Roll Feeding Method
Roll feeding is a method used in machining centres and other machine tools to supply bar material to the cutting area. Rather than supplying large lengths of bar stock, bar is fed through the cutting area as individual lengths of a few inches at a time. Typically, the bar is fed from a supply reel after the stock has been cut and the end of the bar is previously machined.
Roll feeding has advantages in two primary areas. First, the material supplied to the machining centre can be shorter than is possible with an individual bar feed. This can save money and time. Second, it allows the shop to provide stock from multiple sources of different types of materials. The different materials can be fed into the machining centre from the same machine, eliminating the need to set up and run multiple machining centres.
The roll feeding process begins with the supply reel. The supply reel is a spool or bundle of material that is rotated to feed the material forward. The speed of the rotation can vary, depending on the material and the size of the bar required by the machine. Typically, the material is fed through a set of rollers to ensure that the bar is delivered smoothly and accurately to the machining centre.
After the feeder has been set, the machine is ready to begin machining. The spool of material can be fed at a variety of speeds to allow the machinist to customise the speed of the feed to the particular material, size and shape of the workpiece being machined. The material is held in place by an adjustable chuck that holds the bar in place as it is fed into the cutting area. This allows the machinist to apply the proper pressure and ensure the bar is securely held in position for machining.
The primary benefit of roll feeding is that it allows for faster and more accurate machining of multiple materials from multiple sources. It also eliminates the need for the shop to provide a large amount of bar material in order to meet the needs of the machining centre. The material is fed in shorter lengths, which can save time and money. As the material passes through the rollers, tight tolerance and reduced burr size can be achieved quickly.
Roll feeding is an efficient way of supplying bar material to the machining centre. It eliminates the need for long pieces of bar stock and provides a quick, precise way to feed multiple materials into the cutting area. Roll feeding can save time and money, as it can be used with multiple sources of materials to create workpieces with precise tolerances, in short lengths, quickly.
