Compared with conventional resin-bonded grinding wheels, Engis says that its Dia-ForZ range of diamond-plated wheels offers many significant benefits, including greater operator safety. For instance, as the diamond grit is electroplated to the metal body, the wheel cannot fail, break or come apart due to abuse. This factor is particularly important in hand-tool operations, where it is easy to drop the grinder, or the machine over-speeds due to the failure of the governor.

Dia-ForZ diamond-plated wheels last longer and cut faster than aluminium oxide and zirconia alumina alternatives. Furthermore, because diamond stays sharper for longer and cuts faster, less force is required to remove imperfections on castings, leading to enhanced operator ergonomics.

The wheels do not need to be dressed, thanks to greater grit exposure than is seen in conventional wheels. In addition, as the wheel does not wear like a conventional wheel, there is no loss of form or peripheral speed, resulting in less dust.

The Dia-ForZ range is available in portable Ty 1, Ty 6 and Ty 27 versions, as well as cut-off wheels, burrs and wheels for robotic cells.

For further information
www.engis.com

Finishing equipment manufacturer, Guyson International, with its Spanish distributor Materias Primas Abrasivas, has recently installed a Guyson Euroblast 8 air-wash cabinet into Metro Madrid’s main maintenance workshop for removing dust particles and other contaminants from the braking systems of underground trains.

The health, safety and wellbeing of Metro Madrid’s maintenance staff was the primary concern when selecting the system. Guyson’s Euroblast 8 blow-off cabinet provides a sealed work chamber for safely air washing braking systems utilising a hand-operated air-wash gun. Removing dust, dirt and debris from underground train braking systems is a daily maintenance task for the Metro team, so keeping a clean and safe environment without leaking dust, dirt, debris or noise into the work area is essential.

In terms of design, the cabinet is fitted with two air-wash guns – high pressure and low pressure – which the operator can easily select depending on the type and/or volume of contaminant: high pressure for the aggressive removal of caked-on dust, or low pressure for lighter material.

In order to retain high visibility during the brake cleaning process, a Guyson C400 cartridge dust collector connects to the rear of the cabinet, effectively removing the loosened dust and airborne particles into the collection bin so they can be safely disposed of, while maintaining a clean working environment.

Due to the numerous types of braking systems, some of which are extremely heavy, the Madrid Metro maintenance team selected the Euroblast 8 blow-off system with optional side-loading turntable, which enables large/heavy items to be loaded directly on to the turntable via crane or forklift. The turntable pushes into the cabinet, with hand rotation providing all-round access during the cleaning process.

For further information
www.guyson.co.uk

The potency of remote maintenance and customer assistance – especially harnessing the power of smartphones – has never been demonstrated more forcibly than during the past year when the COVID-19 pandemic has forced lockdowns across the globe. However, the United Grinding Group has increasingly used technology to support its worldwide customer base and, in many cases, keep machines running with minimal downtime.

According to United Grinding Group company Walter Ewag UK, the group’s digital solutions embrace three main offerings: Production Monitor, Service Monitor and Remote Service. The first two help customers keep track of production – for example, highlighting when maintenance work is required and where/when problems may arise in production, while Remote Service helps support the help desk over a data connection.

One example of Remote Service in action concerns the machine’s back-up battery. This system maintains the power supply of a control system in the event of a power failure and it requires changing from time to time. The machine operator receives a notice on the operating panel in a timely manner, which the production manager would see on the Production Monitor. Notably, the user manual and installation instructions are available to both the operator and production manager via the Customer Cockpit, but they can also send a service request directly through the Digital Solutions app.

The service technician will be connected live via the Conference Center app and be provided with tips and hints. It is possible to send images via the whiteboard function – and the helpline technician can draw markers directly into the images.
According to the United Grinding Group there were 2500 demands for remote service during 2020.

For further information
www.walter-machines.com