News And Updates

As well as providing visitors with the opportunity to find out more about the new Hainbuch TESTit clamping force gauge, Tamworth-based Leader Chuck Systems will also be unveiling details of the extensive range of chucks from its new principal, Autogrip Machinery. Visitors can be sure that the workholding specialist will have comprehensive details of the widest range of fixturing solutions for rotational and prismatic components on its stand (Hall 5, Stand 5601).

A specialist manufacturer of power chucks and rotary cylinders, Autogrip Machinery’s facilities are located in Taiwan. Established in 1989 to support the Japanese workholding manufacturing industry, the company provides high rigidity, high precision quality products, which include a complete range of industry compatible 2-, 3- and 4-jaw rotating and static power chucks with standard and large through holes that precisely match the requirement of all of today’s CNC machine tools. Related products such as hydraulic and pneumatic rotary activating cylinders, running joints, facing heads, synchronous clamps, and every type of collet chuck, as well as bespoke chucks.

CE safety and ISO 9001 quality accreditation all testify to the company’s capabilities. With extensive research and development facilities, Autogrip Machinery invests a significant level of its resources in the design, development and ongoing improvement of all of its products, as well as extending it range of workholding solutions.

Capable of measuring clamping forces greater than 200kN the TESTit is the only device currently capable of measuring internal and external workholding systems, such as mandrels and manual/powered jaw or collet chucks. It has been designed to provide easily executed and reliable checks to ensure the manufacturing process remains safe, precise and productive.

Says Mark Jones, managing director of Hainbuch’s sole UK agent, Leader Chuck Systems: “Design necessity and optimum material selection means that some components require lighter clamping forces, or manufacturers risk damaging the part. However, if it not clamped securely the machining operation will be compromised. With the margin between clamping too tightly and not tight enough being so narrow it is vital that the actual clamping force is known. Using the TESTit gauge the clamping force can then be calibrated to exactly match the process requirements.”

In operation, the new TESTit gauge is completely wireless with all the clamping force values transmitted via Bluetooth to a display device, such as a smart phone, desktop or tablet PC, or PDA with the appropriate software installed. Featuring automatic sensor recognition and a Li-ion rechargeable battery for more than 5 hours of operating time, the TESTit clamping force gauge can be used to measure stationary or rotating holding forces both internally and externally.

Details of Leader’s award-winning MultiChuck MMY concentric clamping system, which offers a host of advantages to the self-centring of round parts on vertical and horizontal machining centres, milling machines and grinders, along with full product information for the latest innovative workholding solutions from AMCC, AutoGrip, Bison, Gamet, Hainbuch, Hewa, Iram, Lexair, Maprox Zweifel and MicroCentric will all be available on the stand.

“Our various precision clamping and fixturing systems will be used effectively by many of the leading machine tool companies exhibiting at MACH 2012, and visitors will be able to very quickly appreciate how these systems could improve their overall machine tool efficiency,” says Mark Jones. 

Also represented on the stand will be the Bison range of cost-effective chucks and vices. Bison’s extensive product range is renowned for quality, durability, precision and value-for-money, and it is now fully supported in the UK, with Leader providing pre-sales technical support, stocks of popular items and spare parts.

Poland’s largest manufacturer of machine tool ancillary products, Bison has a wide range of standard manual chucks, many of which are available with cast iron or steel bodies. With diameters ranging from 80 – 1250mm the standard manual chucks are available with 2-, 3-, 4- and 6-jaws, and various internal/external hard and soft jaw configurations are offered. Geared scroll self-centring, independent and combination models provide robust fixturing for the turning of raw material or parts.

Mark Jones concludes: “The MACH exhibition provides visiting engineers with the ideal opportunity to see the very latest manufacturing technology available. In an environment that allows them to glean beneficial information that could dramatically improve their companies’ operation. We are pleased to provide details of our own and our principals’ workholding solutions.”