As one of the world‘s leading manufacturers of clamping equipment for machine tools, SMW Autoblok relies on the quality of BIG Kaiser chucks to produce its world-renowned workpiece clamping systems.

Available in the UK from Tamworth-based Industrial Tooling Corporation (ITC), the reliability, precision, range and rigidity of the BIG Kaiser is key to Autoblok’s production efficiency.

Founded in 1942 in Turin, Autoblok started with the production of automatic spindles. In the 1960s, the company started marketing its products all over the world and the 1993 acquisition of the German company SMW created the SMW-Autoblok group. It is now recognised as a world leader in the production and supply of clamping equipment for turning, grinding and milling machines.

Over the years, Autoblok’s production equipment has shifted from standard products to the development of customer-specific solutions. This trend has also led to a structural reorganisation, both in terms of production space and specialised personnel.

Pier Domenico Bronzino, Autoblok operations manager, said: “Our historical reference market is automotive. Let’s remember, however, that every round piece is usually turned, so it needs to be held.”

Autoblok’s production can be divided into three main groups, the standard products, application spindles and customised solutions. The company uses BIG Kaiser solutions that are offered by ITC for all product lines. Mr Bronzino continued: “BIG Kaiser’s solutions are really reliable, precise, rigid and efficient – for us, it is a guarantee.”

When precision machining, clamping the tool is one of the most important tasks. Even the most technologically advanced machine and tools cannot ensure high-precision execution when vibration comes into play.

Autoblok’s fleet includes more than 100 machines equipped with the BIG Plus dual-contact system. This is the only system in the world able to guarantee simultaneous frontal and conical double contact between the machine spindle and the tool holder.

As a result, the contact between the machine and the tools is extremely solid, ensuring maximum reliability and precision.

Mr Bronzino added: “For 15 years we have only purchased machine tools with the BIG-Plus system. Thanks to this advantage, we know that we can complete the required machining operations, and also that we can be ambitious and go further.”

Autoblok and BIG Kaiser have enjoyed a relationship for 20 years, particularly with regard to production plants in Italy. The partnership was initially directly with BIG Daishowa in Japan, and today, following the commercial reorganisation of the group, it continues with BIG Kaiser. Almost all in-house supplies to Autoblok are BIG Daishowa tool holders.

Mr Bronzino explained: “We used other brands 20 years ago. The reason why we switched to BIG chucks is very simple: quality, precision, reliability and durability. Another feature that makes BIG Daishowa’s products stand out from the competition is longer tool life.”

BIG Kaiser’s range of boring tools has been used in Autoblok’s Susa Valley production facilities for over a year now. The introduction of BIG Kaiser boring tools was born from a very precise technical requirement, to be able to ensure maximum repeatability and consistency, guaranteeing high performance that other manufacturers could not.

The plant manager at Autoblok, said: “The digital display of the BIG Kaiser boring heads allows us to easily correct the dimension and fully comply with the tolerances. Thanks to the extended range of BIG Kaiser heads, we often only need one tool for the entire machining cycle, saving a lot of time, and in addition, they offer unparalleled rigidity.”

On large production and finishing machines, only BIG Kaiser spindles are used. The impetus for the changeover to BIG spindles came around 2008, when FMS (flexible manufacturing systems) were introduced at Autoblok with machines holding more than 200 tools. Since then, all new machine tools introduced at Autoblok have between 240 and 320 tools.