How to Select Face Drivers
Face drivers use hydraulic or mechanical force to apply pressure to the face of a part in order to grip and turn the part in a grinding or turning machine. They provide enough clearance for machine operators to access an entire workpiece with one clamping. This provide excellent concentricity and reduces both set-up and run time. Face drivers use three types of pins: central, full width, and offset. Central pins contain chisel points that are located in the middle of the pin, but that are smaller than the pin. By contrast, full width pins contain chisel points that are the same width as the pin. With offset pins, the chisel point is smaller than the pin and situated on the pin’s edge. Typically, pin orientation is relative to the spindle. Left hand pins turn clockwise and right hand pins turn counterclockwise.
Important specifications for face drivers include driving diameter, center-hole diameter, rated speed, and supported weight. Driving diameter, a function of the type of drive pins used, accounts for both the workpiece size and the drive pin size. Center-hole diameter is the diameter of the hole into which the centering point fits. Typically, both the driving diameter and the center-hole diameter are measured in inches; however, face drivers that use metric measurements are also available. Rated speed or turning speed is expressed in revolutions per minute (rpm). Supported weight is the number of pounds the bearings in face drivers are rated to support. Generally, speed and weight range determine whether devices are rated for light duty, medium duty, or heavy duty use. High speed face drivers typically feature speeds in excess of 6,000 rpm.
There are several mounting styles for face drivers. Morse tapers have specific dimensions for use on certain machines. The shaft that fits into the tail stock is tapered for ease of insertion and removal. Vibration dampening ensures that the workpiece does not shake loose during heavy or deep machining operations. Generally, other tooling hardware is not required. Some face drivers mount to machines with chuck jaws, holding devices with adjustable jaws. Other face drivers mount by bolting to the spindle. Typically, these flange-mounted devices require an adaptor plate to interface with the spindle.
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