Magazine-Style Bar Feeders Resist Vibration

Edge Technologies, a division of Hydromat, offers its Patriot series 12' magazine bar feeders for the production-turning industry. The feeders automatically feed round, square and hexagonal barstock as long as 12.5' into CNC lathes. The Patriot 338 feeds stock in diameters from 3 to 38 mm, and the Patriot 551 feeds in a range from 5 to 51 mm. The design, combined with heavy-gauge structural-steel construction, ensures rigidity, long-term durability and reduced vibration, the company says. During cutting operations, the barstock rotates in polyurethane guide channels that are flooded with oil to create a hydrodynamic effect, resulting in high rpms with reduced noise and vibration. These channels are said to set change-over quickly and accommodate a wide range of stock sizes. As a standard feature on the 338 model and an option on the 551, the Swiss Package includes a synchronization device and telescopic nose. The synchronization device uses an electromagnetic coupling, mechanically linking the lathe headstock’s Z-axis travel to the bar feeder’s pusher to ensure synchronous movement and no loss of connection between the barstock and collet pusher. The telescopic nose installs on rear of headstock for full coverage with Z-axis support. On these sliding-headstock applications, the bar feeder features dual anti-vibration bushing devices that stabilize the barstock between the guide channel and lathe spindle. Both models use a double-pusher design, which reduces the overall length of each unit by as much as 4'.