Collets

What are collets?

Collets are used in workpiece clamping technology to securely and precisely hold workpieces. They are used in various areas of metal processing, such as turning, milling, or grinding.

Collets are particularly suitable when high rotational speeds meet precision. That's why they are essential equipment for all types of machine tools, such as lathes, routers, and other milling machines. Their design allows for an especially effective fixation of workpieces.
 

How do collets work?

In order for collets to clamp properly, they require a collet chuck with a matching internal taper. Clamping is achieved by tightening a collet nut, which presses the collet into the internal taper of the chuck. This achieves the necessary fixation. It should be noted that while the collet chuck can accommodate collets of different sizes, the clamping range of individual collets is very small. That's why multiple collets are needed for different clamping widths.
 

Different designs of collets

Collets come in various designs - each designed for different requirements and machines. Here is a brief overview:

• Slotted collets: Slotted collets are attached to milling or lathe machines by inserting their external taper into the hollow taper of the collet sleeve. The collet nut is used to tighten the collet. Slotted collets are designed for use with smooth or machined round workpieces and offer a relatively small clamping range.
• Dead lenght collets: With a draw-in collet, the collet is pressed against the collet nut in the axial direction by means of a draw tube. Draw-in collets are very versatile, which is why they are used in various areas of metal processing, such as turning, milling, grinding, or drilling. They are suitable for different workpiece sizes and shapes, providing flexibility in clamping different types of workpieces.
• Long nose collets: This type of collet is used in the counter-spindle to grip the workpiece there. The front mounting of the collets allows for improved accessibility of the workpiece. They are available in various versions, allowing them to grip not only round but also square or hexagonal workpieces.
• Draw-in collets: With this type of collet, clamping is achieved by retracting the pull-back collet into the collet chuck. It is frequently used for clamping workpieces in machine tools.

Buy Rubber-Flex® RFC collets from Ortlieb at PACH Systems

Rubber-Flex® RFC collets are made of an elastic rubber-metal compound. This feature allows for a clamping range of ±1 mm from the nominal diameter. This eliminates the need for an additional set of four steel collets. Additionally, this significantly reduces setup times. Rubber-Flex® RFC collets are particularly suitable for pre-machined or delicate workpieces.

The RFC 36 (173E) and RFC 52 (185E) collets are also available in a Full-Grip version. Full-Grip collets are especially suitable for processing bar materials with large clamping tolerances and high machining forces and torques.

Other advantages of Rubber-Flex® RFC collets include:

• Transmission of higher torques
• Surface-friendly clamping due to parallel displacement of the steel segments (RFC)
• Resistant to coolant and temperatures up to 100 °C
• Complete sealing against coolants and chips

In addition to the Rubber-Flex® RFC collets from Ortlieb, we also offer the QUADRO® Lever-Operated Collet Chuck SSF from Ortlieb.