GrindingJournal Spring 2008

7/31/2019 GrindingJournal Spring 2008

1/32Spring 200publication

A few of myfavorite things

Man looks for mirror finish andsees a Studer

A long way to grind

Huge hit for little inserts


2/32

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hDD Dressing Tools in aninnovative Hybrid bond system

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Meister hDD tool for face dressing

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3/32Grinding Journal

Spring 2008

CONTENTSEd Sinkora

Edito

United Grinding

540.710.2408

[email protected]

Christy Huggard

Contributing Edito

United Grinding 2008

publicat

www.grinding.com

5 My thoughts exactly by Rodger Pinney

7 My new favorit... Economical new Studer proves itself in a

demanding job shop

13 Man looks for mirror fi nish andsees a StuderGrinding perfect punches

19 A long way to grind

25 Meister Abrasives unveils newhybrid diamond dressingtechnology

27 Huge hit for little inserts

EWAGs new grinder tackles nearly anymaterial or geometry

31 Problem Solver Brian JacksonOn 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.


4/32



The sky is falling, the sky is falling! The nationalnews outlets incessantly emphasize that were

headed for a disastrous recession. They supporttheir doomsday scenarios by sighting opinions and research

gladly supplied by a multitude of expert analysts. Andthen they pile it higher by highlighting the total number

of manufacturing jobs lost in the United Statesalwayspresumably to offshore outsourcingwithout mentioning

jobs losses attributed to productivity gains realized duringthe 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 economicand manufacturing conditions totally accurate? Is that

light at the end of the tunnel really an oncoming economictrain as the media would have us believe, or is it the beacon

of opportunity for those companies who think and actdifferently 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 thisarticle? No, and heres why. First, lets examine the weakUS 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 experiencingunprecedented growth. Consequently they are investing

in new equipment and services to meet increased globaldemand, despite the reported slowing of the US economy.

Imagine thatinvestments in American manufacturing ata 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 andNorth America will face tough times coping. On the other

hand, I rmly believe automotive, aerospace, airline, powergeneration, and heavy equipment companies operating in

Canada, Mexico, and the United States are not going to simpclose up shop and go home because of high fuel prices. The

best ones are already developing more fuel efcient engines.Alternative energy development is accelerating. And the

need for precision manufacturing solutions that optimizelabor content and minimize material consumption is growin

signicantly. Current business challenges are breeding bothinnovative solutions and opportunities.

United Grinding is already being positioned to help youconvert your business challenges into opportunities.

And what does positioned mean? It means deployingour resources geographically to provide localized value

added support. It means offering you economicallypriced grinding machines, such as the recently introducedStuder favoritCNC and Blohm Redline, to optimize

your investments without any sacrices with respect toquality and precision. It means enhanced, value added

communications with you to maximize our ability toanticipate your future needs. It means the entire United

Grinding Team thinking and acting outside of the typicalbusiness model box to do our part in helping you maximi

your future competitiveness and protability.

Sure the North American economy may face difculties.

However, at United Grinding we believe the shiftsoccurring in global markets create opportunities for Nort

American manufacturing companies willing to adapt to taadvantage of them. The light at the end of the tunnel is

truly a beacon of opportunity. The United Grinding Teamwill do our best to help it shine brightly for your company

when you invest in our products and services.

exactly..by Rodger PinneyPresident and CEO, United Grinding OhioMy thoughts

INFORodger Pinney [email protected]


6/32

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Were 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 diversied, grinding parts for tool and

die makers and other machine shops, but it maintains

a signicant 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&RPrecision handles are polished after grinding, and th

typical 16 in. Ra nish the shop produces minimiz

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, thatsfairly big for us, Mark said.

Mark said his business is based on quick turnarounand trust. Trust is crucial, especially on one-off o

short production runs, because grinding is usually

one of the nal 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 w

were to make a mistake, he said.

Man & machine: Two trustworthy riends. Trust is crucial in Mark

Romans business, especially on one-o or short production runs,

because grinding is usually one o the nal steps in the manuacturing

process.

Economical new

Studer proves itself in

a demanding job shop


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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, purchasedfrom United Grinding (represented locally by

Machine Tool Systems Inc.)

Mark bought the shops rst CNC, a Studer Eco

650 OD grinder, ve 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 congured 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 nished paying off our rst 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 4.2HP 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

your capital cost per part will be half the amount.

Because 90 percent of the parts that go out his doo

are done on a very economical CNC machine, it

keeps him competitive.Mark said he wouldnt have bought another OD-

only machine: I wanted to get the ID grinding. It

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 continual

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 vitried aluminum oxide, borazon and diamond

wheels the shop employs.

Mark Roman says it is an easy process to switch back and orth

between OD and ID grinding. The ID wheel is behind the OD wheel,

and you can lit up the wheelhead and manually swing it around to the

ID position.


10/32

Spring 2008

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 madeof 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 requiredground 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

nish 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.

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 rst part, all the rest of the parts in

the series have a mistake on them. When grinding

complex parts that represent a signicant investmen

in prior machining, rst we will run the machinewith the part off, to make sure it all makes sense,

Mark said. Machining the rst 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.

The speed and accuracy o G & R

Precisions avoritCNC grinder

enabled it to win a new customer,

grinding 200 - 600 piece lots othese carbide-tipped beryllium

mold nozzles

Grinding the 30-degree ID

taper o 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 nish manually, as

opposed to just ten

minutes (ater setup)

on the avoritCNC



The avoritCNCs ID capabilities helped

G&R quickly complete a job that would

have been much more time-consuming

on a manual machine

20 dierent 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 andcontours 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 owing.

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 rst time to write it and get the

wheels ready took six hours. When it came back itwas 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 specically

for that part and keeps them aside for when the

job returns.

For some jobs, Mark said, manual grinders are still

the answer. There is denitely 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 ar

unbeatable on the CNCs.

According to Mark Roman, this inner mold core, eaturing perhaps 20

dierent shapes and contours including tapers, radii, and angles, simp

couldnt be done on a manual grinder.

INFOEd Sinkora [email protected]


12/32

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Discussing 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 hiswife, 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. W

decided we would take them up on it, Tim said, addinthe 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

to 1.25"-dia. by 13"-long. They require a signicant

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. Productio

Man looksfor mirror

finish andsees a Studer-Grinding perfect

punches


14/32

Spring 2008

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 vitried diamond wheels.

Surace fnish is critical

Size tolerances for the punches are 0.000,3" 0.000,5",

but thats not the problem, Tim said, Its the surface

nish that is the critical part. To minimize galling inoperation as well as maximize tool life, the punches require

a polished mirror nish. In preparation for polishing,

which Hi-Quality Carbide does in house, chatter-free

nishes in the range of 2-3 in. Ra are necessary.

Tim realized the shop would need a CNC OD grinder

to produce the complex-contoured, low-volume parts

efciently and to consistently generate the required

surface nishes. After much research and comparison

shopping, he purchased a Studer S33 CNC grinder

from United Grinding (represented locally by MachineTool Systems Inc.).

The machine t 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

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 vitried abrasives. T

maximize precision, Tim specied glass scales on bot

the infeed and longitudinal axes.

One thing that drew us to the Studer wa

the sotware

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-cod

StuderGRIND software also permits programs for

special applications, such as proling, to be created oa PC then transferred to the machine control.

Ease of programming is important, because even

though all the punches feature multiple diameters,

complex proles, and critically-dimensioned nose

points, every punch prole 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 machin

as subroutines that are input into the Pictogramming

software, he said.

We use the StuderPROFILE software to redraw thepart ofine, he continued, We have a PC out on the

shop oor, 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 le directly

Hi-Quality Carbide grinds precision carbide punches that eature high

length-to-diameter ratios. Punches range in size rom 0.300"-dia. by 4" - long

to 1.25"-dia. by 13"-long. They require a signicant amount o precision

contour grinding, must meet size tolerances o 0.000,3" 0.000,5", and

surace nish requirements o 2 -3 in. Ra prior to hand polishing.



into the machine control, but Tim said his customersdo not presently supply les of sufcient 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 proles. The shop uses

a straight-front, at, " or 7/8"-wide wheel in

plunging and oscillation passes to establish

the punch diameters. The same wheels grind

the proles; The trick is that we have arotary disk dresser that forms a radius on

each wheel corner, and we use that same

corner radius to prole 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

vitried 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

to be at, they in fact feature a very slight includedangle. We are grinding down to a point, basically,

Tim said, and at the point grinding surface speed

approaches zero. Sufcient speed is crucial in

maintaining surface nish. As a result, the shop utiliz

the workheads speed capability Pretty much at its maxhe said, We are running high rpm to keep the sfm

up. He said his comparison shopping showed him th

competitive machines max out at a much lower RPM.

An operator uses StuderGRIND sotware running on a PC to dene the many dimensions o a prole to be ground. The PC is linked to the S33 grinder with

Ethernet cable, enabling easy program transer. The operator can even make a drawing and set up contours or the next job while the machine is running

Hi-Quality Carbide employs the S33 grinders rotary

disk dresser to maintain a radius on the corners o

fat grinding wheels, and uses those corners to prole

complex contours on carbide punches


16/32

Spring 2008

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



From between-centers to chucked

in minutes

The workheads ability to support both live spindle

grinding and grinding between centers also is essential.

Tim processes the punches in two steps, rst grinding the

main body between centers, then chucking the back end

of the punch and nish grinding

the proled end. Between thedead centers, a brass drive dog

holds the end of the shaft and

picks up a pin on the workhead

to spin the part. We grind

the major diameter, chuck it,

indicate off it, and then do our

contours on the end, he said.

Tim employs a coarse wheel

for the punch major diameters,

and a ne wheel for the

proles and the end of the

punch, removing 0.040" 0.050" grind stock in

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. Regardingthe 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.

When I saw the Studer S33 grind carbide

said yep, thats exactly what I want.

All of a grinders sophisticated systems can be neutraliz

by the generation of a low-tech problem: chatter.

Tim said the results are obvious. During his machine

shopping, as soon as he saw a carbide part ground

on competitive machines, he

reported that he said, No, thatnot the nish I want. When I

saw the Studer S33 grind carbid

I said yep, thats exactly what I

want. Just like that, it was that

easy. Tim credits the machine

build quality and the rigidity an

vibration-absorbing nature of i

Granitan synthetic granite base

Eliminating chatter is a key to

achieving the required surfacenish. We grind to nish size,

then polish after. As soon as you have chatter, then you

are talking about a lot of handwork.

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 o machines in his search

or a mirror surace nish. When I saw the Studer S33 grind carbide

said yep, thats exactly what I want. Just like that, it was that easy.

INFOEd Sinkora [email protected]

When we grind the main bodybetween centers, we use the coarse

wheel, and we grind a little bitfaster. When we chuck it and dothe working end of the punch

we are still removing the sameamount of grind stock -- mind

you over a shorter area -- but weare not slowing down that much


18/32



way to grind

A

isit Bishop-Wisecarver Corporations web site

Carriage

Wheels (hidden below

V-channel

Small segments o 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 o wheels), the wheels

themselves, and the rail material, het, and

width, but not its length. The loading is essentially

the same anywhere on the rail.

pick up one of their catalogs and you cant help b

notice their motto: Motion Without Limits. Itphilosophy that touches many aspects of what they d

but lets concentrate on their UtiliTrak linear guidew

system. Bishop-Wisecarver (BWC) produces UtiliTrak

11.8 foot (3.6 m) segments and if thats not long enoug

segments can be combined you guessed it without lim

Of course, UtiliTrak can also be cut to produce shorter segments fo

particular application. Either way, the goal is to produ

channel guide rails that are straight and parallel

design specications so the end user enjo

fast, smooth operation. And for users wneed to move heavy loads (up to 14,040 N

BWC offers UtiliTrak in hardened ste

ground to Ra 32 in. (0.8 m). But ho

does one efciently grind BOTH inside

running surfaces of a nearly twelve foot ste

channel, while also maintaining the requir

straightness and smoothness?

Mgerle had the answer.


20/32

Spring 2008

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 signicant benets. 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

at 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 hasdelivered. Brian reports

variation in the range of three ten-thousandths to

at most ve 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 accuracyshould 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 theThe Mgerles articulating grinding head allows it to grind Vs inside

both sides o the channel guide in one setup



beginning. Its not terribly difcult, 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 magneticbase with a very precise dial indicator to the grinding

head of the machine. For the V-proles we measure

over a precision plug gauge which weve put into the

V to determine feature location. For the roller

prole we can measure the surface directly and get a

very accurate measurement of location and positionwith the digital read-out on the machine control.

Were shooting for perfect in the setup. Its goingto vary a little bit after that but the machine is prettymuch capable of hitting that target of perfect.

Machinist Gregory Brewer measures the height o the ground prole and the width o the grind rom one side to the other, compares it to the engineering

drawing, and establishes the needed osets

(Above) A close-up shows the precision plug

gauge in the V slot

One o many applications or BWCs UtiliTrak: a part drawer or a lathe.

In this example, the cantilever eect will reduce the unctional load the

system can carry. (The urther the drawer is pulled out, the heavier it

becomes on the wheel.) BWC applications engineers review a given

applications load weight, cantilever eect, environment, etc. to determ

i a BWC product can meet the application and i so, which size.


22/32

Spring 2008

Fast changeoverBWC 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 signicant affect on the cycle time orthe 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 rst few parts to

make sure they meet spec, as discussed in the set-up

section above.

Hidden dresser one o the secrets o succeA 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 xed

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 aslight, 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 sha

of the wheel, so really all were concerned with is where

that shape is making contact with the part, the position

Youd never see this with the door closed and the coolant fying, but this image reveals both the wheel grinding one o the V-channels and the all-importan

dressing disk tucked close-by, ready to reshape the wheel without interruption. The ability to dress the wheel intermittently without delay is a big actor

the machines outstanding productivity.


23/32

We conrm the part prole after grinding by cutting

a section off and measuring it precisely on an optical

comparator. We qualify the prole at the beginning of

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, thewheel 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 mu

we have to dress off the wheel to achieve the necessary

starting prole. As stated, the number of parts is not

affected by the size of the channel.

Keeping the monster cool

Coolant is always critical in grinding and this case is no

exception. The Mgerle draws from a 1,600 gallon coolasystem 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 Kell

explains, the design of the machine and its hydrostatic

ways is another form of vibration isolation.

Another UtiliTrak installation: A gypsum drywall conveyor. Applicationsrun the gamut, in part because they do well in environments in which

competing products dont do well, like areas with lots o debris, wood

chips, metal chips, and the like. Kelly says the system is well-suited

or short-stroke linear guides or 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 or

something like door travel on a high precision machine.


24/32

Spring 2008

These images give a sense o both the size o the part and the volume o

coolant needed just to fush the swar. As Brian explains: The way to th

about the swar is cotton candy. Its not a lot o material but it does tak

up a lot o space. Its really fuy. Its kind o amazing stu. The amount

swar generated rom just a single piece would ll at least a bread plate

or a small dinner plate. The coolant nozzles in the tray are just to fush t

swar to keep it moving to the recovery system.

INFOLori Colivas [email protected]

The only challenge they had to overcome was channeling

the coolant ow as the wheel rst enters the workpiece.

They found if they didnt do this there was often some

burning for the rst few inches. But I wouldnt say this

is a problem specic 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 ow 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 nes in the

coolant being supplied back to the grinding zone. With

coolant being supplied to the wheel under pressure, such

nes 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 ushing it out of the grinding area iscritical, so that you dont actually regrind it, and having good

ltration 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 theconsumables 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

o a UtiliTrak

installation



NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI -- MeisterAbrasives 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 vitried bond

structure, comparable to porosity found in vitried

CBN grinding wheels.

The goals or this new combination include: More efcient 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 rota

dressing tools freer cutting, carrying more material an

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 dressintool remains consistently sharp, owing to the ease wi

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 consisten

grinding process from beginning to end.

Say grinding wheels

perorm consistently

better; Dressing tools

never require conditioning


26/32

Spring 2008

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 nish,

roundness, etc, that often occur before and after a

dressing cycle.

Specialty shops will appreciate the improved precisionof their grinding processes. The new hDD DressingTools will also appeal to others who are using orconsidering metal bond dressing tools but would like amore efcient tool that does not require conditioning.Whats more, like our HPB (High Performance Bond)CBN grinding wheels, every hDD Dressing Tool iscustom engineered to meet the requirements of theapplication, he concluded.

The hDD Dressing Tools can be manufactured in abroad range of sizes and shapes to suit all machine anddressing spindle designs. They are offered at competitiv

prices and deliveries.

Meister Abrasives Corporation is an internationalmanufacturer of high precision industrial abrasiveproducts, offering superabrasive grinding wheels,dressing tools, ancillary equipment, and free technicalsupport to provide customers with complete, customizeturnkey solutions to their grinding requirements.

Meister hDD Hybrid Bonding

Adjustable PoresDiamond Grain

Standard Metal Bonding

Bonding

Diamond Grain

Hybrid Bonding

Dressing cup

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

INFOBruce Northrup 401.294.2530

[email protected]



Hugehit forlittle

inserts

EWAGs new grinder tackles nearly any material or geometr

EWAGs new COMPACT LINE (introducedat EMO last September) is already a huge hit,

thanks to the ability to grind carbide, PCD, CBN,

cermet, & ceramic on onemachine. 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 asits ve axis layout and general purpose, the machine is a

successor to our popular RS 12 CNC. But the technolog

has been completely updated with things like linear moto

pictographic programming, and an integrated robot. An

even with all its capabilities, the machines footprint is so

small we felt compelled to base its name on its size.


28/32

Spring 2008

A COMPACT LINE operator can reach the entire machine interior and

all controls rom one position, plus change the grinding wheels with the

touch o a button. The HSK-E 50 clamping system makes wheel change

both ast and precise.

Perect ergonomics and precise HSK

wheel clamping

Five axes or complete geometric fexibility. The critical X and Z axes use

linear motors and the B-axis a torque motor or the ultimate in precision.



Plug & play clamping stations cut

changeover time in hal

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 throughthe

center. Staying protable means making these kinds

of changes as quickly as possible.

COMPACT LINEs plug and play clamping stations allow a change

rom one clamping station to a completely dierent type in minutes. All

COMPACT LINE clamping stations use the same mechanical connection

to the B-axis or maximum part fexibility in the shortest possible time.


30/32

Spring 2008

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 auto-probing maintains part accuracy.

The machine also features linear motors in the X- andZ-axes and a torque motor in the B-axis for the ultimatein accuracy. Plus the incredible speed and acceleration

of these motors, along with the machines compactdesign, minimize non-grinding times and ensure theshortest possible cycle times.

New sotware also contributes to efcienc

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 fa

amount of hard-to-nd skill. It has taken us years, b

we nally have software that makes it pretty easy, by

combining good graphical guides and canned routine

you can put together like building blocks.

A three-in-one unit perorms dressing, regeneration, or crushing.

Whether the wheel needs to be opened or reshaped, this single unit does

it all in a small space.

The integrated 6-axis FANUC robot makes it possible to run multiple

shits unmanned, as the pallets hold hundreds o inserts. Every move is

optimized, minimizing load time.

A pin clamping system uses a tension pin to secure inserts through

their center hole, allowing the grinding wheel the greatest possible

access or complete machining around the periphery. When autoloadin

such inserts, only three pins are needed or any given hole diameter.

Say goodbye to G-codes. COMPACT LINE eatures new PRO-GRIND

sotware with 3D graphics that guide data input. Easily build custom

grinding programs rom a variety o pre-dened unction blocks.

INFOMarkus Brunner [email protected]



Cylindrical Applications Engineer, United Grinding Ohio

W

hether its deciding the best club to hit offthe tee on the second hole at the PipeStoneGolf Club near his home in Miamisburg,

Ohio, or meeting a grinding tolerance of one-tenthof a micron, Brian Jackson is a problem solver. Whilehe doesnt get to golf as much as hed like, he doesenjoy the occasional scramble with his father (and son).These days, hes more often busy solving problems forUnited Grinding customers.

Brian, describe your role as a CylindricalApplications Engineer.

In a nutshell, I install customer machines and providecustomer support. Customer support can be over

the phone, on-site, or training. I provide support onbasic or high-speed grinding, thread grinding, ofineprogramming with StuderGrind, as well as the softwareon the machine, of course.

How did you get into the grinding business?

I actually began my career in electronics, testing andrepairing printed circuit boards. Soon after, I waspromoted to customer service and technical support.In 1998, I joined United Grinding and the world ofgrinding technology. Although I was schooled in

electronics and started my career in that eld, I trulyfeel that grinding is where I was meant to be.

How has your knowledge oelectronics helped you in grinding?

In electronics, troubleshooting is key. My experiencewith troubleshooting and my background in service,combined with a tremendous amount of patience andthe desire to help people, aids in my efciency andsuccess in the role of Cylindrical Applications Engine

What was your biggest challenge in learningthe grinding business?

Being able to think on my feet and never give up. Motimes, customers are under extreme pressure to get thmachines back up and running because time means

money. I had to get comfortable working under thegun with all eyes on me during the process. Learninga machines diagnostic sequence and only making onechange at a time was also a challenge. For example,you could make several changes to a machine at onetime and effectively resolve the problem but then youwouldnt know which of the changes actually did thetrick. 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 efcient. The grindingtechnology is even more advanced than some customerealize. Sometimes its difcult to see how much moreefcient CNC machines are when compared withmanual machines. Although CNC machines may takelonger to program, they are signicantly more efcienonce up and running. Simply stated, the CNC willoutperform a manual machine in cycle time andprocess capability.

What is your most memorable grindingexperience?

Not long after I began performing eld service,I visited a customer whose machine was givingthem an error. Of course, the productionsupervisor was a bit stressed and shared hisconcerns with me quite loudly. By the end ofthe day, he was so happy with the work Iddone, he invited me to his home to help himassemble a basketball hoop and spend timewith his family!

Problem Solver: Brian Jackson


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GrindingJournal Spring 2008