SHAPER MACHINE

SHAPER MACHINE

Introduction: The shaper is a machine tool used primarily for:

1. Producing a flat or plane surface which may be in a horizontal, a vertical, or an angular plane.

2. Making slots, grooves and keyways

3. Producing contour of concave/convex or a combination of these

Working Principle: The job is rigidly fixed on the machine table. The single point cutting tool held properly in the tool post is mounted on a reciprocating ram. The reciprocating motion of the ram is obtained by a quick return motion mechanism. As the ram reciprocates, the tool cuts the material during its forward stroke. During return, there is no cutting action and this stroke is called the idle stroke. The forward and return strokes constitute one operating cycle of the shaper.

Construction: The main parts of the Shaper machine is Base, Body (Pillar, Frame, Column), Cross rail, Ram and tool head (Tool Post, Tool Slide, Clamper Box Block).

Base: The base is a heavy cast iron casting which is fixed to the shop floor. It supports the body frame and the entire load of the machine. The base absorbs and withstands vibrations and other forces which are likely to be induced during the shaping operations.

Body (Pillar, Frame, and Column): It is mounted on the base and houses the drive mechanism compressing the main drives, the gear box, and the quick return mechanism for the ram movement. The top of the body provides guide ways for the ram and its front provides the guide ways for the cross rail.

Cross rail: The cross rail is mounted on the front of the body frame and can be moved up and down. The vertical movement of the cross rail permits jobs of different heights to be accommodated below the tool. Sliding along the cross rail is a saddle which carries the work table.

Ram and tool head: The ram is driven back and forth in its slides by the slotted link mechanism. The back and forth movement of ram is called stroke and it can be adjusted according to the length of the work piece to be-machined.

Care and maintenance of shaping machines

Shaping machines, like all machine tools, are subject to permanent wear. This can be counteracted by careful handling and constant care and maintenance of the machines.

Note the following rules:

The operating instructions are binding for the use and maintenance of the machine and have to be conscientiously observed.

Before starting your daily work, lubricate all manual lubrication points according to the regulations. Poor lubrication results in premature wear.

The following basic rule applies for lubricating a machine:

·         Apply the specified lubricant in the specified quantity at the specified time to the respective lubricating point.

·         Before starting the machine, check, whether all levers are in the correct position or not. Wrong lever positions may result in breakages.

·         Protect all guide ways against chips, scale, dirt, and abrasion of any kind. Otherwise they will quickly wear. Inaccurate work would be the result. Pay special attention to the guide ways of the ram.

·         Provide unused parts of the guide ways with protective means against impurities.

·         Always keep perfect order at the workplace.

·         Put clamping means and change gears always in the place provided for them.

·         The tools required for work must lie on appropriate bases in a well arranged and handy manner.

·         Clean the machine daily at the end of work.

Setting and operation of shaping machines

Setting and operation of the machine is made basically according to the following working steps:

·         Clamping of the work piece

·         Choice of the work piece clamping means (note: parallelism, angularity, clamping force)

·         Clamp the work pieces according to their shape safely and firmly and secure them against distortion and deformation.

·         Clamping of the tool

·         Clamp the tool short and firmly.

·         Check the tools for operational reliability (visual inspection).

·         Setting of cutting values

·         Set the number of strokes per minute, stroke length, feed, cutting depth taking into consideration the table’s available and graphical symbols.

·         Switch only when machine is at rest!

-          Operation of the shaping machine (sequence of operations):

·         Approach the tool to the surface to be shaped until the latter is contacted. Set the dial (tool slide) to "O".

·         Swing the machine table aside so that the tool is no longer above the work piece.

·         Feed cutting depth according to dial.

·         Start machine (switch on stroke).

·         Move machine table by hand up to the tool.

·         Switch on feed of machine table and machine work piece surface.

·         After having machined the surface, switch off feed and disengage machine (switch off stroke). Ram should be in rear position.

·         Switch off machine.

Check for evenness, surface finish, accuracy to size.

Unclamp and demur the work piece.

Note the following hints on labor safety:

·         Never stand in front of the machine, but always beside the machine on the side of the control elements (splashing chips, danger of getting injured).

·         Make inspections of the work piece or tool, on principle, only when the machine is at a standstill.