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.
By turning a lever connected to a worm-screw that is positioned under the rotary table, users can turn it clockwise or counter-clockwise in full turns. The worm-screw drives some axles that are fixed in intervals under the table, so the table is turned with great accuracy. The ratio between the worm-screw and the axles determines the maximum indexing resolution, and so the applications that each RIT is suitable for.
Unique Milling Techniques
Rotary index tables can be used for a number of specialized processing techniques and provide solutions in demanding occasions. The most noteworthy utilization of RITs is when combined with a chuck, tailstock and stepper electric motor to work as a light lathe alternative. This use though requires special care and the fast turning of the worm-screw by the motor can accelerate the wear of the table axles.
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.
Maybe the most demanding cutting process that index tables can help with is the realization of helixes. These three dimensional shapes are especially demanding as they require movement along at least three axis which is almost never possible by lathes alone. RITs come as a supplementary solution to this process, moving the workpiece rotational (two axis) while the cutting tool moves along the third axis thus creating the helix.
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.
By turning a lever connected to a worm-screw that is positioned under the rotary table, users can turn it clockwise or counter-clockwise in full turns. The worm-screw drives some axles that are fixed in intervals under the table, so the table is turned with great accuracy. The ratio between the worm-screw and the axles determines the maximum indexing resolution, and so the applications that each RIT is suitable for.
Unique Milling Techniques
Rotary index tables can be used for a number of specialized processing techniques and provide solutions in demanding occasions. The most noteworthy utilization of RITs is when combined with a chuck, tailstock and stepper electric motor to work as a light lathe alternative. This use though requires special care and the fast turning of the worm-screw by the motor can accelerate the wear of the table axles.
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.
Maybe the most demanding cutting process that index tables can help with is the realization of helixes. These three dimensional shapes are especially demanding as they require movement along at least three axis which is almost never possible by lathes alone. RITs come as a supplementary solution to this process, moving the workpiece rotational (two axis) while the cutting tool moves along the third axis thus creating the helix.
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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