Distribution agreement brings high speed CNC/VMC and robotic air turbine spindles to UK and Ireland.

June 17, 2010 - PRLog -- New technology, constant high speed air turbine spindles for machine tools and robotics applications are now available in the UK and Ireland. This follows a distribution agreement signed between UK supplier Tatem Tooling and Florida-based manufacturer Air Turbine Tools. These light weight precision spindles offer faster, cleaner and more efficient production with no maintenance required for applications including milling, polishing, drilling, routing and deburring at higher speeds up to 90,000RPM.

Two ranges of these high speed products will be on offer from Tatem within the UK – The ‘600 Series’ with CNC compatibility and the ‘700 Series’, designed for robotics, lathes, and special purpose machines. All products share a set of features arising from their common design technology.  The spindles’ only two moving parts are the patented turbine and the bearings. This eliminates problems associated with traditional motors: No vanes, gears or brushes to burn out. The spindles operate with low friction, low vibration and low wear for exceptionally long life and reduced repairs. They are also totally oil free, using grease packed ceramic bearings, and require 6.2 bar dry clean compressed air. Air turbine spindles are also exceptionally quiet in operation, emitting no more than 67 dBa. Oil and lubrication, and therefore oil misting and lubricant contamination, are eliminated, as are control systems.

All spindles also incorporate a governor to regulate the amount of air they consume. The governed spindle’s air supply decreases while idling and increases during cutting. This can reduce air consumption by up to 30% - a significant figure, as air can be expensive, depending on its source. The governed spindle also maintains its high speed and torque under load for faster, cleaner production.

Steve Tatem, Technical Director of Tatem Tooling, commented: “I am excited about this new agreement, because it allows us to offer our customer base a new solution for machining operations requiring high speed drilling, cutting and milling. The Air Turbine Spindles deliver this capability while offering low maintenance, quiet, low-vibration operation and easy integration into existing processes”.

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About Tatem Tooling

Tatem Tooling supplies robotics, machine-mounted and CNC tooling products and designed solutions for their customers throughout the UK and Ireland. In addition to Air Turbine high speed spindles for milling, polishing, drilling, routing and deburring, products include tool changers, compliance platforms and automated deburring tools. Tatem Tooling’s standard product range is complemented by their custom tool design service, which is based on their extensive knowledge of tooling products and operation. Installation into user equipment is simplified as well, as this design service also covers custom mountings for robot flanges and special purpose machine mountings.

Tatem Tooling supplies products, solutions, documentation, installation and support to systems integrators, OEMs, robot and manipulator suppliers and research laboratories. Industries served include automotive, aerospace, medical, military, material handling, research and others.