When manufacturers think about sliding head tooling, cutting tools may be the first thing that comes to mind. But a sliding head machine relies on a much wider range of tooling and workholding products to support an effective machining process.
Floyd Automatic Tooling supplies tooling and workholding solutions specifically for sliding head machining, covering a broad range of applications and requirements.
This includes cutting tools for turning, milling, drilling and threading, alongside products such as collets, guide bushes and other workholding solutions.
The reason for this breadth is simple: tooling requirements rarely exist in isolation. A cutting tool needs to work with the machine, material, component and machining conditions around it. Workholding also plays an important role in maintaining stability, accuracy and consistency.
Having access to a broader range of products allows these requirements to be considered together.
Cutting tools
Floyd supplies tooling for a wide range of sliding head machining operations.
Depending on the application, this can include tooling for turning, grooving, threading, drilling, milling and other precision machining requirements.
Different materials and component designs can call for different tooling geometries, grades and configurations, which is why product selection needs to reflect the application.
Workholding and supporting products
Cutting tools are only part of the tooling setup.
Floyd also supplies products including collets and guide bushes, which play an important role in supporting and positioning the bar during sliding head machining.
These components can influence stability, runout, accuracy and consistency, making them an important consideration when reviewing a tooling requirement.
A broader approach to tooling
Floyd works with multiple tooling manufacturers, providing access to different product ranges and tooling technologies.
This gives customers greater flexibility when selecting products for a particular application.
Rather than being restricted to one manufacturer's range, Floyd can consider the requirement and identify suitable options from across its supplier base.
That can be particularly useful when applications vary significantly between materials, components and production requirements.
Supporting the application
The aim is not simply to supply as many products as possible.
It is to provide manufacturers with access to the tooling and workholding they need, supported by knowledge of how those products are used in sliding head applications.
For customers, that means having a specialist supplier they can return to for different tooling requirements as their production needs develop.
From cutting tools and workholding through to application-specific requirements, Floyd's focus is on helping sliding head manufacturers find suitable tooling solutions.
If you have a sliding head tooling requirement, speak to Floyd Automatic Tooling about your application.
