Page 55 - 2020 Interconnect Innovations eBook
P. 55
IMAGE
» Stamped electrical connectors produced using a press machine with a sequential stamping tool. The sequence of operations is clearly visible.
Specialized chip removal machines called transfer machines enable the mass production of connectors. Transfer machines consist of many machine tools in a single machine. A central round table, where the components to be machined are fixed, transfers the pieces from one station to another for sequential processing. The Mikron Multistar CX-24CONTACTS, for instance, has 24 stations with machining units that work simultaneously from above, below, and from the side. In total, this machine supports up to 44 simultaneous work units. Transfer machines with simultaneous sequential processing capabilities like these can achieve high production rates that are just slightly lower than the stamping process. But, since they’re still chip removal machines, they are much more precise than stamping.
IMAGE
» An example of the Mikron Multistar CX-24CONTACTS machining cycle for an electric car connector.
55
