A common issue affecting bar feeder performance is wear on the bar feeder liner or collet caused by misalignment between the bar feeder and the lathe.
Such misalignment can be the result of vibration during production or accidental bumping of the bar feeder; it invariably leads to increasingly frequent production stops and the need for on-going bar feeder maintenance.
Conventional alignment methods — such as the use of a tight wire — can be both time-consuming and inaccurate, while high-end laser alignment systems can be costly and require training in their use. However, the L56SSbar feeder alignment laser from Coast Lasers (
www.coastlasers.co.uk) has been designed as a simple system that allows machine shops to quickly and accurately check bar feeder alignment.
The system uses a beam of laser light and two targets to centre the bar feeder and position it to the correct height.
To align the feeder, the laser is clamped within the chuck on the lathe spindle so as to fire the laser beam through the spindle and down the carriage of the bar feeder; the two targets are used to register the vertical and horizontal positions of the front and back portion of the bar feeder’s carriage.
The first target is transparent and features graduations; this is placed on the bar feeder carriage close to the spindle opening.
The second target is translucent and is placed at the furthest point of the carriage; this has height graduations on the side that the laser exits.
Each alignment system includes an aperture pack with 1/16in, 3/32in and 1/8in apertures. These re-size the beam according to the distance required; the smallest aperture for distances of less than 15ft, the larger for distances up to 30ft.
The system can also be used on Swiss-type machines, in which case the magnetic spindle adapter is mounted on the headstock, over the spindle collet. The complete alignment system is supplied in a foam-filled carrying case and costs just £1,295. Moreover, it can be used for a variety of levelling and alignment applications.