In one aspect, a swiss-type machine tool is provided that includes a workpiece holding shaft, a workpiece supporting shaft, and a tool holder associated with the workpiece supporting shaft for holding at least one tool. The machine tool includes a drive operable to rotate the workpiece holding shaft and the workpiece supporting shaft around an axis. The workpiece holding shaft has a work holder configured to secure a workpiece to the workpiece holding shaft. The workpiece holding shaft is axially shiftable relative to the workpiece supporting shaft to adjust a position of the workpiece relative to the workpiece supporting shaft. The machine tool further includes a removable workpiece support, such as a guide bushing, configured to be releasably connected to the workpiece supporting shaft and rotate therewith. The workpiece support slidably contacts the workpiece and permits axial movement of the workpiece relative to the workpiece support.

An apparatus for electrical discharge machining process is disclosed. The apparatus comprises adjustable supports, up-on which an elongated workpiece to be machined can be placed and rotated. The adjustable support allows to adjust the position of the workpiece with respect to a base plate. The apparatus further comprises a rotating member, adapted to grip one end of the elongated workpiece to be machined and rotate it around its longitudinal axis. Also disclosed are a method for machining rotor and a monolithic shaft-impeller rotor.

A machine tool, in particular a lathe, including a machine frame having an upper tool carrier support portion, a lower tool carrier support portion and a spindle carrier portion arranged between the upper and lower tool carrier support portions, a spindle carrier, being arranged on or at a height of the spindle carrier portion of the machine frame, supporting a main spindle configured to receive a workpiece W, the main spindle having a horizontally arranged spindle axis, one or more tool carriers, each tool carrier being supported on a tool carrier assembly being arranged on either the upper tool carrier support portion or the lower tool carrier support portion of the machine frame. Wherein a lower side-surface of the lower tool carrier support portion, to which the one or more tool carriers are mountable, is arranged to have an overhanging inclination.

A spindle apparatus for use at a machine tool, having: an assembly including a workpiece spindle to receive an elongated workpiece and a motor for driving spindle rotation of the workpiece spindle about a spindle axis; a rotary guide-bush assembly being axially arranged with the workpiece spindle with respect to the spindle axis, the rotary guide-bush assembly receiving the elongated workpiece supported at the rotary guide-bush assembly to rotate about the spindle axis enabling movement of the elongated workpiece; wherein the rotary guide-bush assembly includes a portion to clamp the elongated workpiece, received in the rotary guide-bush and in the workpiece spindle, to transfer driving torque applied from the spindle motor during a driven acceleration of the rotation through the clamped elongated workpiece for rotation of the rotary guide-bush synchronized with the driven acceleration of the rotation of the workpiece spindle.

A method for correcting non-rigid thin-walled tubular elements having geometric deficiencies, wherein, following correction, the tubular elements may perform over a wide range of pressure and temperatures, for example as a rocket motor beaker, from about −70 C to about 1000 C. Correction is required to remove asperities, maximize cylindricity, squaring a forward end wall and a rearward end wall, so that the forward end wall of the tube product may be fitted, bonded and sealed to a circular planar element using a labyrinth-joint closure. The method provides uniformity so that both the tubular elements and the circular planar elements are interchangeably uniform in size, shape and performance, and may be readily assembled into non-rigid thin-walled tube products.

A spindle apparatus for use at a machine tool, in particular a lathe, has: a spindle assembly including a workpiece spindle to receive an elongated workpiece and a spindle motor for driving spindle rotation; and a rotary guide-bush assembly axially arranged with the workpiece spindle, the rotary guide-bush assembly including a rotary guide-bush to receive the elongated workpiece and supported at the rotary guide-bush assembly to rotate with the elongated workpiece received in the workpiece spindle about the axis while enabling a movement of the elongated workpiece in the axial direction. The spindle and rotary guide-bush assemblies connect to each other by a torque transferring connection, between the spindle and rotary guide-bush assemblies along the axis to transfer driving torque during acceleration or deceleration of the spindle rotation driven by the spindle motor to the rotary guide-bush of the rotary guide-bush assembly.

An apparatus includes a self-centring device for centring and guiding a bar, tube or the like to be advanced to a spindle of a machine tool, includes a hollow containing body with through opening having a longitudinal axis, for receiving a bar to be fed along an advancement direction to the spindle; in the body an inner sliding surface is defined that is tilted with respect to the longitudinal axis; centring and guiding elements are provided housed in the hollow body and shaped for coming into contact with the bar and exert thereupon a distributed centring and guiding action; the centring and guiding elements that are slidable along the inner surface for the distance thereof from the longitudinal axis to adapt to different bar diameters; in the body an elastic member is housed to urge the centring and guiding elements to the position of minimal reciprocal distance so as to induce and maintain, during operation, the centring and guiding elements in contact with the surface of the bar. An advancement device is further disclosed for the bar, having a supporting and guiding member configured for restingly receiving, from a first side, a bar and configured for guiding said bar along an advancement direction, a movable grasping member mobile from a disengaged position, further from the member to be separated from the bar, to a locking position, nearer said supporting member to press longitudinally the bar from a second opposite side against the supporting member; advancement motor device is configured for rotating the supporting and guiding member and/or the movable grasping member in the locking position to draggingly advance the bar along the advancement direction.

A steady rest for supporting a, particularly elongate, workpiece undergoing mechanical work and particularly machining, having: a steady rest main part that can be arranged in a device for machining a workpiece being machined, and at least one support arrangement which is disposed or designed on said steady rest main part and configured to support a workpiece being machined, and comprises at least one support element that supports a workpiece requiring support, wherein said at least one support arrangement is disposed or designed to be mounted on the steady rest main part such that it can move, relative to said steady rest main part, in at least one degree of freedom of movement which defines a path of movement.

This invention relates in general to a portable work supporting and rotating apparatus for rotatable support of elongate workpieces of various diameters to be worked. The device having a longitudinally extending base frame with a fixed member and a movable member being disposed in generally parallel and spaced relation. A plurality of rollers are journaled on the fixed and movable members to rotatably support the elongated workpieces axially parallel to said rollers between the fixed and movable members. A means for moving the movable member in a transverse relationship with the fixed member is provided to increase or decrease a space between the fixed and movable members. A drive unit is operatively connected to one of the plurality of rollers permitting the workpiece to be rotated about a longitudinal axis.

It is already known to detect the position of a pressure element of a steady rest, by means of which its angle levers are actuated, via a traction cable and its rolling position. Possible penetration of liquid via openings in the housing, present for functioning, is avoided by applying sealing air which generates a positive pressure in the housing. After operation, however, penetrated or penetrating liquid could damage the coiling device of the traction cable and impair the position detection.

The present invention is intended to provide the option to provide a more accurate and simpler detection of the position of the pressure element, and thereby further alleviate the problem of penetrating liquid. This is achieved by use of a distance sensor that detects the position of the pressure element and is drained via a drain hole. During operation the drain hole is closed via a sealing air-actuated discharge valve, so that during operation the sealing air cannot escape through the drain hole, but in the rest state, any liquid that has still penetrated drains off.