Vous êtes sur la page 1sur 32

A few of my favorite things

Man looks for mirror nish and sees a Studer A long way to grind Huge hit for little inserts
publication

Spring 2008

hDD Dressing Tools in an innovative Hybrid bond system


Meister hDD tool for face dressing

For dressing of Vit CBN grinding wheels due to


high grit protrusion and an open structure matrix resulting in a free cutting dressing tool no resharpening required excellent workpiece geometry from the rst dress the Hybrid bond produces longer dresser life stable dressing process

hDD

Meister hDD dressing tools are designed to optimize your dressing process

Meister hDD dressing tools for dressing of bore and seat grinding wheels

201 Circuit Drive North Kingstown, RI 02852 Tel 401-294-2530 Fax 401-294-7326 Email sales@meister-abrasives-usa.com Web www.meister-abrasives-usa.com

CONTENTS
Ed Sinkora Editor United Grinding 540.710.2408 edward.sinkora@grinding.com Christy Huggard Contributing Editor
United Grinding 2008

www.grinding.com

Spring 2008

5 7

My thoughts exactly
by Rodger Pinney Economical new Studer proves itself in a demanding job shop

My new favorit...

13 Man looks for mirror nish and sees a Studer


Grinding perfect punches

19 A long way to grind 25 Meister Abrasives unveils new hybrid diamond dressing technology 27 Huge hit for little inserts
EWAGs new grinder tackles nearly any material or geometry

31 Problem Solver
Brian Jackson
On the cover: Studer's motto is "The Art of Grinding" and their gallery welcomes the new favoritCNC...and we cover a few other "favorite things" in the world of grinding.
Grinding Journal

publication
3

exactly...
My thoughts
by Rodger Pinney President and CEO, United Grinding Ohio
he sky is falling, the sky is falling! The national news outlets incessantly emphasize that were headed for a disastrous recession. They support their doomsday scenarios by sighting opinions and research gladly supplied by a multitude of expert analysts. And then they pile it higher by highlighting the total number of manufacturing jobs lost in the United Statesalways presumably to offshore outsourcingwithout mentioning jobs losses attributed to productivity gains realized during the past decade. No doubt this can be really scary stuff for consumers, small business owners, and large corporation management. However, is the medias portrayal of Americas economic and manufacturing conditions totally accurate? Is that light at the end of the tunnel really an oncoming economic train as the media would have us believe, or is it the beacon of opportunity for those companies who think and act differently from the rest of the pack? At United Grinding, we see it as a beacon of opportunity. About now you may be thinking: Rodger, did you have a bowl of crazy for breakfast before writing this article? No, and heres why. First, lets examine the weak US dollar. Products manufactured in the US are now less expensive for the rest of the world to buy than ever. American companies that have embraced exporting their now more competitively priced products are experiencing unprecedented growth. Consequently they are investing in new equipment and services to meet increased global demand, despite the reported slowing of the US economy. Imagine thatinvestments in American manufacturing at a time when many news reports have characterized it as needing life support. And secondly, what about the high price of fuel? In my opinion, the return of cheap energy is a pipe dream and North America will face tough times coping. On the other

hand, I firmly believe automotive, aerospace, airline, power generation, and heavy equipment companies operating in Canada, Mexico, and the United States are not going to simply close up shop and go home because of high fuel prices. The best ones are already developing more fuel efficient engines. Alternative energy development is accelerating. And the need for precision manufacturing solutions that optimize labor content and minimize material consumption is growing significantly. Current business challenges are breeding both innovative solutions and opportunities. United Grinding is already being positioned to help you convert your business challenges into opportunities. And what does positioned mean? It means deploying our resources geographically to provide localized value added support. It means offering you economically priced grinding machines, such as the recently introduced Studer favoritCNC and Blohm Redline, to optimize your investments without any sacrifices with respect to quality and precision. It means enhanced, value added communications with you to maximize our ability to anticipate your future needs. It means the entire United Grinding Team thinking and acting outside of the typical business model box to do our part in helping you maximize your future competitiveness and profitability. Sure the North American economy may face difficulties. However, at United Grinding we believe the shifts occurring in global markets create opportunities for North American manufacturing companies willing to adapt to take advantage of them. The light at the end of the tunnel is truly a beacon of opportunity. The United Grinding Team will do our best to help it shine brightly for your company when you invest in our products and services.
Rodger Pinney 937-847-1200 Rodger.pinney@grinding.com

INFO

grinding.com

Grinding Journal

STRATO ULTRA
THE NEW FORCE IN CREEP FEED GRINDING
n n n n Reduction of the grinding time Signicantly increased prole retention Decrease in the risk of burning Increase in the number of parts per wheel

info@tyrolit.com | www.tyrolit.com Phone: 888 TYR-OLIT

A Company within the SWAROVSKI Group

Man & machine: Two trustworthy friends. Trust is crucial in Mark Romans business, especially on one-off or short production runs, because grinding is usually one of the final steps in the manufacturing process.

Economical new Studer proves itself in a demanding job shop


ere a job shop, and well grind anything, essentially, said Mark Roman, owner of G&R Precision Grinding in Brampton, Ontario. G&R opened in 1979, providing grinding services to moldmakers. It is now more diversified, grinding parts for tool and die makers and other machine shops, but it maintains a significant focus on mold component work. Mark bought the shop in 1999; including himself and his wife Sheralyn, it employs six.

The shop grinds a variety of tool steels and other materials, including carbide and beryllium. Part tolerances routinely are 0.000,2" 0.000,5"; if we get 0.001", were pretty happy, thats pretty easy for us, Mark said. Many of the mold parts G&R Precision handles are polished after grinding, and the typical 16 in. Ra finish the shop produces minimizes the amount of polishing required. Part volumes range from single digits to over a thousand; right now we have a job in here with 1,200 rotors, thats fairly big for us, Mark said. Mark said his business is based on quick turnaround and trust. Trust is crucial, especially on one-off or short production runs, because grinding is usually one of the final steps in the manufacturing process. When they get to us with their product, there is so much work in it that it would be very expensive if we were to make a mistake, he said.
Grinding Journal 7

CYCLOTRON PRODUCTS
Leaders in Filtration Systems
Cyclotron Products has a complete line of ltration systems designed to remove solid particles from water soluble and synthetic industrial uids using economical and efcient methods. Cyclotron Products is accepted by the metalworking industry, automotive manufacturers, machine tool builders, appliance manufacturers, aerospace parts manufacturers and many other related industries. Cyclonic Filtration provides benets to the environment with no disposable media used in the cyclonic ltration process. ON N MEN PO This is an efcient, cost-effective and TALLY RES environmentally responsible solution to many ltration needs.
CY C

NIC FILTRAT LO

N IO

Contact Bob Weeks to discuss all of your ltration needs.


(262) 657-8954 Fax: (262) 657-1220 rweeks@wells.com 5821 Fifth Avenue Kenosha, WI 53140 www.cyclotroninc.com

Division of Frank L. Wells Company

Founded 1893

Next Generation! New Neidlein Face Drivers.


Superior in grinding applications.
Now even tighter tolerances for improved runout and durability. No other face driver is manufactured to this precision! Eliminate drive dogs, "Flipping of parts", and runout from handling multiple times, complete part in one clamping! Special applications, grinding, hard turning, HEAVY cuts let us prove it! Industry leading live centers, TIR down to .00008" (or +/- .00004" the way our competitors do the math)

Get it all at grinders.logan-mmk.com

SIB

ENV

LE

IR

Staying price competitive Beyond providing error-free parts, Mark said his greatest challenge is keeping his pricing competitive. He controls costs by maximizing utilization of equipment and labor. G&R Precisions equipment includes 13 grinders, seven of which are manual universal (ID/OD) machines. Two of the grinders are CNC machines from Fritz Studer AG, purchased from United Grinding (represented locally by Machine Tool Systems Inc.) Mark bought the shops first CNC, a Studer Eco 650 OD grinder, five years ago. If we hadnt gone into CNC, he said, we couldnt be competitive. It wouldnt work. You cant do stuff fast enough manually. Although the Eco grinder gave the shop a competitive boost, it was configured for OD grinding only. Mark saw a growing need for CNC ID grinding capability. In late 2007, he thought the strength of the Canadian dollar might provide an economic opportunity. We just finished paying off our first machine, and although I wasnt looking to buy a machine, I called John Manley at Machine Tool Systems to see what was going on. New Studer adds ID capability After consulting with John Manley, Mark purchased a Studer favoritCNC grinder, a newly-introduced machine engineered to provide accurate and reliable CNC grinding performance at an economical price. The fully-enclosed machine features a center distance of 25.6", center height of 6.9and maximum workpiece weight capacity of 176 lbs. Its 1,500 RPM MT5 workhead and rigid MT4 tailstock provide 16 millionths (0.000,016") run out, chucked or between centers. The wheelhead indexes from -15 to +195 in 2 increments. A 12 HP OD spindle is standard, and Marks machine has an optional 4.2 HP ID spindle. Studers intuitive Pictogramming programming system operates on the grinders Fanuc 0 Series CNC. Comparing the favoritCNC to top-end Studers with features Mark would use rarely if at all, John said, I told him you can buy a machine that costs 50 or 100 percent more, or you can buy a machine that can still do what you want it to do 90 percent of the time and

Mark Roman says it is an easy process to switch back and forth between OD and ID grinding. The ID wheel is behind the OD wheel, and you can lift up the wheelhead and manually swing it around to the ID position.

your capital cost per part will be half the amount. Because 90 percent of the parts that go out his door are done on a very economical CNC machine, it keeps him competitive. Mark said he wouldnt have bought another ODonly machine: I wanted to get the ID grinding. Its an easy process to switch it back and forth. The ID wheel is behind the OD wheel, and you can lift up the wheelhead and manually swing it around to the ID position. For bang for the buck I really got a great deal, Mark said, The price was good, and the dollar was good, so why not go for it? A job shop like G&R Precision handles a continually changing selection of parts. Mark said Studers Pictogramming package enables him to program on the machine and its a quick setup. He added, We do repeats, sure. We keep our programs on the machine and utilize them again. He said the machine provides accurate and reliable dressing of the vitrified aluminum oxide, borazon and diamond wheels the shop employs.
Grinding Journal 9

The speed and accuracy of G & R Precisions favoritCNC grinder enabled it to win a new customer, grinding 200 - 600 piece lots of these carbide-tipped beryllium mold nozzles

Speed & repeatability capture new customers Mark described how the speed and repeatability of CNC grinding helped G&R Precision win a new customer. The job involves grinding the taper and overall height on nozzles used in an injection molding system. The 0.500"- diameter, 2"-long parts are made of beryllium with a small conical carbide tip, and job lots are 200 - 600 pieces at a time. Before approaching G&R Precision, the customers grinding provider wasnt working out; time-wise he wasnt getting his parts fast enough, so he came over here and so far he seems pretty happy, Mark said. In another case, the favoritCNCs ID capabilities helped G&R quickly complete a job that would have been much more time-consuming on a manual machine. A 5.0"diameter, 4"- tall tool steel mold cavity insert required ground ID and OD tapers. Grinding the parts 30-degree ID taper on a manual machine was not impossible, but just a real challenge, Mark said, On the manual machine it would take 30 or 45 minutes to rough and finish each ID. Once the CNC machine was set up, it probably took ten minutes. It doesnt matter how tricky it is, it does the same motion time and time again. The trickier the job gets, the better the CNC is, Mark said.
Spring 2008

Mark said that setup on a CNC machine requires more caution than a manual grinder because the CNCs unerring repeatability means, If you make a mistake on the first part, all the rest of the parts in the series have a mistake on them. When grinding complex parts that represent a significant investment in prior machining, first we will run the machine with the part off, to make sure it all makes sense, Mark said. Machining the first piece also is done conservatively. You dont just write the program and push the button, he said, You control the machine for each individual step to make sure nothing is going to make contact or not make sense. Thats why it takes a while to set them up.
Grinding the 30-degree ID taper of this mold cavity insert on a manual machine was not impossible, but just a real challenge, Mark Roman said, and would consume 30 or 45 minutes to rough and finish manually, as opposed to just ten minutes (after setup) on the favoritCNC

The favoritCNCs ID capabilities helped G&R quickly complete a job that would have been much more time-consuming on a manual machine

20 different shapes and contours on one part? CNC is the answer Some parts simply cant be done on a manual grinder. Mark gave the example of a 6"-long, 1"-dia. inner mold core featuring perhaps 20 different shapes and contours including tapers, radii, and angles. The order was for twenty cores, but on a manual machine, You couldnt even do one piece because of the way the part was designed, Mark said, You have a 0.020" radius into a 0.040" radius into a 0.100" radius, and that continuous shape is free flowing. Because the core is a repeat job, he said, we saved the program and when it came back it was much easier to set up. The first time to write it and get the wheels ready took six hours. When it came back it was just over an hour or so to get the wheels back on and dress them. The part required two wheels; Most of it was a one-wheel plunge to do the very top with the large radii. Then we used a second wheel to blend that top portion into the main body, Mark said. The shop dressed the wheels specifically for that part and keeps them aside for when the job returns.

According to Mark Roman, this inner mold core, featuring perhaps 20 different shapes and contours including tapers, radii, and angles, simply couldnt be done on a manual grinder.

For some jobs, Mark said, manual grinders are still the answer. There is definitely a use for them. However, for very complex jobs and when G&R Precision must produce multiple parts quickly, accurately, and economically, CNC really helps, I got to tell you, he said, the higher-number jobs are unbeatable on the CNCs.
INFO grinding.com
Ed Sinkora 540.710.2408 edward.sinkora@grinding.com

Grinding Journal

11

High Performance...

Service
...Requires Highly Skilled REV UP your grinding results with Fischer Precise USA as your United Grinding partner for high performance spindle service! Our experience is only exceeded by our level of support.
We service other spindle makes and models in addition to our own. That means ONE CALL to United Grinding when you request Fischer Precise USA for all of your spindle needs. You can rely on us for repairs, tooling analysis, training, preventative maintenance, diagnostic services, and application engineering help. Call United Grinding today at 937-859-1975 to learn more!
FISCHER PRECISE U.S.A., RACINE, WI 53405 U.S.A. 262.632.6173 800.333.6173 FAX: 262.632.6730 Email:info@fisherprecise.com www.fischerprecise.com High Performance Spindle Solutions

Man looks for mirror nish and sees a Studer


-Grinding perfect punches

iscussing the black art of precision grinding, Tim Middlehurst, President of Hi-Quality Carbide Tooling Inc., said, I guess youre just born with it. He truly was; he began working in his fathers grinding shop at age 16 with his father and grandfather. It was all three of us in the shop for a while, he said, I was fortunate enough that I had a couple of years of working with my grandfather and 15 years with my father, before they retired. Tim and his wife, Wendy, bought the shop in 1997, then Hi-Quality Carbide moved to its present location in Orangeville, Ontario, two years ago. Tim and his tool makers Derrick Armstrong and Riguel Boodram work in the clean, 3,600 sq ft shop that houses 23 pieces of equipment, including some dating from the shop's early days. The shop performs OD and ID cylindrical grinding, surface grinding, CNC turning, wire EDM and polishing.

Over the years, Hi-Quality Carbide built a solid reputation for grinding carbide dies used to cold-head bolts and other products in the fastener and near-net forming industries, as well as carbide tooling for spring making. Then, in 2007, an opportunity and a challenge arose. A large, longtime customer, for whom the shop had machined carbide dies, urged the shop to begin grinding carbide extrusion punches. We decided we would take them up on it, Tim said, adding, the punches were a whole new product line for us. And a whole new manufacturing challenge. The punches generally feature high length-to-diameter ratios and range in size from 0.300"-dia. by 4"- long 0.300 to 1.25"-dia. by 13"-long. They require a significant 13 amount of precision contour grinding. There are a lot of steps and contours along those shafts, Tim said, they are not just nice, straight pins. Production
Grinding Journal 13

volumes are small, ranging from low single-digits to a maximum of a dozen. The carbide alloys used for the punches is both hard and tough, Tim said, and grinding it requires the use of vitrified diamond wheels. Surface finish is critical Size tolerances for the punches are 0.000,3" 0.000,5", but thats not the problem, Tim said, Its the surface finish that is the critical part. To minimize galling in operation as well as maximize tool life, the punches require a polished mirror finish. In preparation for polishing, which Hi-Quality Carbide does in house, chatter-free finishes in the range of 2-3 in. Ra are necessary.

has a maximum speed of 1,500 RPM. The workhead spindle is mounted on roller bearings and possesses roundness accuracy of below 0.000,4 mm (0.000,016"). Fine adjustment allows for cylindricity corrections in the 1 m range during live spindle operations. Rotary disk dressing with Studers touch dressing technology enables the use of cost-effective vitrified abrasives. To maximize precision, Tim specified glass scales on both the infeed and longitudinal axes. One thing that drew us to the Studer was the software Because the shop had no experience in CNC or G-code, one thing that drew us to the Studer was the software, Tim said. That included intuitive on-machine Pictogramming that leads an operator through steps in grinding a part then generates G-code. StuderGRIND software also permits programs for special applications, such as profiling, to be created on a PC then transferred to the machine control. Ease of programming is important, because even though all the punches feature multiple diameters, complex profiles, and critically-dimensioned nose points, every punch profile is unique. Although the Studer software calculates productive cutting parameters, Tim sets grinding feed rates and speeds based on experience. He said diamond wheel tool representatives say the shops speeds and feeds are way off but they work just fantastic for us. Weve found that we still have a bit of the black art in our grinding. Hi-Quality Carbide does make full use of the StuderPROFILE feature of the StuderGRIND package. It enables us to draw the part, select the areas of contour, and then put those into the machine as subroutines that are input into the Pictogramming software, he said. We use the StuderPROFILE software to redraw the part offline, he continued, We have a PC out on the shop floor, hooked to the machine with an Ethernet cable, and thats where we make our drawings. While the machine is running the operator can be doing a drawing and setting up all the contours for the next job. Hi-Quality Carbide currently works with prints or faxed drawings from customers. The software provides the ability to download a DXF file directly

Hi-Quality Carbide grinds precision carbide punches that feature high length-to-diameter ratios. Punches range in size from 0.300"-dia. by 4" - long to 1.25"-dia. by 13"-long. They require a significant amount of precision contour grinding, must meet size tolerances of 0.000,3" 0.000,5", and surface finish requirements of 2 -3 in. Ra prior to hand polishing.

Tim realized the shop would need a CNC OD grinder to produce the complex-contoured, low-volume parts efficiently and to consistently generate the required surface finishes. After much research and comparison shopping, he purchased a Studer S33 CNC grinder from United Grinding (represented locally by Machine Tool Systems Inc.). The machine fit his needs. It features a center distance of 25.6", center height of 6.9" and maximum workpiece weight capacity of 176 lbs. Drive capacity of its external wheelhead is 7.5 kW (10 HP). The robust ISO50 universal workhead with Studers unique infeed ring sensing is capable of both live spindle grinding and grinding between centers, and
Spring 2008

An operator uses StuderGRIND software running on a PC to define the many dimensions of a profile to be ground. The PC is linked to the S33 grinder with an Ethernet cable, enabling easy program transfer. The operator can even make a drawing and set up contours for the next job while the machine is running.

into the machine control, but Tim said his customers do not presently supply files of sufficient accuracy to make use of the feature. Its nice that the possibility is there, he said, and feels it will be useful in the future. Contouring magic with a single wheel Surprisingly, Hi-Quality Carbide doesnt dress wheels to match the individual punch profiles. The shop uses a straight-front, flat, " or 7/8"-wide wheel in plunging and oscillation passes to establish the punch diameters. The same wheels grind the profiles; The trick is that we have a rotary disk dresser that forms a radius on each wheel corner, and we use that same corner radius to profile all of our contours, Tim said. The Studer S33 provides the ability to dress in process, but Hi-Quality Carbide hasnt used it so far. We have found that the vitrified diamond wheels hold up really well with the low quantities we are doing. We can do up to six or eight pieces without a dress, then dress at the end of the batch, Tim said. The machines 1,500 RPM workhead also provides an advantage when grinding the punches. Although the punch ends appear
Hi-Quality Carbide employs the S33 grinders rotary disk dresser to maintain a radius on the corners of flat grinding wheels, and uses those corners to profile complex contours on carbide punches

to be flat, they in fact feature a very slight included angle. We are grinding down to a point, basically, Tim said, and at the point grinding surface speed approaches zero. Sufficient speed is crucial in maintaining surface finish. As a result, the shop utilizes the workheads speed capability Pretty much at its max, he said, We are running high rpm to keep the sfm up. He said his comparison shopping showed him that competitive machines max out at a much lower RPM.

Grinding Journal

15

The universal workhead of the S33 grinder is capable of both grinding between centers (top) and live spindle grinding (bottom)

Spring 2008

From between-centers to chucked in minutes

When I saw the Studer S33 grind carbide, I said yep, thats exactly what I want.

The workheads ability to support both live spindle All of a grinders sophisticated systems can be neutralized grinding and grinding between centers also is essential. by the generation of a low-tech problem: chatter. Tim processes the punches in two steps, first grinding the Tim said the results are obvious. During his machine main body between centers, then chucking the back end shopping, as soon as he saw a carbide part ground of the punch and finish grinding on competitive machines, he the profiled end. Between the reported that he said, No, thats When we grind the main body dead centers, a brass drive dog not the finish I want. When I between centers, we use the coarse saw the Studer S33 grind carbide, holds the end of the shaft and picks up a pin on the workhead wheel, and we grind a little bit I said yep, thats exactly what I to spin the part. We grind want. Just like that, it was that faster. When we chuck it and do the major diameter, chuck it, easy. Tim credits the machines the working end of the punch indicate off it, and then do our build quality and the rigidity and we are still removing the same contours on the end, he said. vibration-absorbing nature of its amount of grind stock -- mind Granitan synthetic granite base. Tim employs a coarse wheel you over a shorter area -- but we Eliminating chatter is a key to for the punch major diameters, are not slowing down that much achieving the required surface and a fine wheel for the finish. We grind to finish size, profiles and the end of the then polish after. As soon as you have chatter, then you punch, removing 0.040" 0.050" grind stock in are talking about a lot of handwork. both cases. When we grind the main body between centers, we use the coarse wheel, and we grind a little bit faster. When we chuck it and do the working end of the punch we are still removing the same amount of grind stock -- mind you over a shorter area -- but we are not slowing down that much, he said. Acoustic sensors eliminate scrap Throughout both grinding and dressing, Tim said, the Studer Sensitron acoustic gap control is our eyes, and our ears, actually. The S33 has one microphone built into the end the spindle to monitor live spindle grinding and dressing, and another on the tailstock for between-center grinding operations. The system prevents collisions that would damage the wheel or punch. Tim said the diamond wheels cost about $4,000 each, and the carbide punch blanks are expensive as well, typically $500 600 for a large example. Regarding the blanks, he said, The most critical thing there is you dont have time to have the blanks replaced. It takes two weeks to get them. If you are only doing a lot of three and you scrap one, you just lost a third of your order. The Sensitron system has helped to keep the shops scrap rate very low. I think we might have scrapped two pieces, Tim said, adding that those incidents probably were a result of the shops learning curve with the new machine. Tim said he bought the Studer S33 solely to gain the capability to OD grind carbide punches, although he has plans to grind carbide feed rolls and roll forming dies on the machine in the future.

Owner, Tim Middlehurst, looked at a number of machines in his search for a mirror surface finish. When I saw the Studer S33 grind carbide, I said yep, thats exactly what I want. Just like that, it was that easy.

INFO

grinding.com

Ed Sinkora 540.710.2408 edward.sinkora@grinding.com

Grinding Journal

17

A
way to grind
isit Bishop-Wisecarver Corporations web site or pick up one of their catalogs and you cant help but notice their motto: Motion Without Limits. Its a philosophy that touches many aspects of what they do, but lets concentrate on their UtiliTrak linear guideway system. Bishop-Wisecarver (BWC) produces UtiliTrak in 11.8 foot (3.6 m) segments and if thats not long enough, segments can be combined you guessed it without limit. Of course, UtiliTrak can also be cut to produce shorter segments for a particular application. Either way, the goal is to produce channel guide rails that are straight and parallel to design specifications so the end user enjoys fast, smooth operation. And for users who need to move heavy loads (up to 14,040 N), BWC offers UtiliTrak in hardened steel, ground to Ra 32 in. (0.8 m). But how does one efficiently grind BOTH inside V running surfaces of a nearly twelve foot steel channel, while also maintaining the required straightness and smoothness? Mgerle had the answer.

V-channel
Small segments of aluminum and steel UtiliTrak shown. The Mgerle grinds the V channels inside the rail. Load carrying capacity is determined by the carriage assembly (e.g. size, number of wheels), the wheels themselves, and the rail material, heft, and width, but not its length. The loading is essentially the same anywhere on the rail.

Carriage Wheels (hidden below)


Grinding Journal 19

Mgerle exceeded the length requirement BWCs initial goal was to source a machine that could grind parts up to about seven feet in length within a straightness tolerance of 0.002 inches over the entire length. They also wanted the capacity to support continuous growth for their UtiliTrak products. BWC opted for a Mgerle MGC machine from United Grinding that achieved these goals and more. The Mgerle MGC features a moving column design with over 18 feet (5.5 m) of travel in the X-axis. Even allowing for the need to over-travel the part, the machine could grind parts nearly the length of the chuck, which is 14.8 feet (4.5 m). BWCs current approach uses standard lengths that are nearly 70% longer than their original plan, which has significant benefits. Length requirements vary considerably from application to application and a longer standard segment can be cut up many more ways and with less waste than a smaller segment. and the accuracy needs BWC Manufacturing Engineer Brian Burke says, weve been able to grind both internal V surfaces flat and parallel to each other within .0015 over the entire length. Plant Superintendent Kelly Walden added that the distance between the two ground surfaces is a critical dimension. With this machine we aim to keep within the median of the tolerance on each part and then we look for consistency between batches. I dont want variation of two thousandths from batch to batch. Im looking for variation within a couple of ten-thousandths of an inch between batches, and the Mgerle is going to get that for me. Indeed, the machine has delivered. Brian reports variation in the range of three ten-thousandths to at most five ten-thousandths from every part off a production run. Or as Kelly put it: a very small fraction of our allowable tolerance, which is very good from a process standpoint. This level of accuracy should make the UtiliTrak system suitable for even more demanding applications than earlier versions. Accuracy depends in part on taking care during set-up BWC recognizes that if they are going to get the full advantage of the machines inherent accuracy, they have to make sure the part is setup properly from the
Spring 2008

The Mgerles articulating grinding head allows it to grind Vs inside both sides of the channel guide in one setup

beginning. Its not terribly difficult, but it does take care. Clamping is easy and the part itself doesnt have to be adjusted once its clamped. Kelly explains that there is a precision ground reference edge at the center of the magnetic chuck, a fence so to speak, that the parts shoulder up to on either side. The action of engaging the chuck pulls the parts down to the table and references the datum edge of the part against that center shoulder piece, from which our work off-sets originate. Brian adds that since the machine and chuck are always in the same place, the only time they need to probe the part is in setting up a new job, to make sure the program is running in the proper location in reference to the material. We take some measurements and adjust the offsets in order to get it in the right spot. After that, its all green lights - you just keep loading parts. We do inspections to verify consistency throughout the run. Our current method involves mounting a magnetic base with a very precise dial indicator to the grinding head of the machine. For the V-profiles we measure over a precision plug gauge which weve put into the V to determine feature location. For the roller profile we can measure the surface directly and get a

One of many applications for BWCs UtiliTrak: a part drawer for a lathe. In this example, the cantilever effect will reduce the functional load the system can carry. (The further the drawer is pulled out, the heavier it becomes on the wheel.) BWC applications engineers review a given applications load weight, cantilever effect, environment, etc. to determine if a BWC product can meet the application and if so, which size.

very accurate measurement of location and position with the digital read-out on the machine control. Were shooting for perfect in the setup. Its going to vary a little bit after that but the machine is pretty much capable of hitting that target of perfect.

(Above) A close-up shows the precision plug gauge in the V slot

Machinist Gregory Brewer measures the height of the ground profile and the width of the grind from one side to the other, compares it to the engineering drawing, and establishes the needed offsets

Grinding Journal

21

Youd never see this with the door closed and the coolant flying, but this image reveals both the wheel grinding one of the V-channels and the all-important dressing disk tucked close-by, ready to reshape the wheel without interruption. The ability to dress the wheel intermittently without delay is a big factor in the machines outstanding productivity.

Fast changeover BWC produces two parts per cycle before un-chucking one pair, cleaning the magnetic chuck, and chucking the next set. They typically produce batches of 100-300 full lengths in a given size before switching jobs. Again, they always grind the same length, so size refers to the heft of the channel and the carriage assembly, including the wheels of course. Interestingly, the size has no significant affect on the cycle time or the number of parts per wheel. Although the area ground varies with part size, the depth of material removal is fairly close on all three sizes because the raw forms have been engineered that way. Changing from size to size requires just switching the wheel and dressing tool and measuring the first few parts to make sure they meet spec, as discussed in the set-up section above.
Spring 2008

Hidden dresser one of the secrets of success A major reason for the Mgerles high productivity is the dresser hiding inside the grinding head. Instead of having to bring the grinding wheel to a fixed table-mounted dresser which could be a very long interruption given the axis travels on these large parts this machine can dress continuously or intermittently without interruption. BWC is using intermittent dressing based on certain lengths of grinding. Kelly reports that there is only a slight, nearly undetectable, dwell, or moment of pause, when the wheel is dressed. The machine automatically compensates for this and for the change in wheel diameter so that there is no detectable variation in the ground rail itself. Its very impressive. Brian explains that The dressing roll maintains the shape of the wheel, so really all were concerned with is where that shape is making contact with the part, the position.

We confirm the part profile after grinding by cutting a section off and measuring it precisely on an optical comparator. We qualify the profile at the beginning of a run, to make sure nothing has changed. The Magerle automatically adjusts RPM to maintain constant wheel speed (surface feet-per-minute) as the grinding wheel shrinks. They never reach a limiting wheel speed, but to prevent interference problems, the wheel is replaced when its original diameter has been reduced by approximately 35 to 40%. Kelly says, The biggest variable in parts produced per wheel is how much we have to dress off the wheel to achieve the necessary starting profile. As stated, the number of parts is not affected by the size of the channel. Keeping the monster cool
Another UtiliTrak installation: A gypsum drywall conveyor. Applications run the gamut, in part because they do well in environments in which competing products dont do well, like areas with lots of debris, wood chips, metal chips, and the like. Kelly says the system is well-suited for short-stroke linear guides for sorting systems in the conveyance and packaging industries, and long conveyance systems used in assembly-line processes. UtiliTrak is used in machine tools as an axis guideway (depending on the precision requirements) or as the guide for something like door travel on a high precision machine.

Coolant is always critical in grinding and this case is no exception. The Mgerle draws from a 1,600 gallon coolant system that includes a massive chiller to maintain a stable temperature. The machine is also in its own temperature controlled room. Its also installed on a very stable foundation, minimizing any vibrations though as Kelly explains, the design of the machine and its hydrostatic ways is another form of vibration isolation.

The only challenge they had to overcome was channeling the coolant flow as the wheel first enters the workpiece. They found if they didnt do this there was often some burning for the first few inches. But I wouldnt say this is a problem specific to our application, Kelly says. It could happen in any grinding operation, depending on what youre grinding. Its always absolutely critical that you have proper coolant flow to the wheel and that you maintain it consistently. and the coolant clean Filtration in the coolant recovery system is also critical because you want to minimize the presence of fines in the coolant being supplied back to the grinding zone. With coolant being supplied to the wheel under pressure, such fines can work to plug the pores of the wheel. But in order to have a consistent and good grinding process, you need those pores to be consistently exposed so youre effectively removing material. So flushing it out of the grinding area is critical, so that you dont actually regrind it, and having good filtration in the coolant recovery unit is also critical. Next steps? Im very comfortable with the quality of the parts produced with this process. Further improvement might entail longer intervals between dressing or reducing the amount of dressing to achieve some cost savings in the consumables in other words, getting more parts per wheel, says Kelly. We might also try different wheels available on the market to see if theyre suitable for this application. Plus theres always extra shifts, different parts, new applications, and growth without limits.

The open channel side of a UtiliTrak installation

These images give a sense of both the size of the part and the volume of coolant needed just to flush the swarf. As Brian explains: The way to think about the swarf is cotton candy. Its not a lot of material but it does take up a lot of space. Its really fluffy. Its kind of amazing stuff. The amount of swarf generated from just a single piece would fill at least a bread plate or a small dinner plate. The coolant nozzles in the tray are just to flush the swarf to keep it moving to the recovery system.

INFO

bwc.com

Lori Colivas 925.431.8203 loric@bwc.com

Spring 2008

Say grinding wheels perform consistently better; Dressing tools never require conditioning

ORTH KINGSTOWN, RI -- Meister Abrasives has introduced a new hybrid bonding technology for rotary diamond products used to dress CBN grinding wheels. According to Meister, the new hDD (hybrid diamond dressing) tools combine the toughness of metal bonding with the natural porosity of a vitrified bond structure, comparable to porosity found in vitrified CBN grinding wheels. The goals for this new combination include: More efficient dressing cycles that lead to more consistent CBN grinding wheel performance Increased intervals between dresses resulting in longer grinding wheel life Improved longevity of the dressing tool itself Total elimination of the need to change out the dressing tool for re-conditioning

One of the secrets of this new technology is a proprietary manufacturing process that both mechanically and chemically bonds the diamond particles within the tool to ensure that they will be held securely. As a result, metal posts or bridges that attach to the diamond crystals in the bonding matrix can be slender, allowing for large pores to be naturally distributed between the crystals. Meister says the improved porosity makes hDD rotary dressing tools freer cutting, carrying more material and heat away from the CBN wheel with every revolution. If so, this would improve the surface condition on the CBN wheel faster than other methods, which should extend wheel life because less superabrasive needs to be removed, less often, to return the wheel to optimal condition. Meister also says the hDD technology contributes to more consistent grinding. Thats because the dressing tool remains consistently sharp, owing to the ease with which the thin metal bond-posts readily break away from the bond, revealing new layers of thoroughly exposed diamond. Since the dressing tool never needs reconditioning, the surface of the CBN wheel is restored to the same condition after every dressing cycle. This gives the manufacturer a more consistent grinding process from beginning to end.
Grinding Journal 25

Standard Metal Bonding

Meister hDD Hybrid Bonding


Diamond Grain

Diamond Grain

Bonding

Hybrid Bonding

Adjustable Pores

Dressing cup

Standard metal bond structure vs. the NEW Meister hDD Hybrid Bond Structure

These dressing tool performance characteristics are in contrast to conventional metal-bond dressing tools, which have no pores, leaving most of the diamond grain fully encapsulated within a solid metal matrix. In addition, these tools must typically be removed for aggressive conditioning so that worn diamond crystals can be removed from the bond matrix and new diamonds can be exposed. Not only is this time continuous but dressing tools that have reached this point also result in substantially degraded CBN grinding wheel performance. Bruce Northrup, General Manager of Meister Abrasives USA said, The new hDD Technology will come as welcome news especially to high volume shops that keep tight statistical control over their processes. The hybrid dressing technology maintains the CBN wheels shape and cutting condition without ever allowing it to become dull. This greatly reduces, and in many cases eliminates, sudden changes in part size, surface finish, roundness, etc, that often occur before and after a dressing cycle.
Spring 2008

Specialty shops will appreciate the improved precision of their grinding processes. The new hDD Dressing Tools will also appeal to others who are using or considering metal bond dressing tools but would like a more efficient tool that does not require conditioning. Whats more, like our HPB (High Performance Bond) CBN grinding wheels, every hDD Dressing Tool is custom engineered to meet the requirements of the application, he concluded. The hDD Dressing Tools can be manufactured in a broad range of sizes and shapes to suit all machine and dressing spindle designs. They are offered at competitive prices and deliveries. Meister Abrasives Corporation is an international manufacturer of high precision industrial abrasive products, offering superabrasive grinding wheels, dressing tools, ancillary equipment, and free technical support to provide customers with complete, customized turnkey solutions to their grinding requirements.
INFO
meister-abrasives-usa.com
Bruce Northrup 401.294.2530 brucenorthrup@meister-abrasives-usa.com

Huge

hit for little inserts

EWAGs new grinder tackles nearly any material or geometry


WAGs new COMPACT LINE (introduced at EMO last September) is already a huge hit, thanks to the ability to grind carbide, PCD, CBN, cermet, & ceramic on one machine. Besides its material versatility, the machine also has the ability to grind complex geometries like dogbone grooving inserts and inserts requiring both a complete periphery grind and a chamfer. Whats more, the COMPACT LINE can grind hundreds of inserts unmanned over several shifts.

Product Manager Markus Brunner explains, As far as its five axis layout and general purpose, the machine is a successor to our popular RS 12 CNC. But the technology has been completely updated with things like linear motors, pictographic programming, and an integrated robot. And even with all its capabilities, the machines footprint is so small we felt compelled to base its name on its size.

Grinding Journal

27

Perfect ergonomics and precise HSK wheel clamping

A COMPACT LINE operator can reach the entire machine interior and all controls from one position, plus change the grinding wheels with the touch of a button. The HSK-E 50 clamping system makes wheel change both fast and precise.

Five axes for complete geometric flexibility. The critical X and Z axes use linear motors and the B-axis a torque motor for the ultimate in precision.

Spring 2008

Plug & play clamping stations cut changeover time in half One reason the machine can grind such a variety of geometries is EWAGs skill at developing different clamping systems. But no clamping system can handle every job, so changeover is an issue. The COMPACT LINE boasts new plug and play clamping systems that cut change-over time in half. As Markus explains: Part runs are getting shorter in general. So you may have to switch from a dogbone, which is gripped across the center, to an insert with a hole in the center and a cutting edge around the entire periphery, so you want to clamp through the center. Staying profitable means making these kinds of changes as quickly as possible.

COMPACT LINEs plug and play clamping stations allow a change from one clamping station to a completely different type in minutes. All COMPACT LINE clamping stations use the same mechanical connection to the B-axis for maximum part flexibility in the shortest possible time.

Grinding Journal

29

Complete automation Besides a fully-integrated 6-axis FANUC robot for auto-loading the parts, the COMPACT LINE features a three in one unit for dressing, in-process regeneration, and crushing of the grinding wheel. So whether the wheel needs reforming due to wear or reconditioning due to loading, the machine does the necessary maintenance automatically. And 3D autoprobing maintains part accuracy. The machine also features linear motors in the X- and Z-axes and a torque motor in the B-axis for the ultimate in accuracy. Plus the incredible speed and acceleration of these motors, along with the machines compact design, minimize non-grinding times and ensure the shortest possible cycle times.

A pin clamping system uses a tension pin to secure inserts through their center hole, allowing the grinding wheel the greatest possible access for complete machining around the periphery. When autoloading such inserts, only three pins are needed for any given hole diameter.

New software also contributes to efficiency Theres a tremendous variety of insert tooling, explains Markus. And the industry has pretty much accepted the fact that grinding all these geometries requires G-code programming. But that requires a fair amount of hard-to-find skill. It has taken us years, but we finally have software that makes it pretty easy, by combining good graphical guides and canned routines you can put together like building blocks.

A three-in-one unit performs dressing, regeneration, or crushing. Whether the wheel needs to be opened or reshaped, this single unit does it all in a small space.

Say goodbye to G-codes. COMPACT LINE features new PRO-GRIND software with 3D graphics that guide data input. Easily build custom grinding programs from a variety of pre-defined function blocks.

The integrated 6-axis FANUC robot makes it possible to run multiple shifts unmanned, as the pallets hold hundreds of inserts. Every move is optimized, minimizing load time.

INFO

grinding.com

Markus Brunner 540.207.6580 markus.brunnera@walter-grinders.com

Spring 2008

Problem Solver: Brian Jackson


Cylindrical Applications Engineer, United Grinding Ohio

hether its deciding the best club to hit off the tee on the second hole at the PipeStone Golf Club near his home in Miamisburg, Ohio, or meeting a grinding tolerance of one-tenth of a micron, Brian Jackson is a problem solver. While he doesnt get to golf as much as hed like, he does enjoy the occasional scramble with his father (and son). These days, hes more often busy solving problems for United Grinding customers. Brian, describe your role as a Cylindrical Applications Engineer. In a nutshell, I install customer machines and provide customer support. Customer support can be over the phone, on-site, or training. I provide support on basic or high-speed grinding, thread grinding, offline programming with StuderGrind, as well as the software on the machine, of course.

How has your knowledge of electronics helped you in grinding? In electronics, troubleshooting is key. My experience with troubleshooting and my background in service, combined with a tremendous amount of patience and the desire to help people, aids in my efficiency and success in the role of Cylindrical Applications Engineer. What was your biggest challenge in learning the grinding business? Being able to think on my feet and never give up. Most times, customers are under extreme pressure to get their machines back up and running because time means money. I had to get comfortable working under the gun with all eyes on me during the process. Learning a machines diagnostic sequence and only making one change at a time was also a challenge. For example, you could make several changes to a machine at one time and effectively resolve the problem but then you wouldnt know which of the changes actually did the trick. I live by Studers saying of Learn as you do. What trends are you seeing? Grinding wheels are getting better all the time. Cycle times are becoming more efficient. The grinding technology is even more advanced than some customers realize. Sometimes its difficult to see how much more efficient CNC machines are when compared with manual machines. Although CNC machines may take longer to program, they are significantly more efficient once up and running. Simply stated, the CNC will outperform a manual machine in cycle time and process capability. What is your most memorable grinding experience? Not long after I began performing field service, I visited a customer whose machine was giving them an error. Of course, the production supervisor was a bit stressed and shared his concerns with me quite loudly. By the end of the day, he was so happy with the work Id done, he invited me to his home to help him assemble a basketball hoop and spend time with his family!

How did you get into the grinding business? I actually began my career in electronics, testing and repairing printed circuit boards. Soon after, I was promoted to customer service and technical support. In 1998, I joined United Grinding and the world of grinding technology. Although I was schooled in electronics and started my career in that field, I truly feel that grinding is where I was meant to be.

Grinding Journal

31

BLOHM

an r less th tuder fo A new S th per mon $3,400

ing of ve Grind Producti oys Superall

Inserts for Little Huge Hit

Vous aimerez peut-être aussi