Toolholder Uses Mechanical Properties of Holder Material to Generate Gripping Force

Originally Published MPMN March 2007

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Toolholder Uses Mechanical Properties of Holder Material to Generate Gripping Force

Susan Shephard

The powRgrip collet system from Rego-Fix (Indianapolis; www.rego-fix.com) uses a toolholder and collet that are joined to produce 6 tn of clamping force. Many clamp systems in the industry use heat and hydraulics to expand materials, but this unit uses the mechanical properties of the holder material to generate a gripping force with a runout below 0.0001 in. Efficient operation and ease of use provide added benefits, as the system can press in a tool or remove it from the holder in less than 10 seconds. Furthermore, because the system does not use processes relying on high levels of heat, users can handle tools safely and immediately after a tool change.

The company also offers Swiss screw cylindrical holders. The holders are manufactured under tight tolerances and offer runout of 0.001 in. to provide good cutting results and repeatability. The units are compatible with the company’s ER collets and are designed for various automatic machines including Swiss-type turning centers. Each cylindrical holder has a distinct product marking to help reduce tool selection errors, as well as a lot number for product traceability. Suitable for small machining, the holders come in a broad range of sizes and can be combined with other holders to extend cutting tools for various applications.

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