• Tough Tools

Chip Conveyor for CNC Turning Centre

Tough Tools offers a unique Chip Conveyor developed by SAAB Engineering, a multi product engineering group serving the automotive industry supplying a number of critical parts to Tier I and II segment for over a decade. This chip conveyor, meant for Ace CNC turning centres, was developed primarily for in-house use at Tough Tools. Previously a chain link type of chip conveyor was used, which frequently got stuck and motors and chains got damaged and burnt out. SAAB chip conveyors are running successfully in-house as well as with other reputed component makers since about two years with no issues. The simplicity of this chip conveyor is that it will not jam or get stuck even if a component falls off the chuck and into the conveyor. The benefits are: increased tool life due to the coolant retaining its optimal concentration and viscosity; frequency of top up of coolant reduced; coolant life increased dramatically; operator injury reduced due to non-handling of swarf which is collected in a drum cut in half behind the machine; cleanliness and housekeeping improved overall on the shop floor; considerable saving of time for machine cleaning – a minimum of half an hour saving per shift of eight hours observed; and when swarf accumulates in the machine there is a chance of the swarf getting entangled in the chuck and the component on the chuck getting rejected. This would be eliminated due to the chip conveyor continuously removing swarf from the machine. The product is marketed and serviced by Tough Tools, who are experienced in the component and machinery line for about three decades.