Parlec Toolholding — Complete Product Guide
Summary
Parlec is an American toolholding brand headquartered in Fairport, New York, outside Rochester. They make collet chucks, shrink-fit holders, milling chucks, tapping heads, and driven/live tooling for lathes — not cutting tools. In April 2017, Techniks Industries acquired the Parlec tooling division. The presetter side of the original business spun off separately as Omega Tool Measuring Machines (OTMM) and runs independently.
Parlec continues as a distinct brand under Techniks alongside Techniks' own collet and toolholder lines. The two brands overlap but Parlec has the stronger name recognition in driven tooling for Swiss-type lathes, and the Numertap line has a loyal following in tapping-heavy shops.
If you work in a US production shop that does a lot of turning-center work or Swiss-type machining, you've probably seen a Parlec holder. If you're a VMC-only shop doing general milling, you may not have. Their sweet spot is driven tooling and tapping, not high-speed milling.
What Parlec is best for
- Driven/live tooling for CNC lathes — their strongest differentiator. Parlec has broad coverage for Citizen, Star, Tsugami, Tornos, and other Swiss-type machines, plus standard turning centers.
- Numertap tapping heads — tension-compression floating tapping for CNC and manual applications. Long track record in production shops.
- ER collet chucks — standard CAT, BT, and HSK shanks with ER16 through ER40 collets. Solid value-tier performance.
- Shrink-fit holders — H13 tool steel, induction-heated. Good runout specs for the price point.
- Power Milling chucks — milling-specific chucks for heavier interrupted cuts where an ER collet chuck isn't rigid enough.
Parlec is not the first call for ultra-precision Swiss micro-machining or high-speed spindle applications where you need sub-0.0001" TIR guaranteed. For those, you're looking at Schunk, Rego-Fix, or Big Daishowa.
Brand architecture
ER Collet Chucks
Parlec offers ER collet chucks in CAT40, CAT50, BT30, BT40, BT50, and HSK-A63 shanks. Collet range covers ER16, ER20, ER25, ER32, and ER40. These are the bread-and-butter of their VMC tooling catalog. Runout specs are in the 0.0002"–0.0003" TIR range at the collet nose — confirm current spec on their catalog, as Techniks has updated some lines since the 2017 acquisition.
Shrink-Fit Holders
Made from H13 tool steel, which handles the thermal cycling of induction shrinking better than standard tool steel. Parlec's shrink-fit line runs standard bore sizes for common shank diameters (0.250" through 1.000" and metric equivalents). If your shop already has an induction shrink unit, Parlec shrink holders are a cost-competitive option versus Haimer or Schunk at a modest reduction in published TIR specs.
Power Milling Chucks
Hydraulic and mechanical milling chucks for heavier milling work. The Power Milling line targets shops that need more clamping force and damping than an ER system provides for face milling, shoulder milling, and heavy roughing passes. Not as well-known as Schunk's Tendo or Big Daishowa's Mega series, but priced below them.
Numertap Tapping Heads
The Numertap line is tension-compression floating tapping attachments for CNC machining centers and turret presses. Available in multiple torque capacity ranges. The design compensates for pitch error between spindle feed and tap lead, which extends tap life noticeably on rigid-cycle machines that don't have true synchronized tapping. If your older VMC doesn't have a rigid tap cycle, a Numertap head is the standard solution. On machines with proper rigid tapping, the value is less obvious.
Driven/Live Tooling for Lathes
This is where Parlec earns its name in production shops. They manufacture driven tooling units — axial, radial, and angular heads — for a wide range of CNC turning centers and Swiss-type machines. Coverage includes Citizen L-series and M-series, Star SR/SB/SV, Tsugami B and S series, Mazak QT, Haas ST, and others. Units are sold as ready-to-mount driven tool holders that accept ER collets or specific tool shanks. Accuracy and rigidity vary by unit — check the published radial force rating if you're doing heavy milling on a live-tool lathe.
Holder interface cheat sheet
| Product line | Common shanks | Typical TIR spec | Primary use |
|---|---|---|---|
| ER Collet Chuck | CAT40, BT40, HSK-A63 | ~0.0002–0.0003" | General milling, drilling |
| Shrink-Fit | CAT40, CAT50, BT40, HSK-A63 | ~0.0001–0.0002" | High-speed milling |
| Power Milling Chuck | CAT40, BT40 | ~0.0003" | Heavy milling, roughing |
| Numertap | CAT40, BT40, NMTB | N/A (floating) | Tapping |
| Driven Tooling | Machine-specific | Varies by unit | Live/driven lathe work |
TIR values are starting references — verify against current Parlec catalog for the specific model. Published specs can differ between shank interface and gauge length.
When to use Parlec vs. alternatives
- vs. Haimer: Haimer is the go-to for shrink-fit if TIR matters above all else. Their Power Clamp systems are more refined. Parlec shrink-fit is a step down in precision but a step down in price too — appropriate for shops that don't need 0.00005" TIR.
- vs. Rego-Fix: Rego-Fix owns the ER collet standard and their powRgrip system is a class above Parlec's ER chucks for precision and pull-out resistance. If your shop runs a lot of small-diameter finishing, Rego-Fix is worth the premium.
- vs. Schunk: Schunk's Tendo hydraulic chucks and Tribos polygon chucks are more sophisticated than Parlec's milling chuck offerings. Parlec wins on price and US availability.
- vs. Techniks (parent brand): Techniks and Parlec now share a catalog under the same parent. Techniks holders often cover the same geometries at competitive prices. Ask your distributor which is currently in-stock — they're running off the same supply chain.
- vs. Big Daishowa / BIG-PLUS: Big Daishowa leads on dual-contact BIG-PLUS spindle interfaces and ultra-precision boring. Parlec doesn't compete directly here.
- vs. Lyndex-Nikken: Lyndex-Nikken has a stronger live-tooling catalog for Japanese turning centers, with better documentation on rigidity specs. Parlec is competitive on price and sometimes easier to source domestically.
Related articles
- ER collet chucks — sizing, runout, and clamping force
- Shrink-fit toolholding — how induction heating works and when to use it
- Live tooling for CNC lathes — driven tool selection guide
- Tapping on CNC machining centers — rigid tap vs. floating head
- Toolholder runout — measuring and troubleshooting TIR
- Swiss-type lathe tooling — setup and driven tool selection
Ask 4man
Tell 4man your machine make/model, spindle interface, and what you're holding — it can cross-reference Parlec's driven tooling compatibility charts and flag whether a specific unit is rated for the radial load your milling operation puts on it.