Following 12 months of trouble-free operation at the Crewe manufacturing facility of CoorsTek, a manufacturer of engineered ceramics, an Okamoto 818 CNC surface and profile grinder has been integrated as a core part of the company’s specialist grinding operations.

The machine was one of the first to be supplied by Jones & Shipman Hardinge, Okamoto’s sole UK distributor. Tristan Weller, production manager at CoorsTek, says: “In the surface grinding cell, we are precision grinding ceramics to typical tolerances of ±10 µm on form radii, and down to 5 µm on flat surfaces. It is a complex process with slow feeds and speeds, and can take its toll on machines and wheels alike. Inherently, it is a time-consuming task, so sustained machine integrity and stability are important.”
Offering a compact footprint, the Okamoto 818 CNC features a 450 x 200 mm table area with the machine based on a small moving saddle design. The ISO type programming menu is delivered through a Fanuc CNC unit with other key features being automatic lubrication to guides and slideways to optimise reliability and prolong maintenance-free operation.
All of the core machine castings exhibit high static and dynamic stiffness, and are fully damped. Scraped V-slideways with low-friction Turcite coatings are standard.
Harry Hodgson, Crewe plant manager, and Tristan Weller, production manager, say: “The Jones & Shipman overall commitment to quality and aftersales technical support convinced us to invest in the machine.”
For further information www.hardinge.com/jones-shipman