Huddersfield-based Meltham Carbide Precision has become one of the latest to invest in a Rollomatic CNC peel-grinding machine, which can be acquired in the UK from Advanced Grinding Solutions. Meltham is a specialist manufacturer of plug gauges and components such as punches, mould and core pins, and blank carbide rods for the cutting-tool industry.

Owner-manager Eric Charlesworth had been aware of Rollomatic tool grinders for some time, and had identified a need for grinding his parts to a higher precision and reducing manufacturing times, and in particular removing the need to transfer parts across several different machines to arrive at the finished result.
Having received a demonstration of a Rollomatic machine, Meltham was attracted by to its pinch and peel grinding method, which ensures that the grinding operation is always carried out immediately adjacent to where the component is supported. This capability allows parts with a very large length to diameter ratio to be machined easily, with component lengths of up to 400 times diameter being ground without deflection issues and with diameters controlled to under 0.002 mm.
Just one example of how the machine has improved efficiency is in manufacturing a set of 10 carbide punches of 6.35 mm diameter by 110 mm long with a point, radius and three different diameters carrying 5 μm tolerances.
“This would have taken us a full day to manufacture previously, but now, on the Rollomatic we need just 15 minutes to set up and around 2 hours to grind,” says Charlesworth. “The surface finish is also much better, and the lengths and diameters are all well within tolerance.”
For further information www.advancedgrindingsolutions.co.uk