Gang Tooling Offers Increased Productivity

Gang tooling is a tooling method for CNC lathes in which multiple tools are chambered on a toolholder that is controlled by a cross slide*. Rather than being indexed, as on a turret lathe, the slide repositions as each tool is engaged in the tooling sequence.

This tooling method is particularly effective for parts requiring repeat setups. Gang tooling setups can incorporate drilling and reaming tools in addition to cutting tools. Using a large-capacity toolholder, you can set up all the tools you need for a job at once, enter the offsets once, and run. Remove the entire block when the machining is complete, store the offsets, and repeat when needed.

The payback time on installing a gang tooling setup is generally short. The money saved in changeover time is the key—using gang tooling, you can minimize the amount of time changeovers take when switching between operations. Another benefit of gang tooling is the faster tool change time during the machining sequence when compared to the time required for indexing on turret machines.

In all, gang tooling can greatly reduce overall cycle time on your CNC lathe, allowing you to make more chips and, of course, more money.

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*Definition from ToolingU.com: A type of tooling on the CNC lathe in which tools are mounted directly to a cross slide. The tools are never indexed but are affixed to the slide, which repositions to enable each tool to cut parts.