The latest company to order a Holroyd TG350E rotor grinder is Jaguar Compressors, a division of the Xiamen East Asia Machinery Industry Company. Currently in build, and costing some £1.3m, the machine will be shipped to Jaguar’s Xiamen, China-based manufacturing facility in mid-2020.

Holroyd reports the TG350E rotor grinding machine is rapidly making a name for itself as the preferred choice among industrial refrigeration specialists. There are currently around 70 TG series machines in use around the world and, each year, Holroyd typically receives orders to build several new TG models.
“The team at Jaguar Compressors continually strives to enhance the performance and energy efficiency of its screw air compressor products,” says Holroyd regional sales director Steven Benn. “With the ability to grind medium-to-large capacity rotors of up to 350 mm in diameter and 1795 mm in length, the TG350E model offers a versatile, high-quality solution to Jaguar’s varied production requirements in producing screw compressors for a variety of applications, including precision filters, gas storage tanks and refrigerated dryers.”
A further benefit for users of Holroyd TG series models is that a significant amount of production time can be saved as each machine’s diamond dressing discs are able to continuously dress during semi-finishing cycles. By contrast, cutting tools typically require periodic regrinding, the frequency of which is determined by the materials and volumes being cut.
Developed primarily for the finish-grinding of helical screw components after they have been milled to a rough or semi-finished state, Holroyd TG series machines are just as suited to prototyping and batch manufacture as they are to volume production. Fully automated on-machine probing provides closed-loop feedback of corrections to the dresser disc.
For further information www.holroyd.com

The Autofiltrex range of automated filters, which is suitable for most ferrous metal-finishing processes, including grinding, honing and lapping, has been introduced by Eclipse Magnetics.

Described as the latest generation in cost-effective, high-performance filtration, the Autofiltrex was exhibited at the recent EMO 2019 exhibition in Hanover, where Eclipse Magnetics says it received high levels of interest and positive feedback.
Sales and marketing director Steve McAllorum says: “We were delighted to see that the Autofiltrex was a popular product on the Eclipse Magnetics stand at EMO. The Autofiltrex is a great example of how an investment in magnetic technologies can improve efficiency in metal-finishing operations.”
Eclipse Autofiltrex units can be fitted in-line or off-line, ensuring 24/7 “ultra-polished” fluids and delivering advantages over traditional filter media. The modular design allows the addition of further units to accommodate increased flow rates, depending on application needs. Offering sub-micron filtration performance, the Autofiltrex range delivers cleaner fluid to the machine, thus improving surface finish and accuracy, as well as reducing expenditure on filter media.
Designed as a ‘plug and play’ device, minimal set up is required, and the system can be fully integrated with CNC units for ease of use and to provide 24/7 uninterrupted filtration. In addition, the option of an additional waste reclaim unit is available to enable a fully automated system with waste disposal.
Three sizes are available – the AF1 (no reclaim unit), the AF3 and the AF5 – each occupying minimal floor space with the capacity to increase fluid life by up to 10 times.
For further information www.eclipsemagnetics.com

Walter Ewag UK, a member of the United Grinding Group, reports that in addition to displaying a number of tool and insert production/regrinding machines at last month’s EMO exhibition in Hanover, as well as tool-measurement machines, technology developments from both Walter and Ewag continue unabated.

For example, visitors were able to learn about a new laser marking and cleaning station for the Walter Helicheck Plus tool-measurement machine. In addition, included among the myriad of group machines on show, Walter showcased tool grinding/erosion and measurement machines, while Ewag focused on insert production centres and laser-based tool manufacturing.
On display from Walter was the Helitronic Power 400 with Top Loader, a 24 kW spindle machine for the production and regrinding of tools of 3 to 320 mm diameter, and up to 350 mm long. Also on the stand was the Helitronic Power Diamond 400 with Robot Loader, a single machine that can both erode PCD tools and grind carbide tools, even in the same set-up, ranging from 3 to 380 mm diameter, and 520 mm long.
Another Walter machine in the spotlight was the Helicheck Plus tool measurement machine with Robot Loader. The Robot Loader brings effective automation to the unmanned measurement of complex tooling. Depending on tool weight and length, up to 2,000 tools with a maximum weight of 1.5 kg and a maximum length of 280 mm, can be automatically loaded.
From Ewag, visitors could see the Laser Line Ultra, for the ultra-short-pulse laser machining of all cutting materials, including CBN, ceramic, PCD and CVD, accommodating inserts up to 200 mm diameter and up to
250 mm long. The machine features an integrated six-axis robot. The Ewag Profile Line was also on show.
For further information www.walter-machines.com

The white trade fair roof with logo was visible from afar at EMO 2019 last month, guiding visitors to the stand where Vollmer was presenting its latest technologies and innovations. Vollmer unveiled two machines at the show: the VHybrid 360 grinding and erosion machine, and the VGrind 340S grinding machine.

Beginning with the VHybrid 360, this machine can be used to produce solid carbide and PCD cutting tools in a single set up. With the newly devised Vollmer tool manager, users can manage the automatic switching of up to eight grinding or eroding wheels intuitively. VHybrid 360 is based on multi-layer machining, which is implemented through two vertically arranged spindles. The bottom spindle can be used for both grinding and eroding, while the top spindle is reserved exclusively for grinding. Vollmer’s key erosion component is the VPulse EDM generator.
The VGrind 340S grinding machine, suitable for machining even the smallest carbide tools, was also presented in Hanover for the first time. Drills and milling cutters with diameters of 0.3 mm or larger, which are in high demand in the automotive, electronics and medical device sectors, can be sharpened using the VGrind 340S. The machine features two vertical spindles.
Five harmonised CNC axes achieve interpolation with short travel distances for the linear axes and swivel ranges, which in turn reduces the time required to machine workpieces. Solutions for automation, such as pallet magazines or free-arm robots, ensure that machining can continue unattended around
the clock.
For further information www.vollmer-group.com

Even though Nagel is primarily known as a partner in honing, the company boasts a broad portfolio of superfinishing machines, the latest addition to which is the economical NaCen machine platform. NaCen was specifically developed for small and mid-sized shops seeking a high degree of flexibility and affordability.

OEMs often turn to external suppliers for low and medium production runs as they are typically geared for higher volumes. Low volumes and frequent changeovers adversely impact OEM operations. For the latter, the challenge is to tool up with the right kind of cost-effective equipment so that frequent changeovers can be managed effectively without sacrificing quality.
“The NaCen machines are precisely tailored to such users,” states Christian Munzinger, sales manager at Nagel. “Rz values of less than 0.25 µm, with almost 100% bearing area ratios, can be consistently achieved.”
The NaCen machine platform stands for ‘Nagel Centre’ – meaning machining between centres. This machine concept is suitable for finishing numerous undulating components. With a maximum centre distance of 650 mm, all parts typically superfinished in passenger cars, such as camshafts, transmission shafts, gears, rotors, balance shafts and oil pump shafts, can be processed. Gear faces and similar flat surfaces can also be finished on this equipment.
Up to four finishing heads can be mounted on the machine base. The finishing module can either be a tape head or a stone head, or a combination of both. Tape is continuously indexed during the finishing cycle to expose fresh abrasive. The rate at which it is pulled can be adjusted via the HMI.
Various electrical interfaces are available for automating the machine, while loading is possible from four sides (front, rear, right and top). The machine is also equipped with an integral 200-litre filtration system.
For further information www.nagel.com