Zero-point work-holding system
Posted on 01 Jul 2013. Edited by: John Hunter. Read 1552 times.

#manufacturing #engineering Joe McLean, the founder of Cheshire-based Cybaman Technologies, filed his first patents over 25 years ago for a versatile multi-axis machine that would revolutionise rapid prototyping and manufacturing. His Cybaman machine starred in the TV programme Tomorrow’s World, won a host of awards and was popular with jewellery manufacturers, because it provided the high degree of accuracy needed for their fine-detail work.
The low profile of System 3R’s Macro zero-point work-holding system
(www.system3r.com) provided the ideal solution to position the workpiece as close to the tool as possible — with a 23mm-high pneumatic chuck and pallet system providing the necessary stability at spindle speeds of 50,000rev/min. Macro pallets incorporate 3Refix references, which provide assured repeatable accuracy and increased productivity by eliminating time-consuming set-up and costly down-time when multiple processes are required on the same workpiece.
Further development of the Cybaman digital manufacturing system has now resulted in the six-axis Replicator, which incorporates universal CNC positioning for both subtractive (milling, drilling and grinding) and additive (laser deposition) processes. System 3R work-holding technology is again vital in providing the accuracy required by today’s aerospace, automotive and medical applications (some dental work involves tolerances of less than 10µm).