Okamoto Machine Tool Europe introduced a range of new machines and programme upgrades at last month’s EMO exhibition in Hanover. The company is exclusively represented in the UK and Ireland by Jones & Shipman Hardinge, and its machines complement those manufactured by Hardinge grinding sector companies Kellenberger, Hauser, Tschudin, Usach and Voumard.

Being exhibited for the first time was the new ACC-63SA1 surface grinder. This model replaces the popular Okamoto SA series and is available in six table sizes: 500 x 200 mm, up to 1000 x 500 mm.
Machines in the ACC-SA1 series feature a touchscreen colour graphic control for implementing surface grinding operations with ease. The control enables a fully automatic grinding operation for standard surface grinding or shift plunge surface grinding, with automatic compensated dressing from the table for even higher autonomy and productivity.
ACC-SA1 machines have a robust, rigid cast-iron construction with high static and dynamic stiffness, and excellent damping characteristics, says Okamoto. The hydraulically driven table features double V slideways with minimal overhang and non-contact switches for table reversal. All slideways have automatic lubrication.
Okamoto also introduced an improved GX range, which is the next generation of its DX surface and profile grinders. The upgraded machines feature a new colour scheme and improved table enclosure.
All six machines in the range feature the established Okamoto control for fully automatic grinding operations. Grinding methods are selected via switches on the main panel, while feed rates and feed change points can be set and adjusted at any time by a potentiometer.
For further information https://www.hardinge.com/jones-shipman/

Applied Nano Surfaces (ANS) of Sweden has entered into a joint development programme with Sunnen that is focused on the patented ANS ‘Triboconditioning’ process, which is designed to reduce friction and wear on a variety of honed parts and components.

Chris Miltenberger, president and CEO of Sunnen, says: “ANS is at the leading edge of friction reduction technology. We’re excited about working with ANS on the development of new products and surface-finishing methods, which will bring unique solutions to all segments of the manufacturing industry.”
Triboconditioning is a combined mechanical/chemical surface-treatment process that uses a machining procedure to level off surface peaks and apply a friction- and wear-reducing compound to the component surface. Unlike spray coatings, the compound becomes an integrated part of the component structure at a nano level.
The process is mechanically simple and, in most cases, can be performed with Sunnen honing equipment. In addition, the process is said to be very cost-efficient in mass production environments, making it suitable for in-house manufacturing. Key applications include automotive engine components, such as valve train parts, cylinder liners, crankshafts and connecting rods, as well as industrial applications like hydraulic motors, rock drills, pumps, chains, gears and compressors.
“We’re looking forward to combining our knowledge of friction-reducing technology with Sunnen’s expertise in surface finishing,” says Christian Kolar, CEO at ANS. “The solutions under development have the potential to be real game-changers in component efficiency.”
For further information www.sunnen.com

A leading European producer of helical and spur tooth pinion gears has selected a GTG2 gear-grinding centre from Holroyd Precision to test-grind a range of specialised gears and tooth forms.

Developed purposely for grinding precision spur and helical gears, worms, screws and rotors of up to 350 mm diameter and 160 mm gear face width, Holroyd GTG2 grinding centres use what is described as a unique machining system to achieve accuracy to DIN 2 levels and beyond.
Steven Benn, Holroyd’s regional sales director, says: “The customer required a machine capable of grinding a variety of gears to exacting tolerances. Products to be manufactured include spur and helical gears; gears with end tip relief and root fillet radius; worm tooth forms such as ZA, ZI, ZK and ZN; worms with sunken tooth forms; and dual lead forms with both cylindrical and tapered roots. The GTG2 was selected for its versatility, reliability and accuracy – the latter achieved through high levels of on-board machine intelligence and a machining process developed to compensate for helical twist.”
Helical Twist occurs when helical gears are ‘lead crowned’ to improve meshing and reduce noise and wear. Lead crowning varies the amount of material removed from the flank of a tooth, across the face width, by causing the tool motion
to deviate from a true helix.
The problem is that ‘in-form’ grinding has the undesirable effect of causing the profile of the tooth flank to vary across the face. Particularly in high precision and low noise applications, this variation affects gear wheel performance by concentrating loads on particular areas of teeth during meshing.
GTG2 machines correct this problem by calculating and controlling additional motions of the wheel during the grinding operation using dedicated software written by Holroyd engineers.
For further information www.holroyd.com

To meet growing demand for ever more precise surface finishing in aerospace, Fintek has invested in a latest generation stream finishing machine from OTEC Präzisionsfinish GmbH.

“The new SF is particularly important for our aerospace work to ensure the precise profile tolerances now demanded for turbine blades are met,” explains operations manager Jamie Phillips. “For example, the control provided by the new step motor technology allows us to repeatedly change and lock the angle of the blades as they pass through the process media to carefully manage the finishing effect on vital leading and trailing edges.”
With six other stream finishing machines, along with drag finishing and centrifugal finishing systems, the AS9100 and ISO9001 accredited company says it has the capacity, depth of knowledge and expertise to provide a comprehensive range of surface finishing services. These range from deburring and mirror-finish polishing to smoothing and polishing, as well as important edge rounding. For aerospace, this offer covers not just turbine blades but complete blisks, gear wheels, cutting tools, fasteners and extremely thin parts.
“Problem solving is integral to our service,” says Phillips. “We work closely with aerospace customer engineers, including in research and development, to create better parts by applying surface finishing techniques that meet their commercial objectives. Often we’re able to achieve a quality of surface finish in minutes [sometimes seconds] that can’t be matched by hand or other traditional methods. Furthermore, processes are precisely repeatable to ensure total quality consistency and confidence to achieve surfaces with values down to Ra 0.01.”
For aerospace companies requiring on-site processing, Fintek is the exclusive UK agent for OTEC, and can supply and install machines.
For further information www.fintek.co.uk

Guyson International has created a universal automated blast system that is based on the company’s existing Multiblast RSB.

The latest system incorporates roof-mounted servo drives to provide saturation coverage from the attached blast guns across the entire rotating table, thus delivering full blast coverage to all components. Guyson’s universal automated blast system is aimed at subcontractors or manufacturers processing a varied component mix of geometric sizes and shapes with a requirement for cosmetic finishing, shot peening, general deburring, paint removal or aerospace MRO cleaning.
Featuring a standard blast chamber dimension of 1500 mm (wide) by 1500 mm (deep) by 900 mm (high), the cabinet is fitted with a large front-opening door, allowing easy parts-loading access to a 1 m wide, painted steel turntable (polyurethane version available).
The Multiblast RSB comes with two Guyson model 900 guns as standard, each with its own individual pressure regulator, allowing optimum blast coverage of components on the table. This number can be increased to a maximum of eight guns if the blast application necessitates. A blast-nozzle holding clamp option enables the guns to be swapped out for cleaning, while retaining gun position, stand-off distance and angle. Automated post-blasting air wash is also provided, as standard, to remove any blast media residues and leave the parts clean for any subsequent processing.
For optimum component blast coverage, the machine can be provided with either horizontal or vertical servo-driven gun drives. Both offer 500 mm of traverse, either across the turntable for full saturation coverage or vertically stroking (up and down) taller components to provide uniform coverage as the part rotates on the turntable.
For further information www.guyson.co.uk