Collets, Spindle Adapters and Quick Change Tooling

Figure 4-15. Solid and spring collets

Collets

    A collet is a form of a sleeve bushing for reducing the size of the hole in the milling machine spindle so that small shank tools can be fitted into large spindle recesses (Figure 4-15). They are made in several forms, similar to drilling machine sockets and sleeves, except that their tapers are not alike.

Spindle Adapters

    A spindle adapter is a form of a collet having a standardized spindle end. They are available in a wide variety of sizes to accept cutters that cannot be mounted on arbors. They are made with either the Morse taper shank or the Brown and Sharpe taper with tang having a standard spindle end (Figure 4-16).

   A chuck adapter (Figure 4-17) is used to attach chucks to milling machines having a standard spindle end. The collet holder is sometimes referred to as a collet chuck. Various forms of chucks can be fitted to milling machines spindles for holding drills, reamers, and small cutters for special operations.

Figure 4-17. Chuck adaptor.

Quick-Change Tooling

   The quick-change adapter mounted on the spindle nose is used to speed up tool changing. Tool changing with this system allows you to set up a number of milling operations such as drilling, end milling, and boring without changing the setup of the part being machined. The tool holders are mounted and removed from a master holder mounted to the machine spindle by means of a clamping ring (Figure 4-18).

Figure 4-18. Quick-change adaptor and tool holder