Blog｜Taiwan Lathe Chuck Manufacturer - AUTO STRONG

In the world of modern machining, precision, speed, and reliability are essential. Among the many components that make high-efficiency machining possible, the power chuck stands out as a critical workholding solution. Power chucks are designed to grip workpieces with consistent force and minimal runout, making them indispensable for CNC lathes and automated production systems.

DRAKE supply professional and honest service.

In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the most common types of power chucks, their structural features, and how each is best applied in different machining scenarios.

What Is a Power Chuck?

A power chuck is a lathe chuck that operates using an external power source—typically hydraulic or pneumatic—to open and close the jaws automatically. This provides high clamping force, reduces operator workload, and ensures fast, repeatable setups. Compared to manual chucks, power chucks offer greater stability and precision, especially in high-speed and high-volume operations.

Common Types of Power Chucks

1. Thru-Hole Power Chuck (N/NT/NIT/NHT Series)

• Structure: Features a central bore that allows long workpieces, such as bars or shafts, to pass through the chuck body.
• Applications: Ideal for bar feeding operations and shaft machining in automotive and general-purpose lathes.
• Advantages: Supports high-volume turning, compatible with automation systems like bar feeders.

2. Non-Thru-Hole Power Chuck (V/VT/VIT Series)

• Structure: Has a solid center with no bore, offering greater rigidity.
• Applications: Best suited for workpieces that don’t need to pass through the chuck, such as flanges or discs.
• Advantages: High structural strength, increased stability for heavy-duty turning.

3. Large Thru-Hole Power Chuck (NB Series)

• Structure: Similar to standard thru-hole designs but with a significantly larger bore diameter.
• Applications: Used for large-diameter pipes, tubes, or hollow parts.
• Advantages: Maintains rigidity while accommodating oversized workpieces.

4. Long Jaw Stroke Power Chuck (NL Series)

• Structure: Designed with extended jaw travel distance.
• Applications: Ideal for clamping larger, irregular, or custom-shaped parts.
• Advantages: Flexibility in handling various workpiece dimensions, reduced need for special jaws.

5. Large Wedge-Type Power Chuck (40”–79”)

Contact us to discuss your requirements of CNC Power Chuck. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

• Structure: Extremely robust chuck designed for heavy-duty applications, particularly in large vertical or horizontal lathes.
• Applications: Used in energy, aerospace, and heavy equipment industries.
• Advantages: High rigidity, heavy clamping force, ideal for machining massive components.

6. Vertical and Vertical-Horizontal Stationary Power Chucks (DV/DN Series)

• Structure: Stationary-type chucks configured for vertical or vertical-horizontal machine layouts.
• Applications: Used in vertical turning lathes or transfer lines.
• Advantages: Space-saving design, excellent for multi-station automation setups.

7. Vertical Lathe Non-Thru-Hole Power Chuck (VRA Series)

• Structure: Custom-built for vertical lathe platforms, optimized for stability in vertical clamping positions.
• Applications: Ideal for heavy face turning and precision boring.
• Advantages: High concentricity, excellent for axial cutting forces.

8. 3-Jaw Ball Swing Lock Power Chuck (BL Series)

• Structure: Equipped with a swing-type locking mechanism that ensures better jaw alignment.
• Applications: Precision turning where repeatability and jaw positioning accuracy are crucial.
• Advantages: Enhanced accuracy, smooth jaw movement, ideal for small- to medium-sized parts.

9. 3-Jaw Draw-Down Power Chuck (DR Series)

• Structure: Pulls the workpiece down against the chuck face while clamping.
• Applications: Useful for maintaining face contact, particularly for thin or deformable parts.
• Advantages: Improves rigidity, reduces vibration, and ensures uniform surface contact.

How to Choose the Right Power Chuck

When selecting a power chuck, consider the following criteria:

• Workpiece Size and Shape: Choose a chuck that accommodates your range of parts without compromising on stability.
• Through-Pass Requirement: If your workpiece needs to extend through the chuck, a thru-hole type is essential.
• Clamping Force: Match the clamping power to your material and cutting operation to prevent slippage or deformation.
• Machine Compatibility: Ensure the chuck type is suitable for your machine (horizontal, vertical, or transfer line).
• Production Volume: For high-throughput production, opt for quick-change jaw systems and automated-compatible designs.

Why Choose Auto-Strong Power Chucks?

At Auto-Strong, we manufacture a comprehensive range of precision-engineered power chucks designed for high-performance machining. With materials like premium Japanese SCM440 steel and a focus on structural reliability, our products serve customers in automotive, aerospace, mechanical processing, energy, and more.

Our engineers are ready to help you select the ideal chuck for your operations—whether it's for standard turning or complex custom applications.
________________________________________

Conclusion

Power chucks are essential to efficient, safe, and high-precision machining. With various designs available, from thru-hole to long jaw stroke and vertical chucks, there is a power chuck for nearly every need.

For more information, please visit Drake Machine Tool.

Hello there,
We aquired a second hand Mori Seiki CL machine a few weeks ago. This is our 11th Mori so we are quite familiar wth how they work etc.
The machine came wth a collet chuck attached and a bar feeder, whch we have been running for a few weeks,but we now want to put a 3 jaw chuck on the machine.
The machine was delvered wth a ROTA-G 200-62 chuck. I have looked at these on the internet and it is described as a manual lathe chuck. It has no internal thread to screw it onto the machine draw tube,but can be screwed on to the face plate with 3 cap head bolts.
The hydraulic pedals don't open or close the jaws because they are in no way attached to the drawtube, but instead the jaws are closed with a square key, just lke on a manual lathe, and move in on a spiral.

I certainly don't lke the look of this, or the idea of usng it on the CNC machine, has anybody used one of these on a machine before,if so, did it work? I don't like the idea of the machine spinning at stupid revs, without hydraulics holding the job in the jaws. SURE DOO!

On the real big girls all your gunna git is scroll chucks.

For instance - I have a machine with a 32" three jaw Cushman scroll chuck. Now the machine does have a "power wrench" that is nothing more than a gearmotor with a special end on it to mate with the pinion on the chuck. There are also three trq settings as well - but once it's tight - it's tight. Machine will spin 800RPM with that chuck on it.

Hydro can fail - although actuators have check balls (valves?) in them to resist opening from power failure - the scroll will not open w/o turning that pinion backwards.

I have a sister machne with a 15" 6 jaw scroll chuck on it.

I have a 12" scroll chuck that I will put on the smaller machines as needed.

I don't know what to be scared of - other than change itself.


-----------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox We've got a local machine shop here that ordered a rather large (24" I think)
Haas cnc lathe with a manual 4-jaw on it.

As he explained, the work he does is very low volume (1-8 parts), for
powerplant overhauls (time constraints) and the cnc is needed for
the various contouring of the complicated parts.


The cycle times are pretty long, the materials are pretty tough,
the load/unload time is a very small percentage of the total.

....I certainly don't lke the look of this, or the idea of usng it on the CNC machine, has anybody used one of these on a machine before,if so, did it work? I don't like the idea of the machine spinning at stupid revs, without hydraulics holding the job in the jaws.

Haas toolroom machines use manual chucks and we use either an 8" or a 10' on a Haas GT20 which works fine. It is possible you will need to derate your maximum rpm but maybe not depending on the rating for the manual chuck.

I think your concern about lack of hydraulics holding a spinning chuck closed is misplaced. A hydraulic chuck can open at high revs because the closing system can back drive; it is only a wedge system and does not have any mechanical lock. A scroll chuck cannot back drive open due to centrifugal force. Once you get to a certain size, the chucks are usually manual.
Often they are 4 jaw chucks, because the parts need to be indicated.
As far as I can see, they hold as well as any hydraulic, as long as you actually tighten them.
Take a look at a nice picture I have on the website, we are making a oilfield motor housing on a large CNC lathe and we are using a large manual 4 jaw chuck.
Heinz.
www.doccnc.com Go to the Schunk web site download and view the anamation on how it works...that chuck is not a scroll chuck at all. It is manual but the closing action works with cams and sliding (as linear) tooth plates. The jaws are quick change and can be reversed by just turning them around. Much higher gripping power than any scroll chuck, and higher accuracy due to the linear sliding elements not changing diameter as the jaw moves in as a scroll chuck does.
That manual chuck costs about $6K ...one of the nicer work holding devices you will encounter, and the quick change jaw feature is very nice.
If you don't want it PM me .....Just bought a similar one for my CNC Romi
Cheers Ross

Ox,

What machine are you running a 32" chuck on ???

A lathe?











However - It's not something that I expect to need too often - and I have a 20" 3 jaw and hydro actuator to replace it ready to go on. However - since the ladder aint wrote for it - I will need to pony up a PLC in the control circuit to make it all work.

Currently I'm looking for a diff style turret for it enyway...


-----------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox I bought a Methods Slant 50 once where previous owners removed the hydraulic chuck + draw tube, and installed a manual chuck simply because they needed a little more thru the chuck bore.

Unfortuntely for me, the morons (Kennametal plant in SC) *lost* the original chuck, tube and closer. In the end I came out ok anyway, but how frustrating knowing that somewhere in the Kennametal system was sitting a brand new Kitagawa chuck, tube and closer and yet no one could find it...so it probably got scrapped !!