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Multi Spindle Attachments Detail

Please select your lathe attachment from the drop-down below:

High Speed Drilling

This attachment can be fitted in any station and comprises a turret or independent slide mounted spindle which is driven, by gearing in the main drive housing, in a direction opposite to the rotation of the machine spindles.

Drive is direct from the main shaft to the drive shaft with an idler to give the counter rotation. The attachment provides a means of obtaining the correct drilling speed in relation to maximum diameter peripheral speed where the drill diameter is considerably smaller than the outside diameter. Various ratios are available to obtain the desired drilling speed.

Thread Chasing

Generally available for use in stations 2, 4 and 5 the thread chasing attachments are ideal for producing threads behind shoulders or plain diameters. The attachment is mounted on a cross slide and is driven from the main drive housing at predetermined ratios. The chasing slide is cam actuated and standard cams and ratios permit a wide range of threads to be machined

Revolving Die-Head

These attachments can be mounted on the turret or independent slides and are also driven from the centre shaft of the machine. Unlike the High Speed Drilling attachment, the revolving die head rotates in the same direction as the workspindle but at a slower speed for right hand threads and a faster speed for left hand threads. The effective cutting speed is the difference between the speed of the work-spindle and the speed of the attachment. Many ratios are available so that correct cutting speeds can be obtained in relation to material and thread size. The proprietary die-heads are yoke operated and can be opened at a pre-determined length by a stop-rod, which actuates the yoke-the die-head being reset on the fast return of the attachment.

Full Screwing

Similar in operation to the Revolving Die-Head this attachment can be used for both internal and external threads. It is driven through clutches in the same direction as the spindle, either faster for left-hand threading or slower for righthand threading. On completion of the thread, the attachment is speeded up when right-hand threading or slowed down when left-hand threading so that the speed differential unscrews the tap from the hole.

Independent Reaming

This attachment is used in stations 1, 2, 3, and 6 on the 55/8"-6 machine, stations 3 and 6 on other 6-spindle models, stations 3, 4, 7 and 8 on the 8-spindle autos and station 4 on the 4- spindle machines.

The attachment is used to size ream holes and can also perform many other functions, for example burnishing, When used in a part-off station the reaming operation is performed in 60% of the full cycle time to ensure that the reamer is clear of the component before part-off.

The next series of attachments were initially developed as special attachments, Usage, however, has increased the demand so that at the present time they are loosely bracketed under a 'semi-standard' heading although on certain machines within the range of Wickman multi's these attachments already possess a 'standard' classification and are stocked as such.

Pick-Up Attachment

This attachment is mounted at a part-off station and is rotated by a drive from the main drive housing synchronous with the work-spindle, The attachment carries a sleeve operated collet and moves forward to pick-up the component as the part-off tool commences its feed stroke. The component is gripped during part-off and, at the end of the feed stroke, returns to its back position; the collet opens and the component is ejected into a chute. Using this attachment components have a flat part-off face with no pip.

Pick-Up And Back-Burring

This is a development of the plain pick-up attachment but uses a special cam operated bar stop carrying the tool required for the de-burring operation. The attachment grips the component and returns to a secondary back position after cut-off has been completed. The bar stop with its cutter moves into position opposite the workspindle and the pick-up attachment moves forward and feeds the component onto the backburring cutter, After the component has been de-burred or counterbored, the attachment returns to its max back position and ejects the component into the work chute.

Burnishing

This operation is performed successfully on Wickman machines. The high surface finish obtained can eliminate the need for a subsequent grinding operation, There are various types of burnishing attachments-all designed for specific burnishing applications. I nternal burnishing, using proprietary tools, carried out from the main end-working turret or independent and auxiliary longitudinal slides. Interaction between the rotating component and the burnishing tool creates the desired finish, Another attachment is cross-slide mounted with two rolls, ground to form, A further type, used for bevel pinions or components with spherical faces, contains a roll and a single point turning tool in one head.

Thread Rolling

Rolled threads have greater strength and accuracy than threads produced by any other means and, as with most other Wickman attachments, various types of attachments are available to suit customers specific requirements, Caliper type attachments of proprietary makes are applied on cross-slides in conjunction with the auxiliary crossslide motion and a special cam. Attachments that work from end-working slides can be supplied and employ proprietary heads such as Fette, Wagner or Landis.

Thread Rolling

Size control of the work-piece is most important, prior to the rolling operation the component must be formed and shaved to a tolerance of 0,001”. The 'Special' attachments, which follow, are designed to suit specific components.

Pick-Up And Back Slotting

These attachments are used when it is impossible to use front operating equipment and are mounted in the part-off station. The pick up arm advances to the workpiece at the start of the partoff stroke and withdraws the component after cut-off. The arm transfers the component into line with the revolving cutter and feeds it into the cutter. When the slot or flat has been milled the component is ejected and the arm returns to the pick up position.

Multi-Spindle Drill Heads

There are a number of types of this attachment and they operate from the end working slides the number and position of the drills being dictated by component geometry. A comparatively simple application is the synchronous attachment with drills that orbit synchronously with the work-spindle and is used where the holes have no specific radial relationship to the geometry of the component. An inner drive shaft revolves the separate drill quills; feed motion being supplied to the head by an independent end working cam or slide, Synchronous attachments which locate with the machine spindle in planned relationship to a feature of the component to be produced can be supplied. Non rotating attachments for use with spindle stopping and positioning are also offered.

Oil Grooving

The grooving operation can be performed in a number of ways by cutting or rolling. One such method machines oil grooves in the spherical head of ball pin components. This attachment is mounted on a cross slide and produces a continuous oil groove running at 30°to the vertical centre line of the component. The attachment is driven from the main drive housing by a standard chasing attachment drive unit fitted with special gears.

Deep Hole Drilling

Long, small diameter holes are successfully drilled by air operated relief drilling attachments mounted on the endworking independent slides. The slides are pushed by special cams containing two or three reliefs. On reaching an indent in the cam an air cylinder operates, via a toggle mechanism, causing the drill to withdraw clear of the component and clear itself of swarf. As each cam indent covers approximately 10°of cam timing, very little feed time is lost-the drill being returned to within 0.01" of the original depth before feed recommences.

Cross Drilling

When the machine is equipped for spindle stopping, cross drilling attachments can be utilised for holes at 900 to the component centre line. These attachments are mounted on cross slides and receive their infeed from the standard cross slide or auxiliary cams. Drive to the attachment can be from the main drive housing via bevel gears or by integral electric or pneumatic motor drives.

Internal Milling

Internal milling operations are used where orthodox recessing is not possible i.e. where the recess is too deep, too wide, or swarf control is difficult. The general principle of internal milling is similar to that of recessing in that a rotating cutter is mounted on an endworking slide in line with the spindle and, in a similar manner to the recess tool, it is moved longitudinally into position in the previously drilled hole and then fed into the required depth by the feed motion of the cross slide. Where the width of recess is excessive the cutter is first plunged to depth and then traversed longitudinally at a feed rate dictated by the independent slide.

Drifting

The Drifting attachment is used for internal and external broaching of slots, splines or hexagons etc. and is available as either free to revolve or synchronously driven models. Both types of attachment operate from either the centre turret or an independent endworking slide. The quill carrying the drift is set at 1 ~ Q to the centre line of the spindle-this arra:lgement removes the metal by a nibbling action.

Saw Slotting

On standard machines these attachments are driven synchronous with the work spindle. Mounted in a bearing housing on the centre turret or on the independent slide, the cutter or cutters are driven through gears and shafts from the main drive housing. Non-rotating attachments are used on machines fitted with spindle stopping facilities. In the attachments only a single drive to the cutter is required. This method permits flats or slots to be machined in specific relationship to cross holes etc; larger side and face milling cutters can be employed in the non-rotating type of attachment.

Copy Turning

Hydraulic copy-turning attachments are available that will turn profiles or stepped diameters by simply changing a template which is an integral part of this cross slide mounted attachment.

Flat Generating

This attachment is suitable for use on non-ferrous materials and is widely used for water fittings. There are a number of different designs of this attachment but the one most widely used is mounted on the cross slide and driven from the main drive housing.

Flat Generating

The cutter, which is usually carbide tipped, revolves at a higher speed than the spindle and in the same direction. The number of flats generated on a component is dependent upon a permutation of cutter speed and the number of cutting edges. It is general, however, to use 1, 2, 3 or 4 tooth fly cutters at double the spindle speed-this will produce 2, 4, 6 or 8 flats respectively. The type of attachment is dictated by the length of flat to be generated. Cross slide mounted attachments using the plunge feed principle are used on flats up to 3/8" wide. Traverse can be provided to the cutter head to accommodate wider flats, in which case the cutter is brought into position by the fast motion of the cross slide to a pre-determined size position and arrested. The rotating cutter is then transversed longitudinally by a pusher mechanism from an independent end working slide at a pre-determined controlled feed rate. Another popular flat generating attachment is mounted on the upper independent slides with the cutter feed supplied from normal independent end-working movement. This attachment is used on components where the flat to be generated is furthest away from the collet.

Other Wickman attachments that are available cover operations such as cross slide milling, name marking, multi spindle tapping and cross tapping.

Bar or work-piece loading arrangements remove operator participation still further to boost machine efficiency levels. Magazines are available to carry up to four machine loads of bar stock these replace the standard stock carriage and are especially beneficial when long shaft-type components are being produced which otherwise could use a full load of six twelve foot bars in less than twenty minutes. Chucking autos, or modified bar machines with collet-type chucks can be automatically loaded in a variety of ways to suit the shape of the blank. Cylindrical shaped blanks are normally fed to the tooling area by a gravity-type chute and then loaded into the chuck or open collet by an arm which feeds the work-piece up to a dead stop to ensure constant lengths.

With this simple type of loading device the chute can be fed from a vibratory hopper or a variety of other methods. Gripping of the component is automatic, either via the collet opening and closing mechanism, or in the case of a chuck by either hydraulic or pneumatic methods.

On more complicated components it is necessary to have complex loading attachments; frequently these attachments are required to load the work-piece in a particular angular relationship to the chuck jaws. The loading and unloading attachments available to Wickman customers considerably increase the versatility of the machine and permit their integration into link lines. A BLMC link line containing three Wickman multi-spindle chucking autos highlights anotherfeature which demonstrates how a multi-spindle auto can be tooled to machine both front and rear er.ds of a component in a cycle.

New attachments and variations of existing attachments are being continuously developed by Wickman.

An example of ingenious tooling was exhibited at the 1972 Machine Tool International Exhibition. The component is a brass co-axial connector body produced in 9.6 seconds on a Wickman 5/8"-6 multi equipped for spindle stopping at stations three and four. Roll lettering is applied at station two. At station three, with the spindle stationary, two slots are end-milled by a twoposition end-milling attachment and the bayonet fitting is cross drilled by a pneumatic cross drilling attachment. In station four, with the spindle stationary, two slots are milled by an indexing infeed angle milling attachment. Reaming and forming operations are performed at station five. In station six the component is held during partoff by a pick up and back burr attachment. After cut-off the rear end of the component is counter-bored and then the connector is automatically ejected into a workchute.

This article is the first of a series of articles using Wickman Multi- 12 Spindle Automatic as its subject.

Future articles will deal with more applications of the Wickman Auto in users works.

On file are many examples demonstrating the production savings which can be achieved by the proper utilization of machines and attachments.

One large and very well known manufacturer started re-thinking on existing production methods on one particular component which was already being produced on a multi-spindle auto PLUS 3, or sometimes 4 capstans for second operation work.

A new Wickman Multi-Spindle Automatic was introduced and reduced a cycle time of over 130 seconds and 6 to 8 operators to one machine, one operator and a floor-to-floortime of8.5seconds! The following examples illustrate the capabilities of the Wickman Multi as employed in one of Britains most modern and forward thinking companies.

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Wickman carry in stock all your new, fully refurbished and used multi spindle attachments:

Pick Up & Back Burr, Position 3 & 6
Full Threading Position 5 & 6
Flat Generating/Thread Milling
Thread Chasing
Broaching Attachment
Ramp Recessing
Ramp Milling
Synchronous Slotting
High Speed Drilling
Auxiliary Motion Positions 3, 4, 5 & 6
Long Turning Slides
Thread Rolling
Shaving Toolholders
Flatform Toolholders
Bracket Toolholders
Dovetail Toolholders
CNC Slide attachments

Please contact your nearest sales department for further details.