UK NEWS

New flow line at Heller UK

More than £2m has been spent upgrading the Heller Machine Tools manufacturing plant and headquarters at Redditch, UK.

The administrative and applications engineering departments have benefitted from a comprehensive makeover, while a new customer area for machine demonstrations has been added. Most notable of all, production output of horizontal machining centres has risen by 30%.
As part of the latest initiatives, activities in Redditch have expanded into the assembly of five-axis machines (in addition to four-axis models) for world markets. As part of the expansion, Heller installed an 11-station Strothmann flow line and new logistics system for the manufacture of horizontal machining centres. At every stage of the manufacturing process, work carried out on the machines is documented, providing full traceability as required in order to comply with the factory’s ISO9001 accreditation.
For further information www.heller.biz

First gear grinder of its type in UK

Precision Technologies International Ltd has recently installed a Klingelnberg Höfler Viper 500K universal gear grinding machine at its Tamworth headquarters; the first machine of its type in the UK.

Technical sales director at Precision Technologies Colin Palin says: “In order to expand our capacity, meet both current and anticipated demand, and further increase our in-house capabilities, we recently investigated the available high-end, external/internal gear and spline grinding machines. Having judged several suitable machines against our demanding wish list, we came to the conclusion that the Klingelnberg Höfler Viper 500K met and in many ways exceeded our expectations.
“For instance, thanks to the logical operating system, our staff quickly became skilled in the machine’s use,” he continues. “The Viper 500K is now producing the required high quantities of ground gears with complex geometries for use in automotive and motorsport applications, as well as other equally challenging areas.”
Klingelnberg Höfler’s Viper 500K gear grinding machine, as purchased by Precision Technologies, is designed to accommodate component diameters of up to 500 mm. Multiple-wheel technology is featured, making the machine suitable for the production of small to medium-sized batches.
The configuration of the machine allows users to change the grinding technology by quickly swapping-out the grinding wheel, the grinding wheel flank and the dressing wheel. An optional internal gear grinding arm allows re-tooling and conversion from external to internal gearing work.
According to Palin, “the help of Mark Maurice, the owner of UK Klingelnberg Höfler agent Micronz, was invaluable when specifying the machine and ensuring trouble-free installation and operator training”.
For further information www.micronz.co.uk

Vollmer grinds out great results

The recent MACH 2018 exhibition once again proved to be a huge success for Vollmer UK, with the tool and saw-blade grinding and sharpening specialist winning an order at the show as well as generating a high number of enquiries. Vollmer had three machines on its stand.

Making its debut at MACH 2018, the Loroch K850-M for processing metal-cutting saw blades got proceedings off to a flier with Birmingham-based Precise Saw & Tool Ltd placing an order at the show. Purchased to add capacity to its existing operation, the Loroch K850-M has a 50-blade capacity and robotic load/unload for extended unmanned running.
The centrepiece of the Vollmer stand was the new Vgrind 360 tool grinding machine that also made its UK exhibition premiere. Vollmer‘s next-generation Vgrind 360 is the successor to the Vgrind 160 model, now equipped with enhanced travel distances for accommodating carbide drills and milling cutters whose blanks are made from either solid-carbide or carbide-tipped steel bodies up to 200 mm diameter.
Vollmer UK technical sales engineer Kieran Rosling says: “Enquiries for the Loroch K850-M and the CHC840 saw-blade sharpening machine were particularly high. We conducted a number of demonstrations on both machines during MACH week and have a number of further trials with various manufacturers showing serious levels of interest. However, the Vgrind 360 tool grinding machine was certainly the show-stopper for us. The innovation of the Vgrind 360 was evident and the enquiry level and number of follow-on meetings we have booked is really encouraging.“
Featuring two grinding spindles, the Vgrind 360 can be loaded with different tools, while an optional tool magazine with eight grinding wheel packages allows tools on the vertical spindles to be changed automatically.
For further information www.vollmer-group.com

Sixth Walter machine at Techni-Grind

Techni-Grind (Preston), a supplier of tool regrinding services to the aerospace industry, has installed its sixth Walter CNC tool and cutter grinder to increase capacity levels – a Helitronic Vision 400L with integrated robot handling and wheel changer.

The new machine not only extends the length of tooling that can be processed – to 420 mm long – but its automated handling and wheel changing capability will also, says Techni-Grind’s manager Michael Bell, “further extend our ability to confidently run the Vision 400L unmanned and in a lights-out mode, thus further increasing our productivity levels”.
Capable of processing tools up to 315 mm diameter and 420 mm long, and weighing up to 50 kg, the Vision 400L has travels in X, Y and Z of 500, 350 and 700 mm, respectively. Rapid traverse rates are up to 50 m/min, and the machine boasts linear and radial resolutions of 0.0001 mm and 0.0001°. Grinding wheels up to 254 mm diameter can be accommodated within the eight-station wheel changer, and grinding spindle speed is up to 10,500 rpm.
The Vision 400L joins the company’s existing portfolio of Walter tool grinders and tool measuring machines, which have been progressively installed – a Classic Power, a Power, a Power Regrinder and two Helitronic Visions (one with robot loading), plus a Helicheck Basic tool measuring machine.
Now, with the new machine meaning that two of the company’s Visions are equipped with robot loader and pallet-held tools, these automation devices “are key to our often non-stop 24-hour running which, of
course, contributes greatly to
the production efficiencies we attain”, says managing director David Higham.
For further information www.walter-machines.com

New range of cartridge rolls by Master

To complete its coated abrasive product line, Master Abrasives has introduced its own range of cartridge rolls under the MASTER brand.

Master cartridge rolls are available in aluminium-oxide and ceramic-oxide abrasive. Rolls are offered with either a straight or tapered side allowing access to angles and corners. The aluminium-oxide variety is now being stocked in a range of grits and sizes at Master Abrasives.
Andy Wright, national sales manager, says: “The nature of a cartridge roll makes it a long-lasting and excellent solution for deburring and metal removal applications. Each product is a length of abrasive cloth wound around a spindle for a multi-layer effect, exposing new abrasive cutting points throughout its operational life.
“The key advantage of cartridge rolls is their unique shape, which makes them ideal for application on contours and hard-to-reach areas on all ferrous materials,” he continues. “They can be used for numerous applications, including deburring, flash removal, edge breaking and removing machining marks.”
For further information www.master-abrasives.co.uk