Saturday, August 8, 2009

Shrinker® Use Recommendations

  1. For best results, the inside bore of the tool holder and tool shanks must always remain clean and this can be accomplished by using a mild non-residue cleaning solution and a lint-free rag.
  2. When you plan on not using a Shrinker® tool holder for a period of time always spray a light coating of rust preventing oil on the holder.
  3. Like all tool holders all storage pots in your automatic tool-changer magazine must remain clean and free of all debris.
  4. Because our tool holder shanks are precision ground to AT3 (within .00005 per foot of taper) or better, proper care must be taken to prevent marring, denting or damage to the taper.
  5. Proper heating levels must be maintained when inserting and removing tools to prevent possible personal injury and tool holder damage. Please call your Shrinker® supplier if you have any questions.
  6. The diameter of the cutting tool shank must meet or exceed industry standards for size, roundness, and surface finish to take full advantage of the “Shrinker®” technology. All cutting tools must be manufactured to at least ANSI standards and the tool shank diameter needs to be .0003 ± .0001 from nominal size and round within .0001 with nothing under a 16 micro finish.Small diameter tooling (less than 5/16” diameter) should have a minimum tolerance of .0002 ± .0001 to ensure adequate clamping force. Shanks that are manufactured smaller than the ANSI standard could have a less than the desirable clamping force, especially in larger diameter tooling.
  7. The end mill shank must be free of any burrs or imperfections to achieve optimal cutting accuracy.
  8. Shrinker® tool holders are designed to accept cutters with solid shanks and flats of any type will affect the gripping force.
  9. The preferred finish on the cutting tool shank is between 16 – 32 micro as this creates a greater gripping power.
  10. The cutting tool should not bottom out in the bore of the Shrinker® holders. We recommend that the end mill not be fully inserted into the toolholder to allow for thermal expansion of the end mill.
  11. There must be a relief hole to prevent a pressure build up between the holder and the end mill.
  12. Carbide is the recommended material for the Shrinker® due to the expansive properties of carbide. The solid gripping power of the Shrinker® holder creates a more rigid assembly and less chipping of the carbide end mill thus increasing efficiency, production and profits.
  13. A general rule of thumb is that the end mill contact distance must be at least twice the diameter of the end mill shank. End mills with a longer reach or increased cutter size will require a longer contact area.
  14. Overheating the Shrinker® holder will cause it to lose some of it’s gripping power.