Transmission of quality at Ricardo

A recently installed Studer S33 CNC universal cylindrical grinding machine is helping operators at Ricardo Driveline and Transmission Systems to maintain their high-precision grinding standards.
The Leamington Spa facility operates four Studer CNC universal cylindrical grinders, including a recently installed S33 model. Since its installation, the Studer S33 has been busy undertaking the grinding of development and prototype components, as well as small production runs.

Production team lead Victor Smith says: “When compared with the other grinding machines that we considered, the Studer S33 proved to be the ideal solution for our demanding needs. Also, considering its impressive specification, we were surprised that it was only marginally more expensive than its less capable competitors. Further factors that influenced our decision were the consistent high-quality of the components that we grind on our existing three Studer machines. Also, over many years we have enjoyed excellent aftersales support from Studer and the company’s UK agent Micronz.”

The components produced by Ricardo have demanding technical specifications related to parameters such as surface finish, roundness and dimensional tolerances, and the Studer S33 is helping the company to adhere to all of these requirements.

Studer supplies the S33 with optional distance between centres of 400, 650, 1000 or 1600 mm, and a centre height of 175 mm. The maximum workpiece weight is 150 kg.

An automatic swivel with 1° Hirth serration positions the wheel head. The machine also has an external wheel head with a grinding wheel on the right with degree separations of 0°/15°/30°. An optional C axis is located on the S33 work head for thread grinding, while the workpiece table features a double T-slot to accommodate dressing devices.

For further information
www.micronz.co.uk