On the Haas Schleifmaschinen stand at the EMO Milano exhibition in October, the grinder manufacturer used its Multigrind machine to demonstrate the single-point grinding of a skiving tool to such close tolerances that it could produce gears to quality 2 to 3 (the accuracy class when skiving gears is traditionally 4 to 6). The sole sales and service agent for Haas Schleifmaschinen in the UK, Irish and Gulf markets is Kingsbury.

Wolfram Hermle, software department manager at Haas Schleifmaschinen says: “Today, dimensional tolerances of 2 µm are not uncommon. The production of such accurate profiles requires highly complex calculations. If we want to have that under control, we have to do the maths ourselves.”

Two years ago, when the project to develop the required software was initiated, there was no satisfactory method on the market for determining machining cycles to achieve the ever increasing gear precision being demanded by industry. The goal was to create a system that could calculate cycles for cutting a wide variety of gears.

Hermle does not want to divulge details of the newly developed calculation model in Haas Schleifmaschinen’s Multigrind Horizon software, but confirms that machining gears of accuracy class 2 to 3 is possible. However, he points out that it is only one element of the process, the other being the high precision which the grinding machine must be capable of achieving: alignment of the grinding wheel must be accurate to 0.0001°.

“As far as I know, this accuracy is achieved exclusively using Haas Schleifmaschinen production solutions,” concludes Hermle. “Only when software and hardware are ideally matched can a skiving tool be created for manufacturing a perfect gear.”

For further information
www.kingsburyuk.com

In 2019 Accretech acquired the SBS Balancer Product Range. In the two years since, the synergy between the brands has resulted a range of benefits to global manufacturers, not least in the area of grinding.

Alongside many other machine tool and inspection applications, Accretech provides high-precision in-process gauging that delivers real-time measurement during grinding cycles. SBS is a specialist in the field of grinding wheel balancing and grinding process monitoring. Both Accretech and SBS products are available as OEM equipment on new grinders or as retrofit solutions to existing machines.

A prime example of a precision grinding company that relies on both Accretech and SBS products is Tamworth-based SWD Precision.

Having recently ordered a universal grinder from Timeline Machine Tools, managing director Stephen Drew travelled to central China to observe the production and assembly of his new machine and pass it off. Although the universal grinder featured an Accretech in-process gauging system, to further expand the machine’s capabilities, the decision was made to retrofit an SBS balancing system.

In consultation with Accretech UK it was decided that an SBS non-contact, automatic balancing system, consisting of an SB-5500 controller, an external balance head and an acoustic emission monitoring system card, would constitute the ideal solution. The compact SB-5500 controller features an all-digital electronic design and has a large, high-resolution detachable display.

Pointing out the benefits, Drew says: “We produce precision ground components for motorsport and other equally demanding sectors involving short production runs. It therefore helps that, in addition to increasing our grinding throughput and saving set-up time, our new SBS balancing system is ensuring part quality by automatically balancing our grinding process to an accuracy of 0.02 µm.”

For further information
www.accretech.eu