The machine tool institute (WZL) of RWTH Aachen University and Rösler Oberflächentechnik/AM Solutions are co-operating on practical research for knowledge-based mass finishing processes. For the necessary processing trials, WZL not only uses its own equipment, but also the comprehensive range of mass finishing machinery at the customer experience centre of Rösler.

“With Rösler we have a partner who is highly motivated to further develop mass finishing technology,” says Marius Ohlert, project manager for grinding technologies at WZL. “As a result, we are constantly communicating with the company’s R&D department. From this information exchange about developments in the field of science and experience in the industry we frequently identify questions and subjects for future projects.”

For example, such projects deal with the post processing of components produced by either 3D printing or hybrid manufacturing technologies.

“The activities in this field, which Rösler pursues under the brand name AM Solutions-3D post-processing technology, are especially valuable for the co-operation with WZL,” states Ohlert. “They were also the reason for investing in two new finishing machines, which we purchased in close liaison with colleagues from a partner institute that deals intensively with additive manufacturing.”

Moreover, this investment allows the WZL institute to further demonstrate the possibilities of mass finishing technology for basic research, as well as for specific industrial projects. The institute purchased a surf finisher 700, a special rotary vibrator R 150 DL-2 and a semi-automatic centrifuge Z 800 K-HA Turbo-Floc for cleaning and recycling the process water from the mass finishing machines.

For further information
www.rosler.com

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