Rotary Index Tables are high precision positioning tools used in special cases of milling and metalworking. Their basic function is to offer the machinist the ability to work based on fixed intervals around a horizontal or vertical axis.
The mechanism that allows this configurable accurate rotation is based on the movement of a worm-screw that is placed under the index table and can be turned by hand. Fixed axles that are positioned in intervals under the rotary table as driven from the worm-screw movement transforming it to rotational kinetic energy. A ratio between the the worm-screw and those axles is the factor that determines the maximum indexing resolution of the table.
Unique Milling Techniques
As with every piece of tool or machinery, there are many ways to utilize RITs to create something truly unique. The talent, experience and imagination of the machinist is the main motivational factor to explore RITs further through unconventional applications. Maybe the most remarkable use is a lathe alternative. If a RIT is combined with a chuck for holding the workpiece, a tailstock to mark the center and a stepper motor to turn the table's worm-screw, you get a mini lathe!
Another thing that can be realized through the use of a RIT is bolt head processing. Machinists can calculate the desired intervals and configure their RIT to accommodate the milling of pentagonal or hexagonal indentations onto a bolt's head.
Cutting & Drilling Uses
Rotary Index Tables are also regularly used for the cutting of straight lines at any angle, arcs and circular shapes. The arcs, being a demanding milling process, can be achieved by adding a compound table so that the center of the table's rotation can be displaced, thus resulting in a progressively off-centric machining.
RITs can also be used as supportive equipment in the cases of underpowered drillers that are used for the opening of large diameter holes at once. Rotary Index Tables can help such a driller to open multiple smaller holes that will constitute the large one. The end result is has the same level of precision with an one-time drilling.
Helixes are basically curves in the three dimensional space and can only be achieved through the use of a rotary index table with the helix numerical characteristics being determined by the factors that affect the movement along the x, y and z axis. For this reason, movement along the x axis (helix step) must be ensured by through the use of a dividing head, or by mounting the rotary table on a fluctuating positioning rail.
Last but not least, there is the indexing tables most popular use that is to drill equidistant holes on a circular flange. All that needs to be done from the machinist's side is to calculate the holes number and center to center distance, and then configure the rotary table accordingly. The boring process in that case becomes pretty straight forward and the result is very precise in terms of boring positioning.
The mechanism that allows this configurable accurate rotation is based on the movement of a worm-screw that is placed under the index table and can be turned by hand. Fixed axles that are positioned in intervals under the rotary table as driven from the worm-screw movement transforming it to rotational kinetic energy. A ratio between the the worm-screw and those axles is the factor that determines the maximum indexing resolution of the table.
Unique Milling Techniques
As with every piece of tool or machinery, there are many ways to utilize RITs to create something truly unique. The talent, experience and imagination of the machinist is the main motivational factor to explore RITs further through unconventional applications. Maybe the most remarkable use is a lathe alternative. If a RIT is combined with a chuck for holding the workpiece, a tailstock to mark the center and a stepper motor to turn the table's worm-screw, you get a mini lathe!
Another thing that can be realized through the use of a RIT is bolt head processing. Machinists can calculate the desired intervals and configure their RIT to accommodate the milling of pentagonal or hexagonal indentations onto a bolt's head.
Cutting & Drilling Uses
Rotary Index Tables are also regularly used for the cutting of straight lines at any angle, arcs and circular shapes. The arcs, being a demanding milling process, can be achieved by adding a compound table so that the center of the table's rotation can be displaced, thus resulting in a progressively off-centric machining.
RITs can also be used as supportive equipment in the cases of underpowered drillers that are used for the opening of large diameter holes at once. Rotary Index Tables can help such a driller to open multiple smaller holes that will constitute the large one. The end result is has the same level of precision with an one-time drilling.
Helixes are basically curves in the three dimensional space and can only be achieved through the use of a rotary index table with the helix numerical characteristics being determined by the factors that affect the movement along the x, y and z axis. For this reason, movement along the x axis (helix step) must be ensured by through the use of a dividing head, or by mounting the rotary table on a fluctuating positioning rail.
Last but not least, there is the indexing tables most popular use that is to drill equidistant holes on a circular flange. All that needs to be done from the machinist's side is to calculate the holes number and center to center distance, and then configure the rotary table accordingly. The boring process in that case becomes pretty straight forward and the result is very precise in terms of boring positioning.
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