One of the problems we see often is the process of actually loading a new fixture on the side of a tombstone in a horizontal CNC milling machine. Hoisting up the fixture and aligning dowel pins can become quite a chore and really increase set-up and changeover time on the machine. We all know that time is money. If the machine is waiting for parts to cut then you’re not making money in your shop!
Many shops get a blank t-column or tombstone fixture and then machine in dowel pin locations to mount dedicated sub-plates on to them. That’s simple enough to do but it can be cumbersome to navigate and mount the sub-plate to the column. The mPower docking station retrofit might be something to consider. You can machine in the receiver V’s and mount the tangs into your sub plate.
This allows you to drop the sub-plate into the docking station receivers and its positioned about .015″ below center of your mounting bolt holes. Then when you install the SpeedLoc system it brings it into it’s final +/- .0004″ repeatability. It’s a much easier and simpler way to get your sub-plates mounted!
The cost of this docking system will easily pay for itself in reduced manpower time alone within the first several uses.
It’s also available all ModLoc tooling columns.
