Offline Auto Tapping

[wjohn13]

The company I work for is looking for an offline automated drilling/tapping machine. We currently produce thousands of PVC parts that need a 1/4"-20 thread in one end. Does anyone know of something small that can sit next to a lathe as parts come off, we can have an employee place it in a collet or some fixture, hit a button and it will move to a drilling head and then to a tapping head, before ejecting the part. The powers that be, at first wanted to try a drill with a tapmatic head and a combo drill-tap. The issue we are seeing is inconsistency in the quanlity of the part. The second issue we know we will have is, that each operator will pull on the drill differently giving different results. I am hoping there might be something small with two servo-driven heads that we can set up to get consistently good parts. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[Ox]

I would think that these days that you would be better suited to get a small "portable" mill.
I guess it all depends on what you have in mind - per throughput.

If you have enough volume that you are looking for a full blown transfer machine, then that is one thing.
But if you are thinking a stand-alone machine built with a cpl Hause or Zaggar heads on it, with automated transfer between them? I would think that a portable drill/tap center would have similar cycle times, and be WAY more editable, or sellable.


Edit:
Well, unless the parts are long, and you are looking for a HZ application maybe?

Even then, maybe a small used 2X lathe with RIGID tapping might be a good idea?


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I am Ox and I approve this post!

 

[DanielG]

1) What cycle time are you trying to hit?
2) Is the hole blind or through?

 

[DanielG]

3) Are they thousands of the same part or different parts

 

[bigjon61]

Not automated but a Burgmaster would eat this for breakfast once fixtured and dialed in.

 

[gustafson]

Cycle time is the key here, if you need it to happen when the part is being made, it might not be possible, or at least, cheap
A PVC turned part sounds like a very short cycle, so to have an operator turn swap parts and have time get the next part...
My rule of sanity is any post work has to be less than half the cycle time, or the operator loses their mind.

 

[Strostkovy]

Are you sure it isn't possible to add a tool in the lathe that can do it?

 

[EmGo]

Does anyone know of something small that can sit next to a lathe as parts come off, we can have an employee place it in a collet or some fixture, hit a button and it will move to a drilling head and then to a tapping head, before ejecting the part.

I must get three videos a day of setups like this. Often even more automated, nuts or shafts or whatever coming down a little conveyor, push clamp tap unclamp push thunk into outfeed ... a lot of them are really simple, like a little drill press with a one-axis control and some pneumatics.

Easy, simple, cheap. Let me know if you're serious.

And yeah, strostkovy has a good point, people have been tapping in the lathe for a long time

 

[alek95]

I'm assuming that OP is trying to drill and tap radially or maybe axially but off centerline.

My advice: buy a lathe with live tooling

 

[Orange Vise]

The live tooling solution is just too easy. Guaranteed success with a standard, off the shelf solution.

No tool life management required with PVC. Machine will run forever unattended as long as you can keep it fed and manage the chips.

 

[EmGo]

The live tooling solution is just too easy. Guaranteed success with a standard, off the shelf solution.

Yah but it takes money

 

[Orange Vise]

Yah but it takes money

Cheaper than labor, assuming there are enough parts to make.

 

[Garwood]

https://m.facebook.com/marketplace/item/165947439741063/?ref=search

 

[EmGo]

https://m.facebook.com/marketplace/item/165947439741063/?ref=search

"You must log in first"

For $20 Mark can suck my cock.

 

[Garwood]

"You must log in first"

For $20 Mark can suck my cock.

It's a Hause leadscrew power tapper for $400

If tapping parts outside the machine was really a requirement it'd be real easy to rig that tapper up with an air vise.

 

[EmGo]

It's a Hause leadscrew power tapper for $400

If tapping parts outside the machine was really a requirement it'd be real easy to rig that tapper up with an air vise.

That'd work perfect. Pop them in as they come off the lathe. Easy-peasy, how much do you charge for doing searches ?

 

[Ox]

It's a Hause leadscrew power tapper for $400

If tapping parts outside the machine was really a requirement it'd be real easy to rig that tapper up with an air vise.

A) I don't see where it says that it is "lead screw" driven.
B) If it was, the odds that it would need a different lead screw would be quite high, no?

I am 10 miles from the Hause mfg plant, and I have one or two here ... somewhere...

Looks like it prolly is lead screw:

Leadscrew Tapping Units - Hause Machines

Actually, I did several weddings with the Hause owner 30+ yrs ago. I DJ'd and he and his wife did photography.
She was (is?) an Asian lady, which around here - anyone that obviously isn't a Kraut stands out like a sore thumb.


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Think Snow Eh!
Ox