Indexing Head - CNC Indexing Heads

CNC Indexing Heads

CNC indexing heads are similar in design to the manual variety except that they have a servo motor coupled to the spindle instead of a hand crank and indexing plates. The servo motor is electronically controlled to index the work to the required position. The control can either be a simple keypad for the operator or it may be fully CNC controlled.

CNC indexing heads may be controlled in two different modes. The most basic method of operation uses simple control functions built into the dividing head. It does not require a CNC machine. The operator enters the desired angle into a control box attached to the indexing head and it automatically rotates to the desired position and locks into place for machining. Changing angles is as simple as typing a new angle value onto the control pad. This is simpler than setting up a manual indexing head because there is no need to interchange indexing plates or to calculate which hole positions to use. It is also faster for repetitive operations because the work can be indexed by simply pressing a button, eliminating the need to count rotations of the hand crank or specific hole positions on the indexing plate. A CNC dividing head may be used in this manner on either manual or CNC machinery.

Most CNC dividing heads are also able to function as a full CNC axis and may be wired into the control of a CNC machine. This enables the machine's main CNC controller to control the indexing head just like it would control the other axes of the machine. This can be used to machine complex 3D shapes, helices with a non-constant pitch, and similar exotic parts. This mode of operation cannot be used on a manual machine tool because it requires a full CNC controller to operate.