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Tapping Machine
SAM 15
Semi Automated Machine
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Can you spot the tapping machine ?
Actually there are two. The closest is a standard drill press with a very expensive tapping head. The one clear down on the other end is the SAM. It is used to tap the 1/4-20 hole for the camera tripod in 3/4 inch booms The ones used on Arrow II Antennas. |
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Note: Seven of the drill presses above are use to finish up the booms for the Yagi antennas after SAM 7 is done.
I know, it still looks like a drill press. But it has had some major modifications. The motor has been replaced with a 1/4 HP reversible motor. Under the hood |
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How it Works.
The handle is pulled to lower the tap into the hole, as soon as the tap goes into the hole to be tapped, the motor turns on, runs the tap down just under 3/4" (don't want to hit the other side of the 3/4" boom) the motor stops then reverses out of the hole. Shuts off and is ready for the next hole to be tapped. The hole is tapped in less than 1 1/2 seconds. |
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This thing is cool !
No button to push, it just works. Nice to have a machine turn out better than I had hoped. In fact, it turned out so well we built another one (SAM 17) to tap the holes in some of our other parts. Like the 8-32 holes for shorting bars, the 1/4-20 holes in the Ground Plane Brackets and the 3/8-24 holes for the OSJ Brackets. |
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Not much skill involved in operating this machine,
the Micro Processor has complete control of the operation. SAM 15 went into service on 11-5-05 |
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