TOOLING

THE RIGHT CONNECTIONS ARE EVERYTHING

Well-connected spindles
You dont know your HSK from your BT and BIG-Plus? Steed Webzell demystifies the jargon and puts spindle technology into plain English

hile plenty has been written about the business end of toolholders the part that actually holds the cutting tool the other end, the spindle connection, is often overlooked, even though its impact on productivity can be just as great. Across most of Europe and Asia, the two most common spindle connection configurations are BT (7/24 taper) and HSK (1/10 taper), while folk in the US will be more familiar with CAT (7/24 taper), a system developed by machine building engineers at Caterpillar Tractor some 30 years ago and eventually became a national standard. Opinions on the merits and

drawbacks of these systems depend on who you speak to, although most broadly agree on general points. Take Steve Burrows, for instance, the Mikron product specialist at Agie Charmilles. Broadly speaking, Mr Burrows believes that for applications requiring a spindle speed up to 10,000-15,000 rpm, BT spindles are more than adequate, particularly for general subcontract machining. However, for faster applications, the BT system has some inherent failings, says the Mikron specialist. Because the BT system is quite

Nikkens 3-Lock system has a sleeve and spring combination operating together to eliminate vibration and improve surface finish and tool life at high spindle speeds
Taper cone with slit Gentle taper

HSK features a hollow cone that is held on the inside by grippers one of the keys to its success at higher speeds

Face contact Before clamping After clamping

Disc spring

Gap #40:02mm #50:05mm

heavy, spinning at high revolutions per minute is not ideal, he explains. It makes several things happen at the nose. Firstly, because BT relies on taper contact alone, as the centrifugal force increases, it expands at the bottom (where there is less mass), allowing radial movement of the tool. The result is a scalloping effect that affects surface finish and tool life. Mr Burrows adds that the amount of expansion depends on the position of the bearings on the spindle which is difficult to quantify as it is different for every model of machining centre. Also, because BT has no face contact

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machining centre use. HSK A is typically deployed on applications between 12 and 25,000 rpm, while HSK E is advisable for higher speeds. In fact, the full range comprises six types, A to F. Types E and F are designed for low torque and very high spindle speeds on auto toolchange machines. Types A and C serve applications requiring moderate torque and moderate-to-high spindle speeds, having a drive slot on the end of the taper. (A is for automatic tool changing, and C is for manual changing.) Types B and D are designed for high torque applications with moderate-tohigh spindle speeds, having a drive slot on the flange. (B is for automatic changing and D is for manual changing.)

Positioning of spindle bearings will influence the degree to which tapers flare

it can be pulled upwards, thus presenting the additional problem of axial movement, he adds. Third, a BT connection relies on a pull stud held by grippers on the outside and these also suffer from the effects of high centrifugal force. Mr Burrows adds that the three problems are accentuated in proportion to speed: The faster you go, the worse it becomes, he says. The effects are also exaggerated on 5-axis applications where long tools are used. So what is the answer for manufacturers requiring spindle speeds in excess of 10-15,000 rpm? Well, systems such as HSK, BIG-Plus and those offered by Nikken are all designed to overcome these very problems. Mikron, a high-speed specialist uses HSK from Step-Tec in all of its machining centres specified between 15-60,000 rpm, and up to 125,000 rpm when demand dictates. German engineers developed HSK and there are two common variations for

HOLLOW CONE + GRIPPERS HSK features a hollow cone that is held on the inside by grippers and this is one of the keys to its success at higher speeds. As the centrifugal force increases, the grippers expand and push out so that the toolholder remains in contact with the cone of the spindle. There is no gap, no radial movement and no scalloping effect. Also, unlike BT, HSK features face contact: a precision milled faceplate on the toolholder that interfaces with a milled face on the spindle. So the toolholder cannot be pulled upwards; it can only get longer a known axial movement that can be compensated. HSK A uses a drive dog to transfer torque, which is what makes it inherently more difficult to balance above 25,000 rpm. HSK E, on the other hand, has no drive dog; it is completely symmetrical, making it easier to balance. The downside is that it doesnt offer as much grunt as HSK A, but since many applications above 25,000 rpm involve lighter machining, it isnt generally a problem. Heller Machine Tools is another manufacturer which believes in the superior performance of the HSK spindle at high speeds, although it can supply BT spindles upon request. We do not consider it a real choice, says managing director Geoff Lloyd. The HSK spindle is

far superior in every way to the BT spindle as it provides substantially more rigidity, as well as far better repeatability and dimensional accuracy. Mr Lloyd says that very often he hears existing tooling as the justification for using a BT spindle. However, he says this is tantamount to spoiling the ship for a haporth of tar in many applications, as worn and possibly neglected tools cannot deliver the spindles potential performance. Torsional rigidity is another factor to bear in mind. Heller insists that research has shown that a BT40 spindle offers only 670 Nm/mm and the BT50, 2,400 Nm/mm, whereas the HSK63 provides 3,600 Nm/mm and the HSK100, 17,000 Nm/mm. This superiority minimises spindle deflection, which in turn minimises run-out and provides a repeatable concentricity within microns. In addition, continues Mr Lloyd, the tool sits against air-sensed pads that permit automatic verification of tool location, a feature that cannot be achieved with the BT-style taper because the face is not butted up against the spindle face. And by using a mandrelstyle of clamp and unclamp mechanism, tools can be readily unclamped after use, even if left in the spindle between shifts because they do not suffer from the bell mouthing associated with long taper designs. In our opinion, as designers and manufacturers of machining centres, our customers benefit time after time when using the HSK system. One factor common to all spindles is that they all come in a range of taper sizes, and this is an important consideration in machining centre selection. For example, the majority of Haas vertical and horizontal machining centres use 40 taper spindles, which accept toolholders manufactured to either BT/CAT or HSK DIN standards. The 40 tapers are more than capable of handling the 35 hp output of 12,000 rpm spindles, explains company technical director Pat Fenn, while the 15,000 rpm spindle uses a balanced 40 taper tool, and the 30,000 rpm spindle uses a balanced 30 taper tool, where

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limiting the mass of the toolholder is relevant to the maximum spindle speed. Large-frame Haas machining centres have the option of a 50 taper spindle. Alternatives to both BT and HSK tooling attempt to combine the best features of both systems. One system that is proving particularly popular in Japan, where it is licensed for use by many of the countrys machine tool builders, is BIG-Plus, a patented connection that offers simultaneous contact with the spindle face and taper. It uses the natural elastic deformation demonstrated by all machine spindles to allow the tool flange to make contact with the spindle nose. Dual contact is achieved by eliminating the gap that generally exists between the spindle face and the toolholder flange face. In the case of BT40 taper machines, the gap is about 2 mm. BIG-Plus toolholders are made with thicker flanges that eliminate half of the gap, while the other half can be eliminated by employing machines that house BIG-Plus spindles which have extended faces to compensate. BIG-Plus can be used on standard machines and machines with BIG-Plus spindles can use standard tooling, so neither has obsolescence. Similarly, existing BT taper accessories such as presetters, tooling fixtures and tooling storage systems can be used with BIGPlus toolholders. Companies such as Mazak, Matsuura, Okuma, Mitsui Seiki, Mitsubishi and Takisawa are licensed by BIG Daishowa Seiki to offer the BIG-Plus system on their machining centres. The system is marketed in the UK by NCMT. Proprietary spindle/toolholder systems are growing in popularity driven by demand from manufacturers seeking alternatives to BT and HSK. Systems such as Sandvik Coromants Capto, Kennametals KM and Komets ABS have spearheaded this trend. The number of Capto systems Sandvik Coromant has assembled for machine tool builders now extends well into four figures. Capto is based on a tapered polygon shank and face contact

The number of Capto spindle systems Sandvik Coromant has assembled for machine tool builders now extends well into four figures. The Capto polygon shank system is self-centring and selfaligning

to provide the required rigidity and repeatability. It is self-centring, self-aligning and is designed to transfer torque forces without loss of precision. In all, the Capto system comprises more than 2,000 different tools with coupling sizes from 32 to 80 mm. The Sandvik Capto and Kennametal KM systems are designed as quickchange modular tooling systems for machining centres. They enable users to reduce downtime through fast tool changes and off-machine presetting, while tools can be used on different machines and operations throughout a machine shop, enabling reduction of tooling inventories.

ALTERNATIVE SUGGESTIONS Nikken offers alternatives to BT and HSK with its proprietary 3Lock and Major Dream BT taper-compatible toolholder systems and its NC5, HSK alternative toolholder/spindle connection options. The Nikken 3-Lock toolholder system for use on standard BT tapers boasts a dampening effect created by its spring and sleeve design (see page 35). Toolholders consist of a solid conical core surrounded by a cone-shaped shell. Featuring an axial slit, the shell can move independently of the solid core. A disc spring between the slit shell and the taper flange compresses when the holder is

drawn up into the spindle bore creating a pre-load on the shell. Thus as the spindle begins to bell-mouth at speed, the shell compensates, being pushed up higher by the spring, maintaining full taper contact. According to Nikken, the resulting stability under dynamic cutting conditions enables the toolholder to absorb vibrations and slight out-ofbalance conditions, improving tool life and surface finish. The Nikken NC5 toolholder/spindle system offers an alternative to the HSK system. NC5 features a shorter gauge length than HSK because of its solid taper, symmetrical design. As it works on a drawbar mechanism that compresses the split taper, Nikken claims greater taper and flange contact is achieved. Once again, a Belleville washer pushes the split shell upwards as spindle speed increases and bell-mouthing occurs, thus maintaining the full contact with both taper and flange. And because NC5 is solid not hollow like HSK, it has greater static stiffness, like the solid, steep taper BT spindle design. The Major Dream system builds on the concept of NC5, Dream-Cut, and the 3-Lock systems encasing the dampening system within a solid tool holder body. This means that Nikkens 1 /10th taper dampening system can be applied to virtually any standard machine tool spindle or application.
Enter 130 at www.machinery.co.uk/enquiry

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