Product category:
Tool and cutter grinding
News Release from: Koerber Schleifring UK | Subject: Helicheck Basic tool inspection machine
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 03 April 2008
CNC machine checks profiled milling
cutters
Cutting tool supplier has added on a 5-axis CNC inspection machine to increase inspection capacity and check for a range of bespoke milling and drilling cutters having many special form profiles.
M R Tool (Atherstone), UK, has added a Walter Helicheck Basic entry-level tool inspection machine, supplied by Koerber Schleifring UK of Honiley near Kenilworth, to speed inspection times and help eliminate human error M Tool operates six Walter Helitronic Power CNC 5-axis tool and cutter grinders
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 4 Apr 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
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Explaining why the company wanted a Walter Helicheck Basic, M R Tool's production director, Doug Pugh, said: "As well as increasing our inspection capacity we wanted more advanced technology in order to check for an aerospace client a range of bespoke milling and drilling cutters that feature many special form profiles".
M R Tool used to use conventional projector technology alongside a Swiss-manufactured digital measuring machine.
"Our three-axis digital machine is great for measuring features such as lead angles, but the special aerospace cutters contain too many forms for this machine to be a feasible option, which is why we enquired about the Helicheck Basic," said Pugh.
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He added: "We've had fantastic performance from our Helitronic tool grinders and the support from Korber Schleifring UK has always been reliable, so there was no need to look elsewhere." Installed at M R Tool in February 2008, the Helicheck Basic offers 3C Direct View camera technology with cameras for back, front and top light illumination of tools measuring up to 320mm diameter by 400mm long.
The back light provides magnification of 50x and front and top of 100x.
These features when combined with the machine's solid granite base plate for temperature resistance and high stability, give a result of repeatability of 1.5 micron and an absolute accuracy of +/-2.2 micron at a measuring length of 10mm (VDI/VDE 2617: E1 = 2.2 micron + L/300).
Pugh said that the key factors influencing the decision to proceed were as follows.
* Precision (the aerospace cutters feature micron tolerances).
* Price.
* Compact footprint - the Helicheck Basic occupies 30% less floorspace than the model in the Walter range that it superseded (the Toolcheck).
The milling and drilling cutters measured are manufactured from HSS and solid carbide to specific customer specifications.
Pugh said: "Batch sizes are fairly low, but that suits us at the moment while we become familiar with our new acquisition." He added that two M R Tool operators are currently undergoing Helicheck Basic training, with encouraging results.
"Obviously it is quite a step up from a manual projector in terms of technology, but already they're telling me that the machine is easy to use." Koerber Schleifring told manufacturingtalk that M R Tool has ambitious plans for its Helitronic Basic in the long term, intending to gradually add standard production tools to the machine's itinerary of products to measure.
"What I would like to achieve is to take the tool measurement function away from the inspection department and give it to the grinding machine operators," said Pugh.
"This will not only provide job ownership responsibilities, but it will also speed up throughput time".
Although too early for time studies, Pugh estimated that the Helicheck Basic will prove to be 'considerably faster' than methods employed previously for checking cutting tools.
He concluded: "Furthermore, it will eliminate almost all margin for human error.".
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