Driven + Static

• 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.
  
  

Presetting

• Who do I call for service on my presetter?

  Call 1-800-PAR-6545 for all of your presetter service needs.
  
  

• How often should I have my machine calibrated?

  Parlec recommends yearly calibration of your presetter.
  
  

  Please see below for annual maintenance options.

  GAGE CERTIFICATION SERVICE
  Gage Certification including cleaning, testing and NIST traceable certificate.
  Fulfills ISO 9001:2000, QS 9000 calibration requirements
  Gage must be returned to Parlec for certification
  
  

  ANNUAL MAINTENANCE SERVICE
  Cleaning and Lubrication of all Applicable Parts
  Adjusting of Mechanical and Optical Assemblies
  Performance Evaluation and Verification of all functions
  Free 2 hours of onsite training (Not valid after technician has left the site)
  Does not include charges for parts replacement or repairs
  Unlimited 1-800 Parsetter TMM technical support
  
  

  ANNUAL MAINTENANCE AND CERTIFICATION
  Fulfills ISO 9001:2000, QS 9000 calibration requirements
  Includes Annual Maintenance Service, Gage Certification for up to two gages, and Laser Calibration Service for one machine.
  Laser testing of two axis
  Linear corrections as needed
  Documentation of results
  Adjusting of Mechanical and Optical Assemblies
  Performance Evaluation and Verification of all functions
  
  

  Free 2 hours of onsite training (Not valid after technician has left the site). Does not include charges for parts replacement or repairs.

  For additional service needs, please go to Corporate Contactspage for service phone numbers.
  
  

Workholding

• Are Iron Systems More Rigid Than Aluminum / Steel Systems?

  While the material properties of iron are stronger than aluminum, Parlec has designed a system using a combination of aluminum and steel that is actually more rigid. We did extensive testing on our tombstones to measure deflection under load and the Parlec unit beat cast iron units by more than 50 percent less deflection.
  
  

• What Are The Advantages Of Hard Coat Anodizing & Nickel Plating On The Parlec Systems?

  We have engineered our aluminum and steel vises to outperform our cast iron competitors. Aluminum components are treated with either a hard coat anodizing or hard coat anodizing with teflon impregnation and steel components are finished with a nickel coating.

  Hardcoat Anodizing – This is an electrolytic oxidation process performed on aluminum that produces a hard, durable, non-peeling surface that under normal conditions will never wear through. Anodizing is considered resistant to corrosion and abrasion, resulting in a surface hardness up to 60-RC.

  Hardcoat Anodizing with Teflon Impregnation – Is a similar process that incorporates Teflon into the aluminum adding natural lubrication for moving parts.

  Nickel Plating – This is a uniform plating process that results in surface hardness up to 70-RC and provides excellent protection against corrosion and abrasion resistance. This process also provides lubrication to allow metals to slide against each other without causing adverse wear on either component.
  
  

• Does The Weight Of A Vise Really Matter?

  Yes. Because CNC machines have a table load of approximately 1,000 lbs. on a 400mm system, a cast iron system has up to 60 percent of its load in the clamping device. By switching to a composite system, one can reduce this load to less than 30 percent of the capacity, and decrease the wear on the CNC machine. Customers who use our system report that there are less maintenance issues on the pallet system compared to using cast iron systems. In addition, customers have experienced fewer injuries and less operator fatigue caused by moving our systems around compared to iron systems.
  
  

• What Should I do Before Storing A Vise For Extended Periods of Time?

  Parlec recommends that you clean the vise of any chip and coolant prior to storage. Also recommended but not required, is spraying the internal components with lubrication.
  
  

• How Often Do I Need To Maintenance My Vise?

  This answer depends upon the application. Due to the variety of metals being cut and the conditions inside a shop or machine we recommend that you initially monitor the status of your vises and determine what intervals are required. Grease should be applied to all exposed moving components during the maintenance of the vise.
  
  

• Why A Double Station Vise Over A Single Station Vise?

  In order to compete on a global scale, shops must be as efficient as possible. By using multiple vises with double station jaws, your efficiency will be increased over machining on a single station vise. Allowing your machine to make a tool change and machine multiple parts at once saves the time of constantly traveling back to the tool changer to switch tools for each part. Most production jobs use a large number of tools, adding up to a significant savings in machine time over the course of a day.
  
  

• Do Iron Systems Dampen Vibration Better Than Aluminum / Steel Systems?

  Our testing shows that in a typical machining operation the difference in vibration results in about 0.000030” in increased chatter over a cast iron system. This amount is very minor in comparison to the benefits that our system offers.