' 04 VF 4 Rough Tool changing

[Burgs]

We also experience this problem with our VF3 on heavy cuts. Lube and cleaning the taper helps, but I suspect the problem is the female taper expands and traps the tool under heavy load. Not sure what to do about that though, proberly should have a heavier machine spindle (BT50). Will look at Geofs sugguestion re air tank and valve flow/pressure drops.
Best Regards Burgs

[Drkk]

I've been been runnung my two Haas machines for eight years in everything from Titanium to Aluminum. The problem is HEAT in the spindle causing the taper to tighten up when it cools a little. If you machine parts without coolant, it really helps to run a line from the spigot back to the tank to help cool the head, since that is one thing that gets almost no mention is the flood coolant acting as an additonal cooler.
Second, coat the inside of the spindle taper with a FINE coat of axle greese to serve as a release agent and the problem is gone for about 48 hours of run time.

[Geof]

A hot spindle cooling is certainly one of the reasons tools jam; don't ever shut a machine down with a tool in the spindle after 10 hours almost non stop at full speed.

I did discover a different fix a few days ago when our VF0 jammed a tool for the first time in over a year; use a cheaper tool holder that does not fit the taper as accurately! Not really a solution if you have a high speed spindle.

[Brian P.]

I have run VF0's,VF2's,VF3's,VF4's and a VF6 with both high speed and carousel type tool changers. It seems to me that that its a crap shoot with sticking tools. We had purchased 2 VF4's at my last shop with carousel type tool changers. Both machines where bought at the same time. One had this problem constantly and the other never. At my present shop we have a VF2SS and a VF6 with the high speed tool changer. Again the VF6 gives us some problems and the VF2 never. I've found that keeping the taper clean and lightly oiled helps to reduce the the frequency.

[Drkk]

I would put rough tool changes into a couple differnet classes. Those that are caused by the tool change mechanisms, and those by tools binding or sticking in the spindle. The first ones are usually easy enough to fix, if you adjust and time your tool change mechanism. The second type. . . Mostly teaching the help not to airblast into the tool changer and making sure that everybody knows how the shop deals with the issue.