Everything about Mandrel totally explained
A
mandrel (and also spelled
mandril; in
American English also called an
arbor) is either an object used to shape machined work; a
tool component that grips or clamps
materials to be machined; or a tool component that can be used to grip other moving tool components.
An example of one type of mandrel is a shaped bar of
metal inserted in, or next to, an item to be machined or bent in a certain
pattern.
Exhaust pipes in
automobiles are frequently bent using a mandrel during
manufacture. The mandrel allows the exhaust pipes to be bent into smooth
curves without undesirable creasing, kinking, or collapsing.
Molten glass may be shaped in this way as well. Another example of this type of mandrel is found in
jewelry manufacturing, where
ring and
bracelet mandrels are used to shape metal into a desired size and
shape, using a tiny
hammer to beat the metal against the mandrel.
Another type of mandrel is the
clamp that a
lathe uses to hold pieces of
wood, metal or
plastic to be machined as they're turned. In this way,
rods can be threaded,
furniture legs are turned to have beautiful
patterns, and irregularly-shaped objects can be given a cylindrical or
round shape. There are several types of mandrels used with lathes. An expanding mandrel is slightly tapered with a tapered wedge that will expand to hold the item. Other commercial mandrels are very slightly tapered and the hollow object slides down the taper until it 'sticks'. The shop made mandrel shown in the photo is designed to clamp a hollow tube or gear between the two tapered plugs. There is nothing about such a mandrel that can't be made right on the lathe on which it's to be used so it isn't uncommon for machinists to make a mandrel to hold a particular item, and then set the mandrel aside hoping to use it again some day. Mandrels of this type are usually set in the lathe on centers and turned with a
lathe dog.
The third type of mandrel discussed here's that which is used to hold circular
saw blades, buffing
wheels (used for polishing), and sanding discs onto
drills, circular saws, and similar power tools. A mandrel of this type generally consists of a
cylinder, threaded on one end, with a
washer brazed onto the threaded end and an accompanying
screw and second washer which are used to clamp the circular saw blade, sanding media, or other
rotary tool onto the mandrel.
While most mandrels are driven by direct connection to an
electric motor or
engine, other mandrels are driven by attachment to a bearing-supported,
pulley-driven shaft.
In
fiber optics, an optical fiber is often
wrapped around a mandrel to alter the light traveling in the fiber.
In the production of steel core used for flexible drives, the centre wire upon which the subsequent layers are wound is referred to as a Mandrel. This 'centre wire' may itself be composed of either a single wire or layers depending on the sizing of the finished product.
History
Mandrels are not recent
inventions. Metal machining utilizing the
spinning process has been recorded as far back as
ancient Egyptian times. In metal spinning, a wood or metal spinning mandrel is used, the
form of which corresponds with the
internal contour of the part to be produced. This method securely clamps the raw material and allows for accurate machining into the desired final form. Since the material is clamped internally, there's no
interference to the operator from the lathe/mandrel assembly during
production.
Also, the
traversing mandrel was introduced around the year 1700 AD, and consisted of designing a
lathe mandrel that would be able to
slide axially in its
bearings under the
control of the
operator, so that components having short lengths of
thread could be produced, such as
screws. The traversing mandrel was primarily employed by clockmakers and
ornamental turners during this
era. Eventually this device was superseded by a mandrel-driven
device called a
leadscrew, which utilizes a
train of
gears that can be altered as required for the turning application.
Images
Further Information
Get more info on 'Mandrel'.
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