Models for Determining the Static Stiffness of Collet Sleeves

Abstract

The most versatile general purpose clamping device is collet chuck. Most of collet chucks use solid thin slotted clamping sleeves made of a hardened steel and ground to a high degree of accuracy on both internal and external surfaces. This paper first presents a straightforward analytical model to determinate the static stiffness of collet sleeves. Second, it presents the Finite Element Method (FEM) analyses that were conducted to check the proposed analytical model. Third, it describes an automatic (wedge-actuated) prototype, which was designed and built for determining the static stiffness of collet sleeves. The proposed analytical model was verified by means of Finite Element Analyses (FEA) and experimental investigations. The results will confirm the linear behavior of the models with excellent levels of correlation. The work results provide reliable theoretical and technical supports for the optimization of the design and application of collet sleeves.