Swiss cam cutting machine

Question about a swiss cam cutting attachment I have recently bought (strohm cam cutting milling attachment). Anyone with experience with this type of machine. I can't seem to get enough throw out of the attachment for quick drop backs. Pictures available if needed. Believe the machine is complete. Thanks for any help.

What model is your machine? I have parts & operation manuals for several Strohm lathes and would be willing to scan any relevant information should you want it.

Bob

Do you have parts and operation manuals for a cam cutting milling attachment or just the lathes themselves? Because I don't need anything for the actual screw machines, just this particular milling attachment which makes cams. Thanks for your reply.

Ah, sorry. Thought you were looking for information on an attachment I.E. polygon milling attachment etc. for which I have info. You are looking for info on a attachment/fixture of some sort on which to make cams for the Strohm. By any chance do you have Esco's?

BTBB

No sorry, just Strohms.

Here are some pic's. Included is the milling attachment mounted on milling machine, the tracing unit and cam checking unit.

Ass_u_ming that these are similar to a B&S lead cam?

If you are looking for quicker retraction - maybe you can actually dial neg degrees once it falls off the lip? Can make for a bumping landing tho.

Maybe not relivant as I have never seen the cam cutters.

Also - quicker pull-out could be had from smaller roller on the arm. ???


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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

The problem is that the instruction manual for the calculation of cams and cycle times has many charts for rises and falls in mm per degrees depending on the cam shaft rpm's. Obvioulsy the faster cam shaft rev's, the less drastic the rises and falls can be. Even on some of the slower rises and falls for faster cycle times are unacheivable with the machine when I have it "maxed-out" for steeper rises and falls.

There is no instruction manual for using the attachment, only for the calculation and scribing of cams. This is why I believe I am maybe missing a part or am unaware of how to change how fast the cam spins in relation to how quickly the attachment pushes forward into the end mill.

I don't know if enything that I say here can help or cornfuse the issue? But I guess I will post it and let you decide - as I am not familier with the Cam Cutting Equipment.

I usta make my own cams on the CNC mill. I had no instructions how to. What I did may or may not be Kosher, but I was able to make parts with my cams, so:

When I would lay out a job (on the B&S) I would lay out my tool list and the amount of stroke needed and at what feedrate. Also figger out how many degrees would be needed for rapids and such. Also needed to figger in tool lengths within reason as well.

Once I had all my degrees of rapids and such subtracted from 360*, I could then figger in how many "werking" degrees that I have left. Then figger in how much lift/degree I had to put in each tool.

Once this was all done - only THEN would you be able to figger out what cycle time change gears you would have to use. Not the other way around. (If that is what you are referring to?)

It has been 10 yrs or more since I have layed out a cam, so ...

Again - I don't know if any of this info is of help to you on this machine, but I would think that it hasta take into consideration all the things that I did for the CNC.

???

All of this info would be for the Z axis cam - or "lead cam" on a B&S, and I wouldn't expect the Swiss to be all that much diff. However - you would need to know at what point from ZERO* (dowel pin possibly?) each stroke is - so that your side cams can be tiimed to it? A 2 axis Strohm is likely a little more involved than a 1 axis B&S.



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Think Snow EH!
Ox

strohm cam cutting attachment

gmonroe i'll be glad to help any way i can, i have the same unit and have used it for the last 20 years or so. my experience is with swiss cams for what its worth. looking at the pic of the attachment, it seems to be complete. i am at home now but will check at the shop in the morning for what i have on this piece.

echo

hey btbb i have esco's

Thanks for your reply. I'll get some more specific info on much much throw I get out of it. We buy cams right now but sometimes have too long of a wait especially if the cam maker forgot to do some simple math in is layout sheet, then the customer is waiting another few days. If I put a typical headstock cam on the attachment from the place we buy cams from and try to mimick the rises and falls that are on the cam, like I said before, I can't seem to get enough throw (for instance, first and foremost when the headstock drops back after the collet opens, can't do it fast enough). Thanks for offering help. We'll be in touch.

I've got a small three guy shop with some strohm's. I have a guy in new jersey who makes cam for me and does a good job, but like I said, if there is a mistake,or just being able to change a layout and make a new cam on the spot if the current layout isn't working out would be nice.

(for instance, first and foremost when the headstock drops back after the collet opens, can't do it fast enough).

Click to expand...

On the Brownies - we had some serrated split blocks that were indexable. Not sure how fine - but maybe 5*?

Seems like these were only on the cross slides tho.

Something like this could offset your can to match the feedout better?

..but then - your feedout time is permanently set?


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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

I've never worked on a B&S so I'm trying to picture what your talking about. From my understanding the lead cam is for the turret, but is there some sort of cam driven sliding headstock, or a different type of bar feeding device?

echoradio, what machines do you make cams for with the attachment?

GMunroe said:

I've never worked on a B&S so I'm trying to picture what your talking about. From my understanding the lead cam is for the turret, but is there some sort of cam driven sliding headstock, or a different type of bar feeding device?

Click to expand...

Yes - Lead = Turret

On your swiss, does the Z ever travel neg?

Can you drill at all? Or is it jist feed, dwell, feed, dwell ..... ???

Either way - I hafta think that you need to "time" the lead (Z) with one or more side (X) cams/slides eh?

If you are not dooing any drilling at all, then I don't mean to cornfuse that issue.

"Drilling" was usually an option on the mech swiss wasn't it?


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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

hey gmonroe, the attachment is not limited to any machine, such as strohm, bechler, tornos, i have made cams for all the swiss type machines including escos, that being said, it has limitations, the attachment is just another tool in the cam makers tool box.there is a lot of info i can supply to you, too much to be contained in post replies, so if there is some way we can talk i would be willing to give you some my time to help you out with the attachment and making adjustments to the cams you have.


echo

echoradio, thanks for the help. I'll send you a message to your inbox with some info.

Hi, I just came across this post. I know a little late. But, did you ever figure your cam cutter out? I have the same set up as you and used the cam cutter to make cams for Strohms, and Bechlers. The problem with this cam cutter is that it does not allow for quick drops or rises. That's something you manually have to create. I used to scribe a path, then rough it out on bandsaw and finish it up on the belt sander. There were templates that Strohm made with these "rapid" rates. You would just trace the path on to the cams. I never used them because I had my own ratios (rise/deg or fall/deg) when designing cams. Hope this helps.