The Impact of a Bar Feeder

Most turning shops are quite familiar with automating their workhandling procedures. Bar feeders are not new to them. But a refresher of why bar feeders have such significant differences in design can be handy. And for those unfamiliar with the many approaches to loading barstock, the following articles can be a nice introduction.

Some primary factors are often overlooked when considering the addition of new bar feeders. Beyond length and capacity, a shop needs to look closely at bar feeder characteristics that affect how accurately the bar is fed through the machine, as well as the use of spindle liners and ways to best improve efficiency. “Bar Feeder Basics” gives a nice overview of what to look for.

Another key to selecting a bar feeder that is best suited to a shop’s operations is consideration of the applications for which it will be used. “Choosing an Automatic Bar Feeder” takes a look at various elements of the bar feeder and how they impact operator efficiency, performance, change-over time, and material waste.