In the final Grinder Insight edition, JTEKT Machinery's experts have compiled a helpful list of part driving methods - highlighting each of their strengths and challenges. With a variety of available part driving methods, understanding all your options helps garner the best solution for your part.
Interested in reading past editions? Take a look below for a comprehensive resource into your grinding machine's capabilities.
Want to read Part 1: Machine Design? Click Here!
Want to read Part 2: Machine Options? Click Here!
Want to read Part 3: Machine Setup? Click Here!
Part 4: What are my available part driving methods?
| Dual Center Driving Workheads
| Elaso Drivers/JTEKT Machinery Crab Chuck
DRIVE DOG: [$ Starting Cost]
Drive dogs, such as cam lock or screw type, are driven by a drive pin mounted onto the drive plate on the face of the workhead. During production, the workpiece with drive dog are inserted between centers with the drive pin driving the dog.
Advantages:
- Effective and easy to use
- Easier to hold part roundness between centers when compared to a live workhead
Disadvantages:
- Increased setup labor time
- Increased tooling requirements
THREE/FOUR JAW CHUCKS: [$$ Starting Cost]
COLLET CHUCK: [$$$ Starting Cost]
Requiring a live workhead center, a collet chuck uses mechanical force to apply full circumferential clamping around the OD or ID of the part. Collet chucks are often times used during second operations for stronger accuracy and precision.
Advantages:
- Allows fast clamping and collet change
- An ideal choice for grinding when the part cannot run between centers
- Tighter concentricity
- Offers higher speeds for jobs featuring smaller parts with consistent diameters
Disadvantages:
- Can be difficult to maintain high precision roundness specifications
- Since they are ideal for smaller parts with consistent diameters this limits the range of qualified workpieces
- Due to larger axial length, available distance between centers for the workpiece is reduced.
JTEKT Machinery offers 40mm diameter through hole for larger part diameters.
DUAL CENTER DRIVING WORKHEADS: [$$$ Starting Cost]
Found on JTEKT Machinery's e300, e500, GL5, and TG4, the dual center driving workheads use two live center workheads that advance and engage the workpiece on both ends. The workpiece is then driven from the center holes.
Advantages:
- Time savers
- No dogs, collets, chucks, or pins needed
Disadvantages:
- Moderate to high up-front cost
- Live centers may limit achievable accuracy
FACE DRIVERS: [$$$$ Starting Cost]
Face drivers use a fixed point and drive pins that rigidly locks the part between the workhead and footstock center points.
Advantages:
- High precision
- Automation- Reduced labor setup
Disadvantages:
- Most susceptible to deflection with less rigid parts
- Drive pins can affect part end face- Live center required for footstock
ELASO DRIVERS/JTEKT MACHINERY CRAB CHUCK: [$$$ Starting Cost]
Elaso: With a clamping range of 4.9mm to 110mm, Elaso drivers work automatically without the need for auxiliary switch gears. Through manual or automatic loading, Elaso driver jaws open/close through driver housing’s inertial force.
Advantages:
- Higher production efficiency by reducing setup time
- Great choice for automation
- No additional drive dogs or special workhead requirements
- Can run between live or dead centers- Low maintenance
Disadvantages:
- Can reduce distance available between centers
- Requires unit & jaw set for part diameter range
Crab: Using a dead workhead built for a hydraulic chuck, JTEKT Machinery's Crab Chucks are a customizable solution available in a 10mm to 50mm or 50mm to 100mm capacity.
.jpg?width=250&name=Crab%20(2).jpg "Crab (2)")
Advantages:
- Allows automatic driving of the part between centers
Disadvantages:
- Can reduce distance available between centers
- Requires unit & jaw set for part diameter range
Image1: Elaso credit to CIRO Products Ltd.
JTEKT Machinery, a global leader in grinding machine technology, offers a range of high-performance universal, cylindrical, camshaft, and crankshaft grinding machines all specifically designed to excel in the most demanding of applications. Contact Shane for additional questions at sfarrant@jtektmachinery.com.
