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Modern Workholding Strategies for Swiss-type Machining

6/20/2018

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Thursday. September 13| 1:15 PM - 2:10 PM | McCormick Place Room W193-B
Matt Saccomanno, the Co-Founder of Masa Tool and inventor of the Microconic Workholding sytem will talking about process innovations in the metalcutting manufacturing industry during the International Manufacturing Technology Show, IMTS, in September at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL. 
Modern Workholding Strategies for Swiss-type Machining
Swiss-type CNC machines have gained in capability and demand as the machined components they produce are trending toward higher precision and micro-sized features. As the machines have become more sophisticated, the underlying basics of workholding remained unchanged until recently.

​This presentation is an overview of new developments as well as traditional approaches with relevance to today’s highly capable sliding headstock “Swiss-type” CNC turning centers. The goal is to summarize best-practices for optimizing use of both main and sub-spindle to maximize productivity and overall equipment effectiveness. The material presented is useful for machinists, CNC programmers, tool crib personnel, manufacturing engineers, estimators, and hands-on managers.

If you would like to reserve your spot in this technical presentation and discussion please click the below button.
Add To IMTS Show Planner

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How to use the Micrograd Face Dial Wrench

3/14/2018

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Set ups are quicker and more repeatable with Microconic™. You can document the micrometer-adjust collet closure in your set up plan so it's done the same every time, regardless of operator skill and without relying on "feel". ​
Our Micrograd™ Face Dial Wrench is included with the purchase of any Microconic Cartridges.

The Micrograd™ Face dial Wrench provides a method of precisely setting clamping pressure on both the Microconic collets and an Microconic overgrip collets .  

​It can be adjusted in metric increments of 0,02mm and imperial increments of .001"
Micrograd Face Dial Wrench Microconic
Top View of the 5C Cartridge with alignment arrow for use with the Micrograd collet wrench. The locking set screw to fix the position is located behind the arrow line.

How to use the Micrograd™ Face Dial Wrench

Microconic Micrograd Face Dial adjustment wrench
Side view of the F25 Cartridge with alignment line show for use with the Micrgrad collet wrench
  1. Insert a gage pin of the appropriate diameter.
  2. Tighten collet with Micrograd Collet wrench by 2 – 4 graduations to set initial clamping force. 
  3. For a firm grip on solid workpieces typically a closure of about .08mm (0.003”) is a good starting point. 
  4. Use the screwdriver allen wrench to lock the set screw on the cartridge in place.

Experience will soon teach the best settings, and they may vary significantly for different applications based on the force required, rigidity of workpiece, and machining operation being performed. 
For a complete set of instructions please see our installation procedures for more details on how to set up and replicate your clamping pressure on every machine in your shop.
micrograd wrench Microconic um10 collets
Micrograd wrench surrounded by Microconic UM-10 collets
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Microconic Workholding System Featured on Cincom L12 & L20 at EASTEC

12/6/2017

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The Microconic Workholding system was featured at the Marubeni Citizen-Cincom of New England booth at the Eastec 2017 Machine Tool Show!

Marubeni Citizen-Cincom is the exclusive New England distributor for Citizen Cincom Swiss style lathes and Miyano Multi Axis turning centers as well as ne of our premier distributors of the Micorconic Workholding system

About the CINCOM L20 Low Frequency Vibration (LFV)

Picture
State-of-the-art LFV is a widely applicable cutting technology designed to avoid the problem of spiraling chips, entanglement of chips and built-up edges. Benefits include increased cutting tool life, reduced heat generation and reduced power consumption. 
​
The popular Citizen CINCOM L20 series sliding headstock lathes are now available with Low Frequency Vibration (LFV). 

This widely applicable cutting technology – able to handle a broad range of machining shapes and materials – is ideal for cutting difficult-to-cut materials.  The state-of-the-art LFV suppresses various risks associated with these materials, such as entanglement of chips and built-up edges.

Depending on the material being cut, a variety of problems can be caused by chips getting entangled with each other, including increased cutting resistance, scarring, changes in the texture of the machined surface, tool nose damage, and built-up edges due to cutting heat.  In LFV cutting, “air cutting” time prevents the machining temperature from rising, which both prolongs tool lives and gives relief from various problems caused by chips.

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Workholding System Enables Switching Operations from Main to Subspindle

7/12/2017

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Masa Tool is introducing its Microconic workholding system for use in subspindle Swiss-type machine operations, enabling the operator to switch operations from the main to the subspindle so that usage is balanced.
Masa Tool Overgip Collet swiss machining
Masa Tool is introducing its Microconic workholding system for use in subspindle Swiss-type machine operations, enabling the operator to switch operations from the main to the subspindle so that usage is balanced. This capability is said to reduce cycle time in ways that are not possible with conventional collets.

​The Microconic system consists of two primary components: a cartridge that fits in the machine’s standard TF20, TF25 or 5C collet closer, and the collet itself, which fits into the cartridge. Each cartridge model has a solid extended nose and can accept both regular and over-grip collets. The over-grip collets open up to 0.157" (4 mm) larger than the clamping diameter.

​The Microconic cartridge’s extended nose design directs all of the chucking pressure directly over the workpiece for concentricity and rigidity. Total indicated runout (TIR) for the Microconic system is guaranteed at 0.0002" (5 µm) at the workpiece, absent any runout introduced by the machine structure or other elements of the setup. The system capacity ranges from 0.008" to 0.394" (0.2 to 10 mm) in diameter, with all sizes available from stock.

Production Machining Magazine Logo Microconic
This article originally appeared in 
Production Machining 2/27/2017
Jedd Cole, Editor
Editor Asistente, MMS Mexico
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Rapid Traverse: Machining Technology in Brief

6/30/2017

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We got a very unexpected present in the mail this past week! We where very excited to learn that our Microconic workholding system for small diameter part machining was featured in the Rapid Traverse section of the June 2017 issue of Modern Machine Shop!!!

We've got pictures of the article below in case you don't currently subscribe to Modern Machine Shop.  You can also download a PDF copy of the entire June issue below in the link. It starts on Page 25 of the PDF download.  If you have the print edition it's on Page 22, or you can just read thought the screen shots below.  

We want to really extend a very big THANK YOU to Matt Danforth at Modern Machine Shop who wrote this article.  Matt really did an awful lot of work learning about the various features of our system. We know there where many many hours that he spent to develop this story just from the sheer number of follow up questions and conversations.  We really have an awful lot of respect for the entire MMS team and the effort they put into getting their story's "just right".

Download MMS June 2017 Issue HERE >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

mms_june_2017_microconic_article_page_25.pdf
File Size: 35701 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Modern Machine Shop Cover June 2017 Masa Tool Microconic page 22

Micro-Part Collets Make Subspindles Sing Page 22
Micro-Part Collets Make Subspindles Sing Page 24
Micro-Part Collets Make Subspindles Sing Page 25
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Workholding Advances: Microconic helps Customer Broach a Dental Implant on the Subspindle

6/14/2017

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The below article excert originally appeared in Advanced Manufacturing magazine.  
You can read the entire article at the title link at the bottom of this page.
Microconic helps Customer Broach a Dental Implant on the Subspindle
Workholding Advances
Medical parts are often delicate, which can create problems when they are picked off with the subspindle for backwork. It is important but difficult to apply just the right amount of pressure to hold the part in the subspindle. And once the optimum gripping force is determined, it is not easy to communicate to other operators how the adjustment was made.

​Machine tool accessory maker Masa Tool Inc. (Oceanside, CA) has developed a collet system that makes this process easier. The collet is set using a special tool with marked graduations that enable precise adjustments to the gripping force of the collet.

“You can document the micrometer-like adjustment for the collet closure in your setup plan,” said Matt Saccomanno, CEO.  “It’s done the same way every time, regardless of operator skill and without relying on feel.”

One of the more challenging Swiss applications is making dental implants because of their small size. Saccomanno said that Masa recently helped a customer broach a dental implant on the subspindle with the Masa collet system holding only a small land. Considering how much force is applied to the workpiece during a broaching operation, this might have seemed impossible to accomplish.

The reason it is possible is that the Masa collet system applies the gripping forces directly over the area where the collet grips the part. The collet system has two main parts, a cartridge that replaces the standard machine collet and a smaller collet made by Masa that is installed into the cartridge. These components are held to a high accuracy and are made by Masa with proprietary grinding methods. Concentricity variation is held to 0.0002″ (0.005 mm).

“This particular broaching application used an over-grip collet,” Saccomanno said. “The process change moved an operation from the main-spindle to the subspindle and so allowed some simultaneous machining not possible previously. Before they used our system, the part was made entirely on the main spindle.”
​
An over-grip collet opens up to pass over a shoulder or some other feature on a part in order to grip the part past the shoulder. Masa makes over-grip collets that can open up to 4 mm over the chucking diameter. This is the largest difference in diameter in the industry and still holds 0.0002″ TIR, according to Masa.

Read the entire article by clicking the link below

AMN Advanced Manufacturing org logo
Swiss-Style Turning: Rx for Medical Parts Manufacturing
​May 9, 2017 
​
by Dave Nelson
​
Contributing Editor
ADVANCEDMANUFACTURING.ORG

Special Thanks to Mark Hurst from HiTech Industrial for bringing this application solution to their attention.
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Workholding: Micro-Precision Machining

5/10/2017

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Todays Medical Developments Log Masa Tool Article
This article originally appeared in the April 2017 issue of Today's Medical Developments.
​It was the cover story entitled: "Micro-Precision Machining"

Matt Saccomanno’s Microconic collet-type workholder for small part machining was inspired by his experience in a Swiss screw-machine job shop.
By Elizabeth Modic
In 1996, Matt Saccomanno, co-founder of Masa Tool, was frustrated with the limitations of conventional collets and workholding systems when performing secondary machining operations as engineering manager at Allied Swiss Screw Products.

​This was in the early days of CNC Swiss-type machines, when machining capabilities were limited, requiring lots of secondary operations. His solution – a high-precision, collet-type workholding device for small parts machining.

As machining capabilities advanced and precision requirements became more challenging, Saccomanno realized that the legacy collet systems used in micro-machining were a serious limiting factor that prevented full use of modern machine capabilities.

​That prompted Saccomanno to design the next generation, the Microconic system.  
Todays Medical Developments Microconic Workholding April 2017

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Just Released: The 2017 Microconic Catalog!

4/13/2017

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The Microconic system will be able to do things that are impossible
​with any other traditional collet system. 

Just-In-Time for the PMTS show! We have just released the NEW 2017 Masa Tool Catalog! 

The Masa Microconic system consists of the cartridge, which fits into your machine like a standard collet, and the Microconic collets which fit into the cartridge
Our regular MicroconicTM collets help reduce cycle time by allowing a rm grip on the workpiece without causing damage, and yet holding it much more rigidly than any other collet on the market.

You’ll be able to do heavy machining operations in the sub spindle, such as blind hole broaching, that would not have even considered in the past. Now you can switch ops from main to sub!


Set ups are quicker and more repeatable with Microconic.

​You can document the micrometer-adjust collet closure in your set up plan using our Micrograd Face Dial Wrench and it’s going to repeat to the same clamping pressure each and every time, regardless of operator skill and without relying on “feel”.


You can calibrate your spindle accuracy with the MicroconicTM cartridge by using it as a precision cylinder gauge.

​When that is good, EVERY Microconic collet will run within .0002” TIR: There’s no ddling and swapping collet after collet looking for a “good” one. Set ups go smoothly and predictably. 


Microconic clamping force is directly over the workpiece at the end of the collet
Microconic clamping force is directly over the workpiece at the end of the collet.
The Microconic collets fit into our cartridge to hold the workpiece with great precision and rigidity. Unlike traditional extended nose collets our unique design and closing action is inherently more accurate and consistent.
​

The clamping force is directly over the workpiece at the end of the collet. The origin of the word “Microconic”, alludes to the precise way in which the collet closing taper is formed to cancel the effects of heat treat warp and grind tolerances. As a result, it provides industry- best concentricity every time. 

Download or View the 2017 Masa Tool Microconic Catalog:

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Micro-Part Collets Make Subspindles Sing

3/8/2017

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A proprietary grinding process and the application of clamping force exactly where it’s needed ensure secure, concentric gripping with a collet system that can potentially fit every turning machine in a shop. 

​Blog: 2/17/2017
by 
MATT DANFORD
Associate Editor, Modern Machine Shop
Shop Blog Header Banner Masa Tool Microconic
There’s good reason why subspindle-equipped turning centers, particularly Swiss-type lathes, are so popular for small, complex parts produced in high volumes. However, there’s also good reason for the prefix “sub.” Automatic part hand-off for backworking operations isn’t viable without secure gripping, and the smaller, already-machined portion of the work presented to the subspindle tends to create more challenges than the raw barstock gripped in the main spindle. As a result, subspindles can be limited when it comes to blind-hole broaching, heavy peck drilling and other processes that risk pushing a part off-kilter or damaging it.
However, the right workholding can break down these barriers, says Matt Saccomanno, CEO of Masa Tool (Oceanside, California). Founded in the wake of Mr. Saccomanno’s own frustration with secondary operations and underutilization of subpsindles, Masa Tool offers the Microconic system, an alternative to traditional, extended-nose collet designs that applies force closer to the part for greater rigidity and concentricity—advantages that extend to main-spindle operations as well. Another benefit is the ability to adjust clamping pressure at the spindle nose to grip securely without damaging small, fragile workpieces. On the efficiency front, a collet in one size can be swapped for another without reaching anywhere beyond the spindle nose, and any collet can fit multiple draw-type or push-type machine collet closers. This saves time and eliminates the need for different collet series for different machines. 
Microconic Collet Bone Screw Workholding
Finally, overgrip models that expand 0.157 inch (4 mm) beyond the clamping diameter enable reaching over and gripping the part behind large-diameter areas. ​
Microconic system components swiss machining

​The Microconic system consists of two primary components: a cartridge that fits in the machine’s standard 
5C, TF20 or TF25 collet closer, and the Microconic collet itself, which fits into the cartridge.

​Collets accommodate workpiece diameters ranging from 0.008 inch (0.2 mm) to 0.394 inch (10 mm).

Total indicator runout (TIR) is guaranteed at 0.0002 inch (5 microns) at the workpiece, absent any runout introduced by the machine structure or other elements of the setup, Mr. Saccomanno says. He adds that the cartridge can be used as a precision gage to calibrate spindle accuracy.

Installation is simple. Users place the machine in a safe state for collet changing; insert the appropriate Microconic cartridge; and thread the Microconic collet into the cartridge. “You put it in your spindle and leave it there,” Mr. Saccomanno says about the three cartridge models, each of which can accept any standard or over-grip collet. This capability enables switching to a different-diameter collet for a different-diameter part and setting the correct chucking force in roughly 2 minutes, compared to the 15 minutes it might take to swap, say, a TF25 collet, he says.
There’s no “feel” involved in tightening the collet, he says. That’s a task accomplished with the company’s Micrograd wrench, which features micrometer graduations of 0.001 inch (0.02 mm) to aid users in dialing in the perfect closure on either a workpiece or a gage pin of the same size. This configuration relegates the machine’s own clamping mechanism to the role of an actuator that triggers the opening or closing of the collet. As such, he advises keeping the machine’s own function at a medium force setting and allowing the Microconic cartridge to control the actual chucking force. Machined from a single piece of hardened steel, the cartridge preserves the dead-length operation of “push-type” collet systems (that is, the collet itself doesn’t move in or out as the machine cartridge actuates the chuck).
Micrograd clamping pressure wrench swiss machining
In addition to better facilitating secure clamping without damaging thin-walled or otherwise delicate workpieces, self-contained, dial-micrometer force adjustment helps ensure setups aren’t affected by temperature fluctuations that might subtly alter the machine structure between collet-closer and collet. As Mr. Saccomanno puts it, “From the first part in the morning to the last part on second shift, it grips the same. You don’t have to play with it throughout the day.”
Microconic Overgrip collet with dental drill
He credits much of that precision to the fact that clamping force is applied directly over the workpiece, a contrast with traditional extended-nose designs that apply force farther back. He also credits the manufacturing process. Tapering collet jaws to interface with the machine is nothing unusual.

​However, Masa Tool employs a proprietary, five-step grinding process that leaves each jaw with a particularly precise conical shape (hence the name “Microconic”) that forms a particularly tight fit.  More specifically, a “slight crown” ensures that the contact point is always centered, he explains, citing the pattern of wear marks on well-used collets as evidence. 
“Traditionally, you’ll see wear closer to the slots rather than in the center, between the slots,” he says. “There’s no uncertainty about whether (a Microconic collet) will touch on the left or the right side first. That’s where you’ll get some variation in traditional designs.”
Gripping wasn’t the company’s only focus when designing the Micronic system. Reliable part ejection is also critical, Mr. Saccomanno says, particularly with overgrip collets that offer such a wide gripping range. That’s why overgrip models ship with a Microject, a brass ejection guide sleeve that can be machined to mirror the outer profile of the workpiece.

​Once threaded into the over-grip collet, the sleeve prevents parts from falling inside the chuck or getting stuck rather than ejecting into the parts catcher. The sleeve also provides a tight seal that improves the ability of through-spindle coolant or shop air to aid in part ejection.

Microconic workholding System overview
Granted, Mr. Saccomanno recommends using programmed cycle stops while validating a production setup to ensure part ejection is reliable. Nonetheless, combined with the precision and gripping security common to all Microconic collets, capability for extreme overgripping can enable “doing things on the subspindle that you never would have dreamed of before,” he says. ​​
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Masa Tool Get's Interviewed at IMTS 2016! 

11/22/2016

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We where honored and privileged to be interviewed by IMTStv during the show in 2016! It enabled us to get the word out about our Microconic workholding solution that solves clamping problems that have never been solved before!

​We discussed that many many people had just given up on trying to find a solution for balancing out production between the main spindle and the sub-spindle years and years ago. We where even more excited than most of the people that stopped by our booth to learn that we had indeed invented something that fixes the problem! 
A big thank you to the folks at AMT and IMTStv who interviewed us at the show for the big screen!!
​
​"If you manufacture small parts, you have to see this microconic system, it's no ordinary collet! Check out what we found in the west hall at Microconic by Masa Tool's booth W-2232!" Watch more videos at IMTS.com/IMTSTV
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