Thread Whirling Information

Since there seems to be very little in the way of information available regarding the process of "Thread Whirling", I am submitting the following to help enhance awareness of nebulous machining method. Also, I just like to see the Swiss forum active :)

Thread Whirling is a powerful process that when used under mass production conditions can be extremely profitable while simultaneously increasing your part quality. This process is ideal for long threaded parts that utilize a custom thread form. The primary application tends to be orthopedic bones screws however it is not limited to that and can be used to form any deep thread form in a very cost-effective manner.

http://www.genswiss.com/images/threadwhirl2.jpg

Genevieve Swiss has compiled a database of FAQs as well as additional information as to why Thread Whirling is a process that all shops who perform Swiss-type work should consider.

Why Thread Whirling?
Thread Whirling FAQ
High Performance Thread Whirling Products

Also, when combined with Swiss-type Rotary Broaching, Thread Whirling becomes a viable method for quickly creating COMPLETE medical parts in one setup. Genevieve Swiss, with the engineering assistance of PCM S.A. pioneered the 'Non-adjustable' quick-setup Rotary Broaching process for Swiss Machines. Often copied, but never duplicated, the Swiss-Type 2160 Series Rotary Broach Holder continues to be a powerful way to enhance your profits from your Swiss-Type turning centers. This holder is available in shank sizes for most if not all Swiss Machine makes & models.

Additional Broaching information can be read here: Rotary Broaching 101

http://www.genswiss.com/images/swissbroach.jpg

I hope this information helps some of the newer Swiss users become aware of what their machine is really capable of doing.

-SwissType

We do mostly thread whirling and your right it works great. We do bone threads, metric, and English threads. It works great and the threads a virtually burr free. It might not be as fast as single pointing but for our jobs in the long run it pays off to run slower with less work in the end.

Genevieve Swiss rocks!

Are there any good, clear, informative videos that show thread whirling in action? I think I know how it works, but have not really seen proof of what I think it is, and the general setup requirements of the tooling.

Here's a good video showing a brass whirling demo with no coolant that Citizen did.
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mWqxccjVWI"]YouTube - Citizen L20 - Bone Screw Demo[/nomedia]

Cool, that is a good shot of what happens. So what powers these whirling heads? They look very compact.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by HuFlungDung

So what powers these whirling heads?

---

The machine's live milling tool drive powers it. In every case I've seen, the machine had either a modular, model-specific whirling attachment or a built in whirling device.

I've seen some whirling specific machines that solely exist just to whirl threads too. Users would load blanks turned on a Swiss into the whirling machine to finish the part. It was a cool machine, but not as fast as whirling on a Swiss.

Just wanted to make a note that thread whirling attachments on most Swiss-type machines are bulky enough to take up at least two live tool stations, sometimes three.

As SwissType1 pointed out, it's useful for so much more work than just bone screws! Think outside the box because some parts you may struggle with to get perfectly straight threads via single-point threading, you can get done easily with whirling. Often times, you don't even have to turn the O.D. of the stock!

Genevieve Swiss is an industry-leading source for the technology. Use 'em!

Dear All

I am from Egypt, we do not have any source for whirling heads here,
My machine is not a standard one, I contacted several whirling head manufacturers and some told me they could manufacture a head to be installed on my machine, but the price was a shock for me. it will take me several years of heavy manufacturing just to cover the investment for it.
So I decided to try to make one by my self (seems stupid I know) but I have no other alternative.
Sorry for the long intro, but my question is " is it possible ?"
if anyone is intrested for helping me, do you have any picture of a dissassembled head ?
Thank you