A bar feeder is a specialized piece of workshop engineering that does exactly what the names implies, which is to feed bars to CNC machines. By utilizing bar feeders, workshops can put a CNC into continuous and unobstructed operation without having to worry about providing metal bars that constitute the main workpiece material.
Bar feeders can be connected to a CNC for automated control, or can be set to feed at a specific rate, depending on the application. They can hold many bars on their magazines and feed them to the CNC one by one. Modern bar feeders have the capability to detect if anything is wrong in the process and essentially stop automatically.
Things to consider when buying one
There are many different bar feeder models in the market today, offering different production qualitative and quantitative characteristics. As these machines are destined to work together with CNCs, compatibility and sizing are especially important when considering buying one. Here's a list with the most significant factors to consider before making a bar feeder choice:
Size of Magazine
First and foremost, machinists should consider the bar magazine size. Depending on the diameter of the bars used in an application, those magazines can hold different amounts of bars. This is very important for the determination of the maximum operation time before the bar feeder runs out of bars. Of course, the feeding rate is another important factor that affects this, so consider them both and keep in mind that frequent refilling means less productivity.
Part and Spindle Lengths
Each part that is produced on the CNC requires a specific amount of bar length to be realized. Machinists should calculate the total bar size, subtract the length of the part that is held on the CNC spindle and divide with part length to determine the number of the workpieces can be produced with each bar. This can indicate if a bar feeder choice is good or not, as sometimes a slightly longer bar could be enough for one whole extra product.
Safety Mechanisms
Bar feeders are machines that are left to operate by themselves for many hours, or even days in some cases. For this reason, they should boast advanced safety features that ensure their good operation while workshop personnel is busy doing something else. Some of those features could be sensors placed in key points, load measurement equipment, and infrared beams that check the position of the bars. Modern bar feeders can even have webcams used for remote monitoring.
Space Requirements
Workshop floor area is almost always challenged by the large pieces of machinery that are operating inside, and bar feeders are a classic example of this problem. Those machines are fastened securely on the one side of the CNC (spindle side), and they are generally long enough to hold relatively long bars. The size of the bar feeder should be considered in order to make sure that there's enough space left for the bar loading crane to maneuver into position and load new bars to the machine, and also for service technicians to perform regular maintenance work on the machine.
Bar feeders can be connected to a CNC for automated control, or can be set to feed at a specific rate, depending on the application. They can hold many bars on their magazines and feed them to the CNC one by one. Modern bar feeders have the capability to detect if anything is wrong in the process and essentially stop automatically.
Things to consider when buying one
There are many different bar feeder models in the market today, offering different production qualitative and quantitative characteristics. As these machines are destined to work together with CNCs, compatibility and sizing are especially important when considering buying one. Here's a list with the most significant factors to consider before making a bar feeder choice:
Size of Magazine
First and foremost, machinists should consider the bar magazine size. Depending on the diameter of the bars used in an application, those magazines can hold different amounts of bars. This is very important for the determination of the maximum operation time before the bar feeder runs out of bars. Of course, the feeding rate is another important factor that affects this, so consider them both and keep in mind that frequent refilling means less productivity.
Part and Spindle Lengths
Each part that is produced on the CNC requires a specific amount of bar length to be realized. Machinists should calculate the total bar size, subtract the length of the part that is held on the CNC spindle and divide with part length to determine the number of the workpieces can be produced with each bar. This can indicate if a bar feeder choice is good or not, as sometimes a slightly longer bar could be enough for one whole extra product.
Safety Mechanisms
Bar feeders are machines that are left to operate by themselves for many hours, or even days in some cases. For this reason, they should boast advanced safety features that ensure their good operation while workshop personnel is busy doing something else. Some of those features could be sensors placed in key points, load measurement equipment, and infrared beams that check the position of the bars. Modern bar feeders can even have webcams used for remote monitoring.
Space Requirements
Workshop floor area is almost always challenged by the large pieces of machinery that are operating inside, and bar feeders are a classic example of this problem. Those machines are fastened securely on the one side of the CNC (spindle side), and they are generally long enough to hold relatively long bars. The size of the bar feeder should be considered in order to make sure that there's enough space left for the bar loading crane to maneuver into position and load new bars to the machine, and also for service technicians to perform regular maintenance work on the machine.
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