Those plastic pieces of crap that always break? They were almost $50 a pair 8 years ago. I haven't been around a Mazak mill going on 5 years now, but we did make our own...
2 different ways.
First we took the factory ones, about 10 of 'em and molded them up in some silicon rubber, then used a few different room temp setting
2 part plastic things. I don't know exactly which ones, but we did end up needing to reenforce them with a strip of steel. If I had to
do it again, I would probably try strengthening them with some type of fiber, which you can get where you get the plastic.
Also made aluminum ones, not the easiest things to replicate, but I think I did a decent job. We then did a solid film lube on them, they worked
pretty well, I don't know if I liked the stress they put on the carousel though... we were having tool release problems... with a brand new
spindle. Anyways, the casting that held the carousel broke and the carousel fell. $3500 casting from Mazak, screw that, just repaired it
myself with some nice big chunks of steel.
I don't know if the busted casting was a result of the aluminum fingers, I have a feeling it was going to happen anyways.
If I had to do it again, and it was my machine, I would dump the whole finger thing and redesign it completely. I hated those damn fingers.
Or, better yet, has anybody made their own?
