with the Techpoint and DOF Tools teams provided valuable insight, reinforcing the importance of collaboration in driving engineering excellence.

To document the visit, Nikken put its new camera equipment to the test, recording the demonstrations in detail. From rapid tool changes to precision cutting, every moment was captured to showcase Nikken’s capabilities. The footage has now been edited into a video, giving a closer look at these technologies and techniques.

While the video provides a glimpse into what Nikken offers, nothing compares with seeing it first-hand. The company is therefore inviting manufacturers visit the Nikken Innovation Centre Europe (NICe), where they can experience these solutions in action, explore new machining strategies and work alongside the company’s expert team to enhance their production processes.

More information www.nikken-world.co.uk

New hydraulic chucks for precision applications

Kyocera Unimerco is introducing two new hydraulic chucks: the Hydro Chuck Uni and Hydro Chuck HD. The chucks are for precision drilling, milling, threading and other machining operations.

Hydraulic chucks use a hydraulic mechanism to clamp tools. Pressurised oil ensures the tool is held firmly in place while simultaneously minimising disruptive vibration, enabling stable and precise operation.

According to Kyocera Unimerco, the new Hydro Chuck Uni offers an excellent price-performance ratio, providing high precision across a wide range of machining tasks. It is a versatile chuck that ensures high machining quality and long tool life, reports the company.

Capable of withstanding high torque, the Hydro Chuck HD (Heavy Duty) is specifically engineered for high-performance cutting applications. Compared with standard solutions, the Hydro Chuck HD offers up to three times longer tool life, improving efficiency and productivity in demanding environments.

Both chucks are suitable for tools with various shank types and diameters ranging from 6 to 32 mm, without the need for special sleeves or adapters. They also enable tool changes in just a few seconds using a standard Allen key, eliminating the need for special tools like torque wrenches. During operation, the hydraulic mechanism provides vibration damping for a runout accuracy of less than 0.003 mm. A special screw allows for easy axial length adjustment.

The two chucks offer a balance grade of G2.5 at 25,000 rpm/Umax < 1 gmm, while the tool shanks meet h6 quality standards.

More information www.kyocera-unimerco.com

ITC simplifies advanced micro-machining

Now available in the UK from Industrial Tooling Corporation (ITC) is the new Big Kaiser HSK-EZ15 Mega micro chuck. This latest Mega micro chuck collet version is specifically for applications involving smaller workpieces, such as watch components and other micro-parts.

Big Kaiser designed the HSK-EZ15 Mega micro chuck according to the HSK-EZ15 norm, a new interface used by the latest machine tools that replaces the previous ATC-E15 norm. The company says its HSK-EZ15 is compact and precise, enabling the miniaturisation of machine spindles. It also meets the micro-technology market’s precision, performance and reliability demands.

The new collet is available in three variations with 10, 12, and 14 mm outer diameters. Each is suited to high-speed machining with shaft diameters from 0.45 to 6.05 mm, maintaining a run-out accuracy of under 3 µm at 4xD. These collet holders can operate at speeds up to 80,000 rpm.

Big Kaiser’s Mega micro chuck provides high positional accuracy and repeatability. It features a slim body and nut, while its rigidity supports high-speed machining and reduced interference. The HSK-EZ15 has a notch-free nut for high-speed applications that prevents vibration and, in turn, offers superior balance and concentricity. Big Kaiser’s nut design also eliminates whistling noise and coolant splattering.

Giampaolo Roccatello, chief sales and marketing officer for Europe at Big Kaiser, says: “The HSK-EZ15 is an innovative way of integrating functions into small spindles that were previously only possible with much larger spindles, such as presetting outside the machine to save time and increase productivity. Big Kaiser was the first company to believe in this project and to develop an industrial tool holder that would allow these machines to be sold in series.”

More information www.itc-ltd.co.uk

New tool holders bring HPC to round inserts

Jetstream Tooling Integrated (JETI) toolholders from Seco Tools bring the benefits of high-pressure coolant (HPC) to round, positive turning inserts for profiling and pocketing in difficult-to-cut materials. JETI toolholders eliminate hoses and spare parts associated with HPC, while 3D-printed coolant clamps provide internal coolant channels for cutting zone cooling and chip control. The precision delivery of HPC by the tool holder’s internal coolant channels allows increased cutting speeds and feeds for shorter part cycle times.
 
“JETI toolholders permits shops to step up their pocket machining operations,” says Seco product manager Frederik Samuelsson. “Combining the benefits of HPC, round turning inserts and favourable dynamic turning methods ensures manufacturers can attain optimal cutting speeds and feed rates while achieving higher metal removal rates for increased productivity. This combination of technologies also optimises chip control and evacuation to improve tool life, while increasing turning process reliability and reducing tooling costs per part.”

JETI toolholders use a single-screw design on the coolant clamp for fast insert indexing and changes. An easy plug-and-play solution, without hoses, integrates effortlessly to avoid long set-up times and maximise machine utilisation. Jetstream Tooling is available for 72 holders for maximum application coverage. Square shank sizes are available in metric 2020, 2525 and 3232, and imperial 12, 16 and 20, with Seco-Capto sizes C3, C4, C5, C6 and C8.

In addition to simplifying set-up times for faster job changeovers, JETI toolholders with a Seco-Capto connection come with a pre-drilled hole to install a Balluff chip. With this feature, shops can incorporate the tool holders into an RFID system to manage data gathering and transfer without manual entry.

More information www.secotools.com

Hainbuch mandrel wins exhibition award

At the AMB 2024 exhibition in Germany toward the end of last year, Hainbuch won the exhibition’s award in the precision tools category for its Maxxos T212 mandrel. The expert jury presented the mandrel with the trophy from six nominated products.

Increasing process stability is crucial for optimising production. Hainbuch offers an innovative solution with its new Maxxos T212 mandrel. Thanks to the hexagonal pyramid shape, the company says its Maxxos mandrel delivers maximum accuracy and feed rates.

The hexagonal mandrel achieves a significantly higher holding power than the round Mando mandrel, while also enabling up to double the torque transmission and corresponding cutting rates. Hainbuch offers the Maxxos T212 mandrel in 12 sizes for diameters from 8 to 200 mm.

Maxxos T212 mandrels have no draw bolt. They are therefore suitable for workpieces with blind holes and very short clamping lengths without any loss of clamping length. The pull-back effect means they will deliver benefits during the five-sided machining of workpieces on both turning and milling centres.

Thanks to the hexagonal pyramid shape, the segmented clamping bushing with the hexagon socket sits on the clamping pyramid with an absolute positive fit in every clamping position. The resulting vibration damping has a noticeably positive effect on tool life and therefore contributes to sustainability in production. In addition, compared with the previous solution, the bayonet quick-change lock saves time when switching segment clamping bushings during the set-up of different diameters.

More information www.hainbuch.com