Repeatability - Kwik 200

[Bob La Londe]

Repeatability - Kwik 200

Those of you who use Kwik 200 (or other Kwik too holders): How repeatable have you found the tool height to be?

I always just lowered the table on the KMB1, swapped the tool, and raised it to zero a tool height setter after a tool change. The last several months I've been using a Tormach with TTS tools and a power draw bar. I've gotten really spoiled after entering all the tools in the tool table. For a tool change I just swap the tool and press start. That's it. They repeat within a few tenths. Better actually than the machine itself. I recently purchased an ISO20 spindle for one of my high speed machines, and if it works out I'll purchase them for the others as well. I'm about to get the Hurco KMB1 back in service, and I was wondering (can't check at the moment) how repeatable the tool height was with Kwik 200 tool holders.

Similar Threads:

• Need help with a Kwik-Switch 200 spindle
• Kwik Switch 200 spindle
• Kwik switch 200 stuck
• narex on a Kwik switch 200 ?
• clattering kwik switch?

[Rich Carlstedt]

I have Kwik 200's; for 19 years now and feel they are pretty stable.
I assume you mean removing a tool, and then returning that tool for same/similar use later
Two things affect the tool setting in doing the above.
When the automatic lock collar spins tight on the tool, I always use a wrench and fully tighten it, even though the lock spring has been replaced.
After the machine ( KM3 ) warms up, I find the cutter going deeper in my work by .0005", which I attribute to quill growth
Rich

[Bob La Londe]

Thanks Rich.

I tighten with a wrench as well. I had to make my own. Made into the opposite end of a piece of flat bar that I used to make a spindle nose wrench for the same machine when I swapped the spindle bearings. I snug the wrench with the spindle brake on, and give it a bump with the butt of my hand. Sometimes I have to gave it a light smack with a dead blow mallet to loosen it.

[Rich Carlstedt]

You are getting it tight with that method !
Not done this on my Hurco, but when I was working, we had one tool that had a last word indicator mounted permanently ( No Spindle turns !)
and during tool set up did a fictitious tool number and checked the jaw or table with it. Then later in the shift, or when a critical Z was required, dropped it in and it would tell
us the amount of quill growth --if any.
Rich

[Bob La Londe]

Do you measure in the quill or off the machine with a height gage?

I measure the TTS with a height gage off the machine with the flange resting on a mini surface plate with a hole for the tool holder shank. (its not a taper) With Kwik 200 tooling I'm not sure that the ears/tabs would work as registration surfaces. I always thought the ears were just used to pull the tool holder into the taper.

[Rich Carlstedt]

Do you measure in the quill or off the machine with a height gage?

I measure the TTS with a height gage off the machine with the flange resting on a mini surface plate with a hole for the tool holder shank. (its not a taper) With Kwik 200 tooling I'm not sure that the ears/tabs would work as registration surfaces. I always thought the ears were just used to pull the tool holder into the taper.

The ears are not a good reference point. I mean they are close, but not perfect. I bored out a piece of 3 inch hex stock to match the spindle taper and have it on a granite block with a height gauge, but have not used it for years. I check each tool at setup time with my work. Since I am doing one off mostly, it is faster for me.
I also do most work on a horizontal tooling plate and set up to the plate surface ( which was faced earlier )
I would only use a tool height gauge for production work. The Ultimax II is not really setup for tool changes in a long run, unless you have multiple holders with the same endmill and heights.
I did modify my machine somewhat.
I can stop /start/manual/auto/speed change/ run the spindle motor regardless of the program
Rich

[Bob La Londe]

Mine is very configurable. The Randtronics stuff got taken out before the first time i ever powered up the machine, and the whole system runs under Mach 3. I even have a programmable electronic controlled oiler instead of using the timer and the pneumatic oiler. My thought was to just load all the most used tools it the tool table and set the shortest tool to just be able to reach its max depth at the start of the job. With 6 inches of Z travel that would handle 99% of jobs I run on that machine. Because its Mach 3 I can reset z height anytime I need to for those odd jobs., (yeah I know lots of folks don't like Mach 3).

[Rich Carlstedt]

You're right Bob, I havn't heard much about that level of success with Mach 3.
I am still running the original Randtronics and Hurco program and have the tool inventory filled with 30 tools or so.
I added a single axis DRO to the knee and when doing long stuff, (drill bits) I lower the knee to a preset point that I used earlier for tool offset on that tool.

[Bob La Londe]

You're right Bob, I havn't heard much about that level of success with Mach 3.
I am still running the original Randtronics and Hurco program and have the tool inventory filled with 30 tools or so.
I added a single axis DRO to the knee and when doing long stuff, (drill bits) I lower the knee to a preset point that I used earlier for tool offset on that tool.

That's a really good idea. A DRO on the knee is quite clever.