Machining a .223 Bolt – Demo on Quicktech T8 Hybrid at Shot Show 2022

At Shot Show 2022, Absolute Machine Tools will have a demo at booth #40554 featuring a Quicktech T8 Hybrid machining a .223 bolt.

What Made This Part Perfect to Machine in a CNC Mill/Turn?

Using the Quicktech T8 Hybrid to machine a .223 bolt allows flexibility, eliminating the need to manually transfer the part to a vertical milling machine that would have to be equipped with a rotary table or some type of trunnion to finish it. Dropping this part complete using a CNC mill/turn that has an exceptional price point, flexibility, and tooling capacity for this size market is a win/win for all. This type of CNC machine opens the doors for a lot of shops to machine this part, or similar parts, quickly and completely in a “done in one” style process.

A CNC mill/turn presents numerous capabilities due to the amount of live tools it can hold, along with the ability to static mill/turn, plus the existence of a gantry on the sub side for machining angled holes in a sub-finish process. For the .223 bolt it was not necessary to use the B-axis on the sub, but only the live tooling, allowing the capability to be there for future jobs. There are 3 main reasons why using the Quicktech T8 Hybrid Mill/Turn Center to drop this part complete are so important:

Custom tooling was also purchased to machine the .223 bolt, cutting down on the number of tools that would typically be needed to manufacture a part like this. Tooling was supplied by Kennametal and Greene Tool Systems, which supplied the splines and step or combo drills. The tooling capacity allowed us to tool-up with double live holders off the turret. The turret was also beneficial because it was able to accommodate live tooling in every pot ensuring proper tool clearance.

The various types of machining used to make this part, along with the number of tools required, was the deciding factors for choosing the Quicktech T8 Hybrid Mill/Turn Center. There are only a small number of machines that have the tooling capacity to machine this part and drop it in one process. There were 21 total tools used in the metal cutting process, 14 on the main and 7 on the sub. The Quicktech T8 Hybrid turret can also accommodate double live or quadruple tool holders that are not always standard on conventional lathe turrets.

Clearance issues while making this part were a huge concern because the part is small and needs to be held extremely close to the chuck, allowing for the potential of a crash, which we all know can be costly and take a significant amount of time to repair. Therefore, clear concise planning must be taken into consideration when programming the CNC to cut a part as complex as the .223 bolt.

Add a Bar Feeder for Continuous Production

Pairing the Quicktech T8 Hybrid with a 12’ hydrodynamic magazine bar feeder allows for fast continuous production, dropping parts consistently out of the back of the machine in one cycle and transforming this job into the perfect automation application. The .223 bolt part print was loaned to Absolute Machine Tools from a customer who is a certified gunsmith.