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Tooling questions for a KX1

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Steve Withnell22/05/2011 22:15:32
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I'm increasingly getting the urge to get a KX1 and started looking at the tooling side of things. One operation I have a need for involves using a slitting saw in aluminium (cooling fins for IC). The lowest spindle speed on the KX1 is 250rpm, Does this allow the use of slitting saws to cut say 1.5 m wide 3mm deep in Al.?
 
The other tooling question is around the use of an ER collet chuck. The MT2 spindle taper will accomodate an ER32 chuck - but is it a sensible choice for the size of the machine would ER16/20 be better - thinking about size of the chuck interfering with machining ops more than anything else.
 
Final point is that I want to use the fourth axis - is the ARC 4 inch rotary table a good match to the KX1 in term of size, weight on the table etc?
 
Thanks in advance
 
Steve
mgj22/05/2011 22:36:47
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Steve, you know the cutting speed in fpm for your saws, and you know their diameter, so I'm sure you can work out whther 250 rpm is too fast or not (and whether hte work is regulasr of genuinely occasional.
 
I must admit, when I went looking for a mill it was the slowest speed it would do that I was interested. If you intend to generate large (relativley) radius surfaces like say a boiler saddle, or whatever then possibly 250 is way too fast, though carbide indexable radial bars are available.
 
I want to build a 4" TE next so a big sweep matters. But for a clockmaker I imagine its less important, with relatively small dia form cutters in brass. Start driving medium sized BP cutters in steel and iron and its a different story.
 
I think you have to decide on thee basis of what you make, and not on what others may make.
 
ER chuck - the 32 is more flexible because it will carry bigger tooling. If you want to run short cutters, make a sub carrier, and you'll get the clearance that way.

Edited By mgj on 22/05/2011 22:37:35

Edited By mgj on 22/05/2011 22:39:12

Andrew Johnston22/05/2011 22:52:13
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Blimey, 1.5m by 3mm, you'll need a lot of horsepower for that!
 
However, to answer the question, 250rpm for a 3" or 4" slitting saw will be fine in aluminium. Whether the mill has the power to drive it is another matter. When I've cut heatsink fins on a CNC mill I used a small slot drill rather than a slitting saw.
 
I use an ER20 collet chuck on a bigger CNC mill (a Tormach) and have never felt the need to go bigger. CNC tends to involve small cutters running fast, rather than large cutters running slow. The ER20 collet chuck also works fine on my manual Bridgeport.
 
I've got no direct experience of the KX1, or the ARC rotary tables, so I'll leave that question for those who are more knowledgeable.
 
Regards,
 
Andrew
mick23/05/2011 09:50:37
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The size of collet chuck is realy goverened by the max tool diameter the machine is designed for, which is 12mm I have had an 18mm diameter running on my KX1 but that was held in a tool holder, which I prefer as you can build up a decent tool library, as they only cost around £8.0 from Arc Euro I don't think I'd be tempted to use slitting saws on it though

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