Stabilizing Parts in
Stabilizer systems that adjust quickly, adapt and stack easily, and quickly integrate into existing setups can really pay off by removing the difficult-to- diagnose part movement that makes fine finishes, tight tolerances and clean welds unattainable. When instability rears its ugly head in a metalworking process, an operator’s mind almost invariably starts thinking . . . “It can’t be the machine or the table – this machine costs thousands of dollars and I haven’t changed anything there. It can’t be the part itself or the fixture, those are naturally rigid. It must be the easily replaced, not-budget-busting tooling or holder.” But what if the tool assembly doesn’t reveal any imperfections? Especially in the case of top heavy, tall parts, or complex weldments, the most rigid table and fixturing may not be able to prevent a large part from vibrating or bending while being worked on, even if you’re performing a finishing process near the base. This kind of part movement is difficult to diagnose, but it has the potential to make fine finishes, tight tolerances and clean welds unattainable. This is where stabilizing the top of a part or an oddly-shaped weldment becomes necessary. Machining When machining, one of the big indicators that your large part might not be completely stable is if
you’re having to back off feeds and speeds to achieve the finishes and tolerances you need. Another indicator is poor tool life. Not only can stabilizing the top of the part improve quality, but if it allows you to accelerate your speeds and feeds, you’ll obviously be more efficient producing your parts. Part variety and production levels influence this decision-making and troubleshooting process. Often, when production levels are high enough, adding a dedicated fixture is justified. However, large parts usually fall into lower production levels and the ability to reuse and reconfigure fixture systems is very beneficial to maintaining profitability. And since large parts often involve expensive material and time investments, it makes it all the more critical to identify the instability problem (or potential problems, before they occur) and find the right solution. With a costly part, a temporary locating feature or weld tabs and brackets for an extra point of contact to grab onto is an option, but another alternative is gaining popularity: the modularity of stabilizer systems, in terms of both angles/reach and gripping style, is very appealing. In place of modifying parts by moving them from machine to machine – and introducing the chance for error – a stabilizer kit can easily adjust to each new part. Fixed directly to the table via a vice or, even better, a modular fixturing system like the UNILOCK zero-point system, stabilizer
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