Consider the benefits of quick-change tooling systems

Whether working with static or live tools, anytime you change a tool, you’re not making parts. That makes a quick-change tooling system—in which the changeover time is reduced to mere seconds—worth consideration.

“Live tools especially are not easy to take in and out of a machine,” said Preben Hansen, president of Heimatec Inc., Prospect Heights, Illinois. “When you’re changing cutting tools, it’s nice to have a quick-change system where you can preset the inserts outside of the machine so you know exactly the tool length going in.”

Heimatec’s HT Quick Change tooling system allows live tools and angle heads to remain permanently mounted in the machine. Image courtesy of Heimatec

Heimatec makes the HT Quick Change tooling system for use with its line of live tools and angle heads, allowing them to remain permanently mounted in the machine. A removable insert holding the cutting tool easily locks into the live tool. Inserts are available for various components, such as ER collets, side lock holders and facemill adapters.

“To change the tool, a single clamping taper screw is loosened up on the live tool cylinder guide; the insert comes out and you put a different one in,” said Hansen, who added that for a minimal cost, a machinist can have another insert sitting on the side ready to go. “When a part’s being changed, they just put in the new insert. The changeover is very quick versus taking the live tool out of the machine and having to reset everything.”

Quick-Change Applications

There are two basic uses for a quick-change tooling system: production and running a family of parts.

“A lot of production shops know a drill will last for, say, a thousand pieces before it dulls and then they have to replace it,” Hansen said. “With a quick-change system, you can have a set of cutting tools preset to the same dimension, ready to go. So you just take out that tool and put another one in—and there’s no downtime involved.”

At the same time, Jared McKown, operations manager at T.M. Smith Tool International Corp., Mount Clemens, Michigan, sees a huge benefit for those who make many different parts and do changeovers frequently, even multiple times a day.

“Say, for instance, you’re running several related parts where one needs a ½” hole, the other one needs a 3⁄8″ hole,” McKown said. “You’re able to change between those two tools much quicker than if you actually had to take out the holder for the ½” and then put in and set-screw down a new holder for the 3⁄8″.”

T.M. Smith offers a couple of quick-change systems. These include an extended range of ball-drive, quick-change tap holders and tap adapters, from very small taps up to 2″ taps, with different types of coolant-through designs and collet-style adapters.

In addition to its tap holders, T.M. Smith makes a quick-change drilling system, which was originally designed to fit only spindles specific to these holders. Now, with the help of quick-change sleeve adapters, any lathe with a straight-bore lathe block can become quick-change tooling.

The drilling system uses two styles of connectors: the Ball-Lock and Smith-Lock. Both can be used on CNC lathes, screw machines and automotive (straight bore) and Tru-Taper spindles. The holder consists of two parts: an over-spindle adapter (OSA), either in the Ball-Lock or Smith-Lock style, and the matching toolholder.