In addition to what Geof pointed out, a CT holder is also longer than a BT holder. In the Haas manual, it shows it as .12" longer (2.69" vs. 2.57"). That will cause the pull stud to sit higher, but as luck would have it, a BT pull stud is .114" longer than a CT pull stud (1.104" vs. 0.990"). I'm not sure if that .006" difference is cause for concern though...
Geof, are you sure that dafowfidy needs new fingers? Take a look at the attached picture (out of an NSK catalog). The V groove on both tool holders is 60° inclusive, with one of the differences being the depth of the groove. If the fingers fit into both holders, it just means that they would have to open more for the CT holder. As far as the different height from the gage line, that would mean altering the parameter that tells the Z axis where to go for a tool change.
Haas charges the same for a BT machine as it does for a CT machine, which might be because they don't have to change anything mechanical. I wouldn't put it past Haas to make a one-size-fits-all spindle...goes well with their lean production methodology. |