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EPPINGER NEWS

The unique automatic tool holder clamping for the indexers on cnc turning & nilling centres - QUICKLOCK

At this year's EMO, the world's leading international trade fair for metalworking in Milan (Oct. 4-9, 2021), the Eppinger Group from Denkendorf, Germany, will present its innovative tool holders and tool systems especially for turning/milling centres. Eppinger at EMO 2021 in hall 4, booth B11.

The unique automatic tool holder clamping for the indexers on cnc turning & nilling centres - QUICKLOCK
Longitudinal openings for the locking forks in the turret disc are characteristic of QUICKLOCK.

To ensure that BMT tool holders can be clamped in an even more stress-free manner in the future, the innovative QUICKLOCK tool clamping system will be presented to the trade public for the first time. It allows tool holders (BMT) to be automatically clamped and released in just a few seconds at the touch of a button.

"EMO is one of the most important events for us; at hardly any other trade fair do we reach so many international trade visitors in such a short time. That is why we are extremely pleased that the trade fair can take place again this year", says Managing Director Uwe Eppinger with optimism. And he also has an absolute world premiere in his trade fair luggage: the innovative BMT tool clamping system QUICKLOCK.


The unique automatic tool holder clamping for the indexers on cnc turning & nilling centres - QUICKLOCK
Easy inspection of the locking forks is possible via the two inspection shafts to the left and right of the changing station.

While the previous Fastlock interchangeable clamping system was already optimised in terms of setup time because only one clamping screw had to be removed from the spindle, the developers at the Denkendorf-based tool specialist have now gone one step further: "Changing BMT tool holders on the turret on a lathe or turning/milling centre still involves increased setup time and changeover risk due to operator intervention", knows Joel Judas, responsible for R&D and sales at the Eppinger Group. "With our QUICKLOCK clamping system, the BMT tool change is now automated throughout." According to the manufacturer, all it takes is the push of a cnc button and QUICKLOCK clamps or releases the BMT tool holder in less than four seconds. As an optional 4.0 adaptation, the toolholder exchange can also be operated by means of an industrial robot and the indexer can thus be loaded fully automatically. Until now, several minutes were needed for such a tool change, including loosening the screws and tightening them again with the torque wrench. Optimum process reliability was also not guaranteed.


The unique automatic tool holder clamping for the indexers on cnc turning & nilling centres - QUICKLOCK
"EMO is one of the most important events for us; at hardly any other trade fair do we reach so many international trade visitors in such a short time. That is why we are extremely pleased that the trade fair can take place again this year."

"With QUICKLOCK, we are closing another gap on the road to automation on lathes and turning/milling centres", emphasises Managing Director Uwe Eppinger. "The setup time savings are enormous, so the innovative clamping system has already returned its investment after a short time, depending on the production volume."


The unique automatic tool holder clamping for the indexers on cnc turning & nilling centres - QUICKLOCK
Automatically change BMT toolholders in less than 10 seconds: Step 1 is the electronic release for unclamping by means of CNC control, in step 2 the mechanical release takes place with the piston head by retraction of the locking fork, and in a 3rd step the physical change, either by the machine operator or a robot.

A simple principle for more safety
The QUICKLOCK principle is as ingenious as it is simple: An external hydraulic piston system is installed above the indexer, as it has proven itself thousands of times over for decades. When clamping a BMT tool holder, the piston pushes the locking fork assigned to each station in the direction of the BMT tool holder; with this radial movement, the locking fork encloses a special clamping ring and at the same time hits a shoulder of the cylindrical shaft of the BMT tool holder. The axial movement triggered by this pulls the toolholder down onto the face of the turret disc with a force of 15-20 tons and arrests and locks it in a process-safe manner.


The unique automatic tool holder clamping for the indexers on cnc turning & nilling centres - QUICKLOCK
A highlight of the last EMO 2019 was the new rotary table range for initial equipment or retrofitting of vertical and horizontal milling machines.

The wear on clamping rings and locking forks is also only marginal, as extensive material stability tests have shown. "We tested the stability of the components as well as the entire system using an elaborate, practical test program", explains Joel Judas. For example, five BMT tool holders have been used for over 100,000 clamping/releasing strokes without any problems or failures. Likewise, the endurance tests in connection with a turret head developed for this purpose (Leonardo line) from Baruffaldi, which fully confirm - and even exceed - our expectations.


The unique automatic tool holder clamping for the indexers on cnc turning & nilling centres - QUICKLOCK
Joel Judas: "If the machining operators want to use QUICKLOCK on the machine, there will be machine manufacturers in the near future who will offer our tool-side automation as a full 4.0 adaptation as well."

Joel Judas is certain: "If the machining operators want to use QUICKLOCK on the machine, there will be machine manufacturers in the near future who will offer our tool-side automation as a full 4.0 adaptation as well. This unique innovation will offer new perspectives to the end-user market, especially since our future-oriented solution will make things considerably easier for every machine operator worldwide."

www.eppinger.de

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