This disclosure relates to a clamping assembly used with a material feeder. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a collet used in the clamping assembly.
A manufacturing operation includes a material feeder that provides material, such as tubing, to a cutter assembly, which cuts the material to a desired length. The cutter assembly includes a clamping assembly that clamps the material while it is cut to length.
In one example arrangement, the clamping assembly includes a plastic collet having multiple circumferentially arranged fingers. The structure of the collet is rather complex, requiring significant machining. A clamping sleeve cooperates with the collet when in an extended position to force the fingers radially inward to clamp the material. After the material is cut, the clamping sleeve is retracted to release the fingers from clamping engagement with the material. However, the fingers typically do not fully retract. This results in the fingers creating drag on the material, which wears the collet out after several days of operation. The manufacturing operation must be shut down each time the collet is replaced, thus increasing part cost and reducing production output.
What is needed is a more robust clamping assembly that is not as susceptible to wear.