HI guys,
So I'm ponderating making a custom machine to increase (or ease) our production.
What it needs to do is grab an 8-32 screw, and hold it still while the end is ground.
They come in two lengths: 0.500" and 0.188". And they come by the thousand...
My thought is to come up with something like a 5C air chuck, with a tube of screws feeding in from behind. Move a setting block in front of the collet, open collet, press screw out (somehow) against stop block. Close collet, grind (somehow).
Open collet, eject, move in front of stop block, rinse, repeat.
A full-on 5C air closer is much bigger and heaver than I really need for this.
Does anybody know of anything smaller that would fit the same bill?
What do normal production companies who need to hang on to screws (for whatever reason) use?
I know there are powered screwdriver systems that will autofeed screws for assembly. What are those called? Where do you find them?
Are there any companies that specialize in screw handling gear? I figure I can't be the only one who needs to mess with the ends of lots of screws, so *somebody* should make something close enough, if only I knew where to look.
(Yes, I've spent a whole lot of time bouncing around Google. I just can't find the right search terms apparently.)
What we're doing now is screwing the screws into steel plates, surface grinding, then unscrewing. Works great, but takes forever to screw and unscrew. About 30 seconds to actually grind a whole plate though.
My goal is to automate this. I can design and build the machine, even using an air chuck if I have to, but I'd really like to find a smaller, lighter solution. Doesn't have to be 5C. Just needs to grab an OD of about .200", so ER16 would work, or anything else in that range, if somebody makes a thru-spindle chucker in that size range.
Anybody have any suggestions?
Thanks,
Brian
So I'm ponderating making a custom machine to increase (or ease) our production.
What it needs to do is grab an 8-32 screw, and hold it still while the end is ground.
They come in two lengths: 0.500" and 0.188". And they come by the thousand...
My thought is to come up with something like a 5C air chuck, with a tube of screws feeding in from behind. Move a setting block in front of the collet, open collet, press screw out (somehow) against stop block. Close collet, grind (somehow).
Open collet, eject, move in front of stop block, rinse, repeat.
A full-on 5C air closer is much bigger and heaver than I really need for this.
Does anybody know of anything smaller that would fit the same bill?
What do normal production companies who need to hang on to screws (for whatever reason) use?
I know there are powered screwdriver systems that will autofeed screws for assembly. What are those called? Where do you find them?
Are there any companies that specialize in screw handling gear? I figure I can't be the only one who needs to mess with the ends of lots of screws, so *somebody* should make something close enough, if only I knew where to look.
(Yes, I've spent a whole lot of time bouncing around Google. I just can't find the right search terms apparently.)
What we're doing now is screwing the screws into steel plates, surface grinding, then unscrewing. Works great, but takes forever to screw and unscrew. About 30 seconds to actually grind a whole plate though.
My goal is to automate this. I can design and build the machine, even using an air chuck if I have to, but I'd really like to find a smaller, lighter solution. Doesn't have to be 5C. Just needs to grab an OD of about .200", so ER16 would work, or anything else in that range, if somebody makes a thru-spindle chucker in that size range.
Anybody have any suggestions?
Thanks,
Brian