Thick Turret Angle Setting

HOW TO SET ANGLE IN THICK TURRET PUNCH PRESS

1. Setting the Angle in Tooling (The Tool Holder)

In a thick turret system, the punch and die must be keyed to ensure they face the same direction.

• The Alignment Key: Most thick      turret punches have a keyway (a slot) or a fixed key (a      pin).

• 0° vs. 90°: Standard tools usually      have two keyways. To change the angle, you physically lift the punch out      of the guide, rotate it 90°, and drop the key back into the      corresponding slot.

• Wedge-Style Adjustments: For some      universal tool holders, you may need to loosen a locking bolt and rotate      the internal "inner guide" to a specific degree marked on a      scale before re-tightening.

  
  

2. Setting the Angle in the Turret (Auto-Index Stations)

While most stations in a turret are "fixed" (only 0°, 90°, 180°, 270°, Auto-Index (A/I) stations allow the machine to rotate the tool to any programmed angle.

• Mechanical Drive: A drive motor      engages a worm gear or belt that rotates the entire station (top and      bottom simultaneously).

• Synchronization: The machine's CNC      controller ensures the upper turret station and lower turret station      rotate in perfect harmony.

• Homing: Before starting a job, the      machine performs a "Zero Return" to ensure the auto-index      stations are at 0°relative to the machine's X-axis.

3. Setting the Angle on the Worktable (The Sheet)

In a punch press, the "angle" of the worktable is essentially the relationship between the Clamps and the X/Y Grid.

• The X-Axis Beam: The worktable      doesn't physically "tilt," but the sheet metal is held by clamps      on the X-carriage.

• Squaring the Sheet: To ensure the      sheet is "square" (at a 90° angle to the tools), you must      push the sheet firmly against the Work Dead-Stops (vanishing pins)      before closing the clamps.

• Programmed Rotation: If you need to      punch a pattern at a 45° angle across the sheet, you don't move the      table; the CNC calculates the X and Y coordinates simultaneously to move      the sheet in a diagonal path under the turret.