Product category:
Abrasive machining - manual and CNC machines
News Release from: Holroyd | Subject: Edgetek super abrasive machine
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 13 July 2004
Machining time in Inconel reduced from
8h to 12min
A super abrasive machine has been integrated with a Mitutoyo CMM to replace seven conventional milling and grinding machines to machine a hard Inconel part in 12 min instead of 8h before.
Holroyd has integrated one of its Edgetek super abrasive machines with a Mitutoyo CMM in a package that is replacing seven conventional milling and grinding machines at a leading global aerospace company As a result, the company is benefiting from a reduction in the throughput time for machining a highly complex and extremely hard Inconel part, from 8 hours to just 12 minutes
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 2 Oct 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Full turnkey systems are based on super abrasives
The growing acceptance of super abrasive machining technology has resulted in Holroyd setting up a project team to provide full turnkey manufacturing systems.
Large compressor screws posed no fears
The winning of a major contract to manufacture three of the biggest sets of screw compressor rotors ever made by Holroyd is testing even this company's knowledge and experience to the limit.
The Holroyd/Mitutoyo package gives the customer the Lean Manufacturing benefits of single lift and set-up - the ability to reduce process chains by performing all operations on one machine.
Consequently, the overall manufacturing process is not only substantially quicker, but also simpler and more controllable.
Added to these benefits is accelerated payback on the GBP 480,000 package (GBP 450,000 Edgetek + GBP 30,000 Mitutoyo CMM); tooling and cycle time reductions being projected to pay off the capital cost of the machines in just 12 months.
Further reading
Maximising wormgear torque and ensure lubrication
Holroyd's unrivalled expertise in the manufacture of wormgear sets has been enhanced with the development of the Wormgear Contact Analysis Program.
Holroyd produces largest rotors yet
Holroyd, has used one of its own unique milling centres to complete work on a pair of giant helical rotors destined for an environmentally friendly application in the USA.
Superabrasive grinding reduces cycle times by 80%
Superabrasive machining and turning systems deliver massive reductions in product cycle times - in some cases by over 80% - and equally impressive tool cost savings.
The aerospace customer was initially sceptical of the benefits that could be achieved using Holroyd's Edgetek super abrasive machining process.
"It took many visits and machining trials to convince them," says Paul Hannah, Sales Director of Holroyd -Edgetek in the UK.
"As regards the final results, these were even better than we expected.
We've seen at least a 40 to 50 percent increase in throughput on every job we've done, and in many cases it is much, much more." "What we had to prove to the customer was that costly, multi-operation processes can be reduced to just one using Edgetek's high efficiency deep grinding (HEDG) techniques, even if the material is difficult- to-machine nickel based alloys used in aerospace applications, or the powdered metals used for timing gears and sprockets in car engines.
In both cases we can prove that extremely high metal removal rates, at wheel speeds of up to 200m/s will be accompanied by excellent surface finish and high dimensional accuracy." The high efficiency deep grinding (HEDG) technology used by Holroyd's Edgetek machines is relatively new.
It operates under conditions far beyond the range of conventional grinding processes - even those of creep feed grinding.
Compared to the latter, HEDG has much higher specific removal rates, 50 - 2000mm3/mm/s compared to 0.1- 10mm3/mm/s.
In addition, HEDG offers improved Burn Threshold qualities, which result in a lower finished surface temperature of the workpiece, and overall improvement in the quality of the finish itself.
These benefits accrue due to the use of CBN superabrasives, which offer high thermal conductivity to remove heat from the grinding process, and also to the unique quality with HEDG that specific grinding energy decreases as grinding chip thickness increases.
This results in specific energies that are similar to conventional cutting processes such as high-speed milling.
Helping to optimise the extremely rapid process times achieved using the 5 axis Edgetek SAM is an integrated measuring solution provided by one of Mitutoyo's Crysta range of co-ordinate measuring machines (CMM).
This was chosen for its ease of programming, accuracy, speed of operation and ability to integrate with the Edgetek machine.
In addition, Mitutoyo has a wealth of experience in aerospace industry particularly related to the highly complex analysis of Turbine Aerofoil Geometry.
This experience was put to good use as Mitutoyo's team of Aerofoil experts liaised with Holroyd Engineers to complete the highly successful integrated solution.
The time saving benefits of the integration are immediately evident when parts are placed on the CMM table and measured using Mitutoyo software.
In the event that machining parameters need altering, the Mitutoyo CMM is able to interface directly to the Edgetek - using software specially written by Holroyd in conjunction with Mitutoyo - to alter the machine's offset position.
This is in effect a reverse engineering process, and is completed in minutes despite the highly complex nature of the part.
Optimised Manufacture Of Almost Any Type of Parts The flexibility of the Holroyd Edgetek design, and the huge variety of machine types and multi-axis configurations available, enables the machines to provide unparalleled levels of precision and productivity in the manufacture of almost any type of parts.
These include gears and sprockets, rotors and impellers, medical instruments, hand tools, air foils and nozzle guides, airframe actuation components, ducting supports, mechanical seals - and many, many, more.
The machines serve a broad spectrum of industry types, including power generation, automotive, aerospace, medicals, tools and general engineering.
They can be tailored to suit specific applications and supplied as complete turnkey solutions as part of a manufacturing cell.
A worldwide service network provides support for the machines, and they also benefit from manufacturer developed preventative maintenance plans.
• Holroyd: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Manufacturingtalk email newsletter
• Manufacturingtalk Home Page
Search the Pro-Talk network of sites
