Ep. 86: Spindle Grippers and Questionable Decisions
About this episode
Jamie and Curt discuss the magic of zero-point workholding and the challenges of machine retrofitting while preparing for an upcoming trip.
This week on the Lone Machinist Podcast, Jamie and Curt discover that zero-point workholding really is fucking magical. Jamie has reached the point where swapping between jobs is becoming almost stupidly easy. A tray comes out, another goes in, the machine already knows where everything is, and production can carry on without spending half an hour re-indicating a setup. The Anchor Point system has officially gone from "cool workholding system" to religion. And there is plenty more happening around the shop. Jamie is preparing for the upcoming IMTS trip, including a meetup at Justin's shop in Cleveland. The current plan involves landing in New York in the morning and then driving roughly eight hours straight to Cleveland for the meetup. Because apparently flying halfway around the world isn't enough punishment. Then comes another retrofit. Jamie discovers that the drives on the machine use a proprietary encoder communication system, meaning the easy solution he was hoping for isn't actually a solution at all. The motors can stay, but new encoder wiring needs to be pulled through the energy chain — approximately 60 metres of encoder cable worth of fun. Meanwhile, the shop is…
More episodes of The Lone Machinists
- Ep. 89: Everyone Wants a Willy
- Ep. 88: Scaling Without Losing Your Shit
- Ep. 87: If You Want Me to Do It, Pay Me Properly
- Ep. 85: Coolant, Calendars, and Counting Errors
- Ep. 84: Birthday Cake and Broken Machines
- Ep. 83: Nimble Gripper Has Entered the Chat
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