Studer S41 ticks Magellan’s boxes

The Bournemouth facility of Magellan Aerospace manufactures items such as pintle pins, undercarriage pins and split chrome halves, all of which need high-precision grinding to achieve the required standards of accuracy and surface finish.

Here, the company has recently installed a Studer S41 CNC universal cylindrical grinding machine from Advanced Grinding Supplies.
“Having been enthusiastic users of Studer S30 and S21 grinders, purchased from Advanced Grinding Supplies Ltd, not only have we been delighted with the performance of these machines, we have also been impressed by the support and advice received from the supplier,” says Keith Summers, engineering manager, special projects European operations.
“I was able to visit the Studer factory in Switzerland and witness in-depth grinding trials that confirmed the performance of the S41 on our parts, and its ability to deliver improvements in cycle times. As a result of the S41’s suitability, and given the guarantee of continued support from Advanced Grinding Supplies, we were happy to place an order.
“The help of Advanced Grinding Supplies was invaluable when we were specifying the machine and its accessories and consumables, such as dressing tools, grinding wheels and coolant,” continues Summers. “We believe that these important add-ons will help us to realise the full productive potential of our new grinder.
“The speed and flexibility of our Studer S41 is already helping in our ongoing quest for productivity improvements. As well as increasing our current component grinding capacity, the S41’s between centres and centre height capacities, in addition to its large weight bearing capability, will ensure that it is able to undertake the precision grinding of all future components.”
For further information www.adgrind.co.uk

Master launches ceramic discs for angle grinders

Master Abrasives has introduced a range of ceramic abrasive discs for angle grinders. Unlike conventional discs, the grain in Master Ultra Ceramic discs fractures to form new points that are sharp and precise.

This functionality maintains a cooler cutting action and long product life, making the discs suitable for aggressive grinding and blending applications. The discs also require less pressure, resulting in reduced operator fatigue.
Initially available from stock in 36 and 60 grit for 50 and 75 mm diameter discs, additional options for the Ultra Ceramic range are set to follow. The discs from stock have the MRD threaded screw-type mounting system, which makes them suitable for high-volume, high-production operations. Ultra Ceramic discs are packaged in the trademark Master branded blue boxes, and will also be available from distributors of the Master brand.
Andy Wright, national sales manager, says: “We’ve already experienced exceptional results in various customer applications when using ZIPP high-power angle grinders with Master Ultra Ceramic discs, and are now finding new opportunities to improve productivity in aerospace, fabrication and foundry markets.”
The ZDG-302 air angle die grinder by ZIPP, which is suitable for many high-speed grinding and finishing applications, is compatible with Master quick-change holders and discs. The grinder can be used on finishing dies, metal moulds and cast-iron workpieces.
For further information www.master-abrasives.co.uk

Precision required for rotor grinding

Thanks to the technologies of Holroyd Precision, a major industrial group in northern China will soon embark on the production of its own range of air ends, helical rotors and screw compressors.

A £1.4m order was secured recently that requires Holroyd Precision to supply one of its helical rotor and thread grinding machines to the customer. The machine, a Holroyd TG 350E, is set for delivery in early 2019, when it will be used to precision-grind helical components of up to 350 mm in diameter and 1795 mm in length.
“We are delighted to have secured this significant order,” comments Holroyd regional sales director, Steven Benn. “Although for commercially sensitive reasons we cannot name the customer, it is particularly rewarding to know that in their quest to achieve the highest levels of precision in rotor manufacture, they recognised the uncompromising levels of accuracy that our technologies offer.
“As we are members of the Manchester-China Forum,” he continues, “securing this significant order also underpins our ongoing drive to strengthen ties between the city and China.”
Equally suited to prototyping, batch and volume production, TG series machines are designed primarily for the finish-grinding of helical screw components such as worm screws and rotors after they have been milled to a rough or semi-finished state. Fully automated on-machine probing provides closed-loop feedback of corrections to the dresser wheel and does not require a high level of operator skill.
For further information www.holroyd.com

Complete machining of spherical components

The compact, high-precision machine tool Sphero, designed for machining workpieces with spherical forms, has been further developed by Thielenhaus Microfinish into a hybrid solution capable of handling the entire superfinishing process in just one set up.

Thielenhaus has designed an innovative trial machine that can machine spherical workpieces, with the highest demands in terms of fine dimensional accuracy and surface quality.
The workpiece is mounted vertically and is therefore easily accessible for fast changeovers. Thanks to the integrated tool changer with a capacity for up to 10 tools, even complex machining processes can be carried out in a single set up.
The trial machine is based on one that was previously used for the manufacturer’s subcontracting work, and is also equipped with QuattroClean CO2 snow-jet technology that enables workpieces to be cleaned using an environmentally friendly, dry and residue-free method. After cleaning, the machined component is subjected to a scattered light measurement procedure that allows, for example, the shape or the gloss value to be determined.
Workpieces with diameters of up to 75 mm can be machined on the Sphero. The machine is used in the automotive industry for machining the joint heads of wheel suspension and steering components that require a high level of freedom and movement for the associated assembly units. Sphero is also used to produce metallically-sealing valve balls and seating rings for valves in the chemical industry, through which aggressive or very hot media travel. Another application is the axial piston pump found in all fields of hydraulics.
For further information www.thielenhaus.com

Grinding advances on show at AMB

The latest Kellenberger 100 concept cylindrical grinding machine featured alongside two Hardinge Super Precision turning and turn/grinding CNC centres on the Hardinge Inc stand at the recent AMB 2018 exhibition in Stuttgart.

Since its introduction in 2017, the Kellenberger 100 concept has been well received. While adopting a modular design, the machine makes use of technology from Kellenberger’s Vista and Vita machine ranges, the Tschudin T25, and the Jones & Shipman Ultramat CNC and Ultragrind 1000.
In terms of functionality, the 100 concept delivers a range of configuration options. Modular construction based on a common platform is designed to reduce machine build time yet accommodate numerous ‘standard’ options with an attractive price/performance ratio for the end user.
Three important features distinguish the new 100 machine series. First, a collision-free, compact wheel-head solution with integral motor spindles and a reinforced casing for larger wheel diameters when internal grinding. There is a choice of 10 wheel-head variations to ensure the optimal machine configuration based on the components to be processed.
Secondly, the enhancement of performance parameters. A higher grinding wheel drive power increases productivity while the newly designed Z guideway produces higher profile precision from the C axis, again enhancing precision when non-circular grinding.
Finally, the service-friendly machine concept. Kellenberger’s service teams were involved in the design and optimisation of the machine. This factor impacts on faster maintenance and service operations while optimum accessibility of maintenance-intensive components is assured.
Kellenberger machines feature the latest Fanuc 31i CNC controls with 19″ touch-screen guidance system on an operator friendly, intuitive touch-screen panel. An option is the newly designed cycle programming or workpiece-related graphic programming.
For further information www.jonesshipman.com