Thought Leadership

In high-speed CNC lathe operations, 12 and 6 ft bar feeders use hydraulic oil to achieve the hydrodynamic effect (sometimes called the hydrostatic effect). The hydrodynamic bearing effect keeps the bar stock spinning smoothly. A thin layer of oil forms a pliable...

To optimize CNC lathe RPM in bar fed applications, your bar stock should not have more than 0.007” total indicator runout per foot as measured at three equidistant points over the full bar length. Here's the inspection procedure for bar straightness: Place bar stock...

Short loaders, or spindle-length loaders, can be a very cost-effective solution. They occupy minimal floor space, don't need to be attached to the bar stock, and don't demand bar end preparation. Because the entire bar stock is contained within the lathe headstock,...

A bar feeder should never limit the RPM of a CNC lathe. But, in recent years, on Swiss-type lathes, strokes have gotten longer. As a result, sheet metal gaps have widened, and shops have experienced what they call the Achilles Heel of bar feeders: a jump rope or tail...

Guide channel changeovers can take time. Depending on the bar feeder model and condition, and the expertise of the machinist, they can take up to 30 minutes. And, many times, this isn’t a job for just anybody. It has to be scheduled with maintenance, which might spell...

Here’s everything you need to know about automatic magazine bar feeder compatibility and integration. Compatibility refers to whether the bar feeder is well-suited to the specific requirements and constraints of your CNC lathe. Integration involves incorporating a bar feeder into your manufacturing environment.