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Our customer provides Dynamic Balancing Machines and Services. Inspecting and balancing: torque converters and rotating driveline parts up to 10,000lbs.
Brief
The request is for a chuck that can expand to grip the inner diameter of female splined shafts, while it rotates on their balancing machine.
The challenge is to improve their previous solution. They were previously using a “homemade” fixture. It had a slip-fit without the expanding capability to grip the inner diameter of the part.
Custom Northfield Model 450 Sliding-Jaw Air Chuck (0.0001” TIR)
Northfield Solution
Shown above is our Northfield Model 450 Sliding-Jaw Air Chuck (0.0001” TIR) with special ID-gripping Top Jaws. Additionally, an integral Axial Locator increases the speed of part change over and accurate part seating before starting the operation.
Result
This chucking arrangement solves their problem. It provides a reliable and repeatable method for them to grip their parts while accommodating the part’s tolerance variations.
If you have a similar custom project, reach out to our team. Contact Northfield
We are the world’s premier manufacturer of ultra-precision balance work holding, with chucks weighing less than half of the competition. We are the only supplier recommended by major balance manufacturers.
Our mission, is to provide manufacturing companies with the most accurate work holding solutions in the world.
Northfield Balancing Chucks Feature:
Highest accuracy
Highest RPM
Shortest hung mass
Fastest & most accurate change over
Balancing:
When parts rotate without calibration, uneven pressure can occur and cause errors with the end-product. Firstly, within a high precision environment the smallest difference can have a huge impact on the final product. Therefore, when fine tolerances are exceeded the result can be expensive and time-consuming repairs.
With ever increasing speeds used on rotating machinery, balancing is increasingly necessary. The trademark accuracy and repeatability of Northfield chucks allow customers to take their designs to the next level.
Recently we have been producing internal grip collet chucks for balancing drive shafts. They are capable of repeating to less than 0.005mm total indicator reading.
To achieve this, the collet is ground to grip the pitch diameter of splined C.V. joints of a driveshaft assembly. Secondly, the “cone” has multiple stop pads for axial location and finally, tapped holes are used to balance the chuck assembly prior to production.
8000 RPM Double Diaphragm Chuck
8000rpm Diaphragm Chuck
This customer required a chuck for their balancing machines to hold drive shafts by their slip-yokes.
Normal balancing operations are performed at approximately 900 rpm. High-performance vehicles like Stock and Formula 1 cars hit 200 mph with their drive-shafts rotating at 10,000 to 12,000 rpm. Therefore, this case required accurate holding at road conditions, 8000 rpm.
The Northfield solution consists of two separate custom diaphragm chucks built together. There are two separate sets of jaws, one mounted in front of the other. This accommodates the long, thin shape of the part. With one set of jaws gripping the front of the piece and the other gripping the rear.
The result is accuracy of 1/10,000″ T.I.R. and repeatability to 50 millionths with extreme rigidity.
Turbine Balancing
Turbine Balancing Chuck
This custom project used an 8” diaphragm chuck with custom top tooling for balancing aluminium turbine impellers.
The first, locates the workpiece using strategically positioned carbide pins between the blades and custom jaws clamping outside of blades.
The second, operation locates the impeller on the finished surface using a continuous ring locator. Custom jaws clamp the outside diameter of the workpiece. This allows the customer to finish balance the impeller blades
Summary
In summary, we offer both stock and custom solutions.
Northfield’s long-standing relationships in the balancing industry speaks volumes about the products and service offered. Get in touch today to discuss your latest product with the engineering team.
This project is for a longstanding customer who produces: precision machines, tools, and rotary tables. The brief requires gripping the inner diameters of continuously variable transmission (CVT) sheaves for runout inspection.
The Challenge
The work holding challenge is to create a chuck for auto-loading in an autonomous machining environment. We are their preferred supplier for custom and high precision projects and therefore need to deliver our trademark accuracy and repeatability.
Solution: How did we deliver?
Positioning the part by robotic arm requires every custom feature ensures proper seating before the machining operation begins.
Runout Inspection Chuck Drawing – Northfield ProprietaryCustom Northfield Precision Model 625 Sliding-Jaw Air Chuck (0.0001” TIR) with special top tooling
The custom top-jaws are permanently mounted onto the chuck’s master-jaws. This grips the inner diameter of the sheave’s central bore.
The 3 air holes in the top surface of each custom jaw are an air-detect Axial Locator.
The jaws are also ground at mid-stroke of the chuck, providing a large part-load clearance.
Finally, analysing all critical surfaces that interface with the part, this work holding chuck delivers the trademark Northfield accuracy of of .0001” TIR and repeatability.
Our innovation and relationship building is what sets us apart from the competition. Do you have a high precision challenge? Contact us to see how the Northfield team can solve it.
Recently at Northfield we produced a custom internal grip collet chuck for balancing drive shafts.
The collet on this chuck grips the pitch diameter of splined C.V. joints of a driveshaft assembly.
The ‘cone’ has multiple stop pads for axial location.
Tapped holes balance the chuck assembly prior to production.
The chuck repeats to less than 0.005mm total indicator reading (T.I.R.).
Northfield is the world’s premier manufacturer of ultra-precision balance chucks for prop shafts, with chucks that weigh less than half of our competitors. We are also the only chuck supplier recommended by major balance manufacturers.
