Printing chucks: General Industry Coverage

What will an additively manufactured hydraulic chuck get you from a technology standpoint? This was the question asked by engineers at toolmaker Mapal Inc. The short answer is versatility, according to Jochen Schmidt, product manager for clamping technology at Mapal. Additive manufacturing is selectively employed at Mapal when production-related limitations hamper innovation.

The company’s High Torque Chuck (HTC) with narrow contour combines the benefits of hydraulic expansion technology with the 3° back taper of the shrink-fit chuck. This is made possible by the additive-manufacturing process employed at Mapal in the form of selective laser melting. SLM is a powder bed-based process. Loose metal powder is melted and laid down layer by layer onto the areas where material is required by a laser beam. During the production of the hybrid HTC, the functional area is applied to a conventionally manufactured tool body via SLM. Thanks to additive manufacturing, the adjustment device can be positioned close to the chuck tip, which would not have been possible with conventional manufacturing. This reportedly provides an optimal radial runout of less than 3µm at the location bore and less than 5µm at 2.5 times the diameter, as well as a high shape accuracy and effective vibration damping. The damping reduces microstructure cracking at the cutting edge, which, in turn, ensures long tool life and less strain on the machine spindle, according to the company.

Mapal created a hybrid High Torque Chuck with narrow contour via selective laser melting. Image courtesy MAPAL.