Liverpool-based Coast Lasers (www.coastlasers.co.uk) has released its AP56 magnetic spindle adaptor with L56SS bar-feed alignment laser.

The company says the AP56 is 95% faster than traditional bar-feed set-up methods, and bores as small as 1.5mm in diameter can be accommodated.

In terms of how it works, the L56SS bar feeder alignment laser is mounted in the AP56 spindle adapter, which magnetically attaches to the outside of a chuck or collet system on a lathe.

The laser beam passes through the spindle and down the bar-feeder carriage.

By positioning the AP56 magnetic spindle adapter and rotating the spindle by hand, the laser beam is adjusted to be concentric to the spindle’s centre of axis.

Two targets are used to register the left and right — and up and down — positions of the front and back portion of the bar feed’s carriage.

Depending on the style of bar feeder, the up and down height is adjusted manually each time a new diameter of bar stock is loaded.

Because the AP56 magnetic spindle adapter works with all collet sizes and chucks, the alignment laser does not need to be located in the spindle. The company says this means that spindles and bar feeds can be checked for proper alignment every day in less than 90sec, including on Swiss-type lathes.