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IndustryArena Forum > MetalWorking Machines > CNC Swiss Screw Machines > Machining a phillips head screw on a swiss
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Posts
    19

    Machining a phillips head screw on a swiss

    I'm in the process or quoting a brass screw(large quantities) to make on my Citizen M20. The machining of the screw itself is quite simple, but what has me baffled is how to make the phillips drive. If you look at a standard phillips screw head, it has tapered cross wings, so if I were to mill it, I guess I would need a live angle attachment..........but the problem is that I don't have one nor do I think that I would achieve a reasonable cycle time to make that way.
    I guess my question is..."what is the typical mfg process used to make phillips drives? Is it done by forging or stamping? Has anyone ever tried to machine a phillips drive on a cnc screw machine? and if so, how?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Posts
    0
    As far as I know most screw blanks are cold headed and then thread rolled.

    Fudge it. Look up the proper profile, come close to it and make it work is all I can tell you.

    You certainly don't want to be spending 90% of your cycle time making the 'proper' profile with a 5th axis attachment.. its brass, you can get away with a lot..

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Posts
    0
    Quick poke through the bible..
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails uploadfromtaptalk1343966452918.jpg  

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Posts
    108
    I have looked into this a few times over the years, hopeing somew smart guy would come up with something. As of yet, no one seems to be smart enough. If you really want to do the job, make the screw and send it out to have the phillips form put in it. Those are always headed or formed in some way, as far as I know.
    www.atmswiss.com

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Posts
    287
    you can't plunge it with a form cutting woodruff key cutter?
    I'm not sure what you're looking at for a shape, but that seems like a reasonable approach to me.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Posts
    19
    Thanks for your feedback guys. I think I'll take the approach with "fudging it" on the machine by using a cmbination of a spot drill, key cutter, and possibly a custom broach tool to shave the tapered wings

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Posts
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by tea hole View Post
    you can't plunge it with a form cutting woodruff key cutter?
    I'm not sure what you're looking at for a shape, but that seems like a reasonable approach to me.
    One glaring problem a woodruff presents is the fact that you'll need a very small diameter, and you then may not get the proper plunge depth before running into the shank neck, or over running the head of the screw. Let's face it, a round isnt going to "mesh" with the screwdriver..

    If it were me, id have a custom tool made up (think tapered endmill) and mill from the face, plunge, and then clean out the "slots"

    .02

    Heck like I said its brass.. you could maybe even create some sort of shave tool and use the zx sub axis' to shave out the sides.. I've certainly done my fair share of brass "extrusion" in my day lol.. no idea what would be fastest, I've never had to make one, but im sure there are a number of ways.

    My best advice is don't spend ages getting it "right"

  8. #8
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Posts
    4519
    If live tooling is available, maybe plunge an endmill in the width of the slots repeatedly to remove most of the material to form the cross, then use some type of form tool or rotary broaching tool to clean up the cross.

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