General Information

Frequently Asked Questions

What History Does Parlec Have With Driven Tools?

Parlec’s purchase of Bristol Tool & Gauge in 2003, added Driven tools to our product line. Bristol, which was founded in 1946, has over 20 years of experience in manufacturing Driven tool products. Parlec has spent the last year reviewing Bristol’s designs and re-arranging the product line to offer the highest quality tools available on the market today. We have focused our efforts on the development of Driven & Static Tools and have begun to put inventory into stock for all of our catalog products.

The joining Parlec and Bristol, allows us to utilize the experience of the Bristol organization to manufacture Parlec Driven & Static tools. We currently have relationships with most of the major OEM manufacturers and our testing has proven that our tools are the best in the industry.

How Often Do I Need To Rebuild My Driven Tools?

The life cycle of a driven tool is dependent on the application and use of a specific tool. In addition to this, the design of a tool plays an important role in a tool’s life.

Tools that are cutting exotic metals or working in environments with small chip particles with longer cycle times will need to be rebuilt sooner than tools cutting aluminum components with shorter cycle times.

Unfortunately there is no magic number on the required interval for rebuilding any manufacturer’s driven tool because of the variations in working environments. Due to the nature of the design of a Parlec tool, we are able to offer a one-year warranty on all of our tools. Parlec also offers maintenance packages for any tool, where by we will evaluate your tools on an annual or semi-annual basis for a fixed rate, and should the tool show signs of wear, we would then quote you on the replacement parts.

Can I Rebuild My Driven Tool?

Many customers look at a driven tool and say I can replace a bearing or seal. What they do not realize is that there is a lot more to repairing a tool than just swapping out a bearing.

The following considerations must be observed when repairing a tool:

  • Root cause of the failure identified and eliminated.
  • Selection of replacements parts compatible with current components.
  • Correct assembly of the unit to ensure proper pre-loads, alignments and installation of replacement parts.
  • Break-in of the tool to prevent premature failure of the unit.
  • Final QC evaluation to ensure that the tool meets specifications of an equivalent new tool.

Failure to properly rebuild a tool will significantly decrease the performance and life span of a repaired unit.

Parlec offers a comprehensive repair department with facilities on two continents to handle any type of repair. Our competitors generally need to ship the units back to the factory which results in extended lead-times when a tool requires a major repair.

Please see our Service section of the website for information on how to get your free evaluation today!

Does Parlec Repair Other OEM’s Tools?

Yes – The majority of tools that we repair have worn seals and bearings as the root cause of problem. This means that we have access to the same components that were supplied with the original tool. Should there be a failure in an OEM proprietary component that we do not have access to, we would recommend that you send the tool back the manufacturer.

Please see our Service section of the website for information on how to get your free evaluation today!

Is Bearing Failure Common?

No – typically tools that come into our repair department that have bearings seized do not have a root cause of a bad bearing or bearing failure. Generally these tools had a seal failure which lead to contamination of the bearing system and the eventual failure of the bearings. Bearings that are kept free of contamination can perform for many years without issues.

Do I Need To Grease My Tools Periodically?

No – Driven tools are sealed by design and come with the bearings pre-greased for life. Adding additional grease could overload the bearings and cause premature failure.

What Makes A Parlec Tool Better By Design?

Bearings, Seals and Gears have the greatest effect on the performance of a head. Not only is selecting the proper grade of components important but the placement of these components inside the head also affects the quality of a tool.

Bearings

All of Parlec’s new tools utilize two types of bearings inside the heads on the output spindles. On 4500RPM rated heads we utilize tapered roller bearings which can handle greater loads than a traditional angular contact bearing and provide a more rigid tool. On 6000RPM rated heads we utilize multiple angular contact bearings at the front of the spindle to overcome the lack of rigidity produced on tools using a single bearing.

Seals

Parlec is constantly testing the latest seals on the market and designing our tools with a “protective” seal placement that ensures the longest possible life for a seal. By selecting higher quality seals and keeping them away from direct contact with chips and coolant flow we can produce a tool that will outlast our competition.

Where Are Parlec’s Products Made?

Parlec is proud of the fact that we manufacture these tools on two continents – North America & Europe. With global manufacturing facilities around the world we are the only manufacturer that can provide factory support in both North America and Europe.

What Tools Are Available?

We currently offer Driven Tools for six specific OEM’s. The tools that are used in these machines are designed specifically for the manufacturer and will not work in other OEM’s machines. If you do not see your brand of machine listed please call our inside sales department to verify a specific request.

What if I see my manufacturer, but not the specific model?

Parlec has focused our Driven & Static products on a select group of OEM’s and is currently developing tools to complete each of the product ranges. If you see your manufacturer listed but do not see your specific machine please give us a call. Chances are if your machine is a current model that the OEM is selling we are working on developing a range of tools for your machine.

What Types of Machines Is Parlec Selling Static Tooling For?

Parlec focuses on providing Driven tools for multi-tasking CNC lathes. In an effort to promote these products we also offer static tools that are used on these machines as well. We are currently adding a complete range of static tools to our catalog to compliment our Driven products. If you do not see the static tools you are looking for please give us a call, as they could be available shortly.