 This article originally appeared in the April 2017 issue of Today's Medical Developments. It was the cover story entitled: "Micro-Precision Machining" by Elizabeth Modic The Microconic system benefits orthopedic bone screws, miniature precious metal components for pacemakers, and other implantables; machined surgical components made of hypodermic needle tubing; and surgical instrument components. Here’s one example – dental implants.
Cost savings: Production rate went from 18pph to 32pph, a 44% cost savings. In addition, a hand deburring operation was eliminated due to the cut-off being on the opposite end. ROI: Cost of the Microconic system was recouped in 64 production hours; a $14,015 saved in direct production costs of a 10,000-piece order. About the author: Elizabeth Modic is the editor of Today’s Medical Developments and can be reached at emodic@gie.net or 216.393.0264.
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 This article originally appeared in the April 2017 issue of Today's Medical Developments. It was the cover story entitled: "Micro-Precision Machining" by Elizabeth Modic Microconic’s cartridge is made of exotic high-chromium tool steel, triple tempered and cryogenically treated to provide stable construction. All functional seating surfaces are ground with extreme precision on a one-piece, ultra-rigid body structure. “The cartridge can be used as a calibration gage to verify the machine spindle accuracy,” Co-owner Chip Prescott notes. Microconic collets are finished to exacting standards with a five-step grinding process that removes the effect of heat-treat warpage. Also, the proprietary Microconic form of the closure surfaces is inherently more accurate than traditional collets, providing for a greater full-accuracy working range. Cartridges are available to fit in push-type dead-length collet closers and also draw-type closers: F20M10 (for TF20 collet replacement), F25M10 (for TF25 collet replacement), and 5CM10 (for 5C collet replacement). All of these cartridges use the same Microconic UM10 collets, with more cartridge sizes in development to be released soon.  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 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.
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".
    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.  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
Special Thanks to Mark Hurst from HiTech Industrial for bringing this application solution to their attention.
 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
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  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.
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.
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.
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.”
“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.”
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.
Masa Tool’s Microconic miniaturized collet system consists of two components: a “right-size”-style collet and a cartridge that fits directly into Swiss spindles. 
According to Masa Tool, the collets are manufactured with special grinding techniques to provide accuracy, high gripping force and tolerance for workpiece size differential. Each finger of the collet has a separate conical surface that accurately applies gripping force. The chucking method is available for both draw-type (5C) and push-type or dead length systems (TF25) used in subspindles of Swiss-type CNC lathes. The collets are available in size increments of 0.050 mm (0.001"). Diameters range from 1 to 10 mm (0.039" to 0.393").
Masa Tool Inc. has created a precision collet device for the micromachining industry. The “Microconic System” is a miniaturized collet system that consists of two major components: the Microconic “cartridge” that fits directly into Swiss spindles like a collet and the Microconic collet that is a “right size” style collet. This chucking method is available for both draw-type (5C) and push-type or “dead length” systems (TF25), used on the subspindle of Swiss CNC lathes. The Microconic grind provides extreme accuracy, high gripping force and tolerance for workpiece size differential, the company says. Each finger of the collet has a separate conical surface that acts to apply the gripping force with accuracy.
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