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Live tooling issues (overheating, seizing)

Nummys

Plastic
Joined
Apr 22, 2020
I have a haas st-30Y with both axial and radial Live tooling, the 2 axial live tools seem to generate a lot of heat. so much to the point one has already seized and destroyed the bearings inside. we rebuilt it and have been regularly pulling the inspection plates and packing them with grease. however it seems coolant is getting inside them, and they are over heating anyways. I haven't found any information on what I can do to prevent these failures. they are Exsys Eppinger preci-flex. I know they are rated for 5000 RPM but ive been running them at 4k or under. does anyone have any insight they could share so I can avoid this problem moving forward? please and thank you.
 
I have a haas st-30Y with both axial and radial Live tooling, the 2 axial live tools seem to generate a lot of heat. so much to the point one has already seized and destroyed the bearings inside. we rebuilt it and have been regularly pulling the inspection plates and packing them with grease. however it seems coolant is getting inside them, and they are over heating anyways. I haven't found any information on what I can do to prevent these failures. they are Exsys Eppinger preci-flex. I know they are rated for 5000 RPM but ive been running them at 4k or under. does anyone have any insight they could share so I can avoid this problem moving forward? please and thank you.

Did you check the backlash between the gears? if they are too tight, that could cause some heat buildup.
Is the spindle load going up when it gets hot?
If everything looks good, I would call Eppinger.

Good luck
Sam
 
Did you check the backlash between the gears? if they are too tight, that could cause some heat buildup.
Is the spindle load going up when it gets hot?
If everything looks good, I would call Eppinger.

Good luck
Sam

we did yes. it was a little too tight when we rebuilt it, only ran it for a minute to check the noise level and spindle load and heat and then loosened it a bit. ill try getting ahold of them I guess. just seems like something has to be missing as far as a time limit you can run them or some sort of cooling or something.
 
How much grease are you putting in them? Over packing will make the bearings heat up.

If the bearings have adjustable preload (unlikely on a live tool) make sure they are not adjusted too tight.

Live tools do tend to get warm if you run them for any real length of time, they don't have any means of dissipating heat properly and the coolant through the body only does so much. If you have additional fixed coolant hoses in the work area you can direct them onto the body of the live tool when it's in the work area to help keep it cool, just try not to flood it too much around the labyrinth.
 
I had this issue, and that company still has this issue, on double axial holders. We bought all MD Tooling heads there with the machine purchase. Those driven heads just would not do any significant time at any useful RPM. Without losing their preload.

I did buy a Planet Products liquid cooled head but it was one head out of 10. Live Tooling - Cincinnati, Ohio - Planet Products

But at this shop I am at now. They bought all Alps holders. We dont do the sustained small endmill work like I did before. But these guys have hammers for hands. Still, we have no problems with these holders.

Is it the brand/design or the way they are used. A little of both I think.

The truth is a driven tool does not a milling machine make.
 
It's taking time, but I am starting to be able to decifer GeneralDisarray from Generic Default. :o



The truth is a driven tool does not a milling machine make.


From Solid:

4SidedMount.937.jpg




------------------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox
 
It's taking time, but I am starting to be able to decifer GeneralDisarray from Generic Default. :o






From Solid:

4SidedMount.937.jpg




------------------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox

Wow, that's way more milling than turning. :)
That's on a Y axis lathe?
 
Wow, that's way more milling than turning. :)
That's on a Y axis lathe?


No.... That is WAAAAAY more milling than turning! ;)

Yes on Y.

And likely on Eppinger holders too, with 8K rpm available.


--------------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox
 
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We have a Doosan with the Eppinger Preciflex heads and they have worked great for us. 3 years old and probably need a rebuild for sure but the finish is still decent enough for us. Have you considered out sourcing the rebuild to see if maybe it's an in-house maintenance issue? Really only 1 tool would be needed to test the theory.
 
We have a Doosan with the Eppinger Preciflex heads and they have worked great for us. 3 years old and probably need a rebuild for sure but the finish is still decent enough for us. Have you considered out sourcing the rebuild to see if maybe it's an in-house maintenance issue? Really only 1 tool would be needed to test the theory.

Wow three years? Are they used for more than 15 minutes at a time at a decent RPM?
 
You typically run one specific live tool for more than 15 minutes at a time on a lathe?

I have part cycles @ 20 minutes, but you must have some REALLY interesting parts! :o


---------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox
 
You typically run one specific live tool for more than 15 minutes at a time on a lathe?

I have part cycles @ 20 minutes, but you must have some REALLY interesting parts! :o


---------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox

Anything small with some surfacing is just going to take a while.
 








 
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