In recent years, electro permanent magnetic chuck has enjoyed increasing popularity as an alternative to mechanical workholding devices for machining and holding. In general machine shops, are magnets reduce setup time and increase access to all sides of the workpiece. They are a valuable tool for workholding in surface grinding applications.
Using magnetic chucks allows the end user to run faster feeds and speeds without chatter. If a workpiece is held unevenly, or held to the machining bed with mechanical clamps or vises, the machine must be operated to accommodate those conditions, typically requiring multiple stops and starts
How to Troubleshoot Electro Magnetic Magnetic Chuck Control?
Contact the manufacturer or the supplier of your EPMagnet chuck directly. Different types of mag chuck use different magnetic technologies, like permanent, electro magnetic, or the electro-permanent magnet type.
How to Mount Electro Permanent Magnetic Chuck on Machine Table?
To fit the magnet chuck into the machine follow these instructions:
- Check that the machine table is clean and free from nick and burrs.
- Carefully clean the base of the chuck and check that it has not been damaged during transport.
- Place the chuck on the machine table, in the work area. Check that it is well seated and that there is nothing between the tableand the base of the chuck.
- Fix the chuck in place with clamps (included) on the ledges at the ends of the chuck.
- If the chuck is mounted on a grinding machine, thenit should be ground before starting work.
- When fitting a chuck on top of a bigger magnetic chuck that has already been ground and is perfectly flat, no additionalgrinding is required.
When not using the EPMagnet chuck, apply a thin coat of grease or oil to its surface to prevent oxidation.
What Are the Factors That Affect the Holding Force of Electro Permanent Magnetic Chuck?
The holding force depends on the magnetic flux generated by the chuck, but certain factors which limit or impede the flow of the magnetic flux to the piece and reduce the holding capacity should be taken into account:
- The contact area.
The holding force is directly proportional to the contact area of the piece with the chuck. Large pieces with large contact surfaces offer sufficient resistance to the machining forces; however small pieces with small contact surfaces will not withstand certain types of machining. The piece should be placed on the chuck in such a way that it covers the largest possible number of poles.
- The thickness of the piece.
The magnetic flux needs a certain minimum thickness of material (iron) to be able to work. If the pieces are really thin and do not reach this minimum thickness, then they will not be able to absorb the magnetic flux generated by the chuck and the holding force will be lessened.
- Contact surface conditions.
To achieve good magnetic holding, the contact surfaces, both of the chuck as well as the piece, must be in optimum condition. Pieces that are not completely flat or with a rough finish have a worse holding capacity than those with a ground surface. It is important to maintain the surface of the chuck in good condition, grinding it when necessary.
- Material
The material of the piece is very important for good magnetic holding. Soft steels (low carbon content) present the best holding (100%). However, there are others with high percentages of carbon alloys or other materials, which lose their holding capacity. Also some heat treatments reduce the capacity of steels to be held by magnetic chucks. In general, the harder the steel, the worse they behave, and have a tendency to retain magnetism once they have been removed from the chuck. Sometimes it can even be difficult to remove the piece from the chuck.
Theoretically, the maximum magnetic force that magnetic chuck can generate is 16kg/cm2. With extra magnetic blocks, our magnetic workholding chuck can support 5-side machining. Learn more about our magnetic workholding device, welcome to visit our website, or contact us for any query or support.
