Product category:
Tool and cutter grinding
News Release from: Walter GB | Subject: Helicheck and Heli Toolcheck machines
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 08 October 2003
Enhancements speed tool and cutter
grinding
Control and software enhancements have made non-contact tool inspection times up to 25 per cent faster on tool and cutter grinding machines equipped with time-saving software programs.
Control and software enhancements have made non-contact tool inspection times up to 25 per cent faster on Walter GB's Helicheck and Heli Toolcheck machines Not only does the use of a Windows XP-based pendant mounted PC with TFT colour monitor, as well as a series of labour- and time-saving software programs including the new Order Management Software, make tool measurement fast and accurate - but the use of either machine in Walter's Automated Toolroom concept can also reduce setting times by up to 50 per cent
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 13 Oct 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Control enhancements speed up tool checks
Control and software enhancements have made non-contact tool inspection times up to 25 per cent faster on Walter GB's Helicheck and Heli Toolcheck machines.
Circular saws ground under 'lights out' conditions
The potential for extended production routines including lights-out operation have spurred Harrison Saw and Tool, to invest in a Woodtronic CNC circular saw blade grinder with auto Loader.
Designed for both manual and automatic use, the Heli Toolcheck can accommodate tools up to 300mm diameter and 500mm long, and it has a repeatable measuring accuracy of +/- 2 microns.
It has X, Y and Z axes of 310mm by 290mm by 640mm - and 60 revs/min in the rotational (a) axis - and is designed for the standard tolerance (+/-2 to 4 microns) measuring of cylindrical and conical shank-type cutters and drills, for example.
Resolution in all linear axes is 0.2 micron and in the rotational axis it is 0.0025 deg.
Further reading
Tool grinder meets rising aerospace demand
Rising order levels from its aerospace customer base have prompted cutting tool specialist, Techni-grind (Preston), to buy a Walter Helitronic Power Regrinder tool and cutter grinder.
Side and face cutter is a flexible slot miller
Available in diameters from 80mm to 315mm and with a wide range of insert geometries, the new F2252 adjustable side and face milling cutter offers unrivalled levels of flexibility for slot milling.
Cameras measure tooling without touching
Walter GB of Redditch has announced a new concept in low-cost, simple-to-operate, non-contact tool measurement with the Heli Toolcheck. The machine is designed for manual or automatic operation.
Repeat accuracy on diameter and length measurements is +/-2 microns.
Heli Toolcheck uses a pair of CCD matrix cameras to measure tooling via direct/incident light.
Direct light is used for measuring external contours and for defining end geometry, land width and radial angle, for instance; while incident light is used for cutting edge position and definition of flute depth, for example.
The four-axis Helicheck accommodates tools in the diameter and length bands of 200mm and 300mm, respectively, and repeat accuracy on diameter and length measurements is +/-1 micron.
Helicheck utilises two integrated CCD matrix cameras to inspect tools using combined direct (diascopic) light and incident (episcopic) light automatically to inspect corner, ball nose and step radii, helix, clearance, rake, step and point angles, flute depth, step length and step diameters on a wide range of tools.
These include cylindrical and tapered helical end mills (inspection programs included as standard), drills and step drills, side and face milling cutters, grinding wheels, profile tools and knives as well as woodworking tools.
Both machines feature a number of innovative software aids for fast and easy set-up and measurement, including: * Order Management Software - for measuring tools of the same type, and uses a standardised user interface for easy and quick access to all stored data; * Quick-Check - dialogue - prompted measurement, instant displays of complete geometries for automatic generation of the measuring program; * Quick-Check Turbo - ultra high-speed multi-parameter measurement on the Heli Toolcheck; * Quick-Check for grinding wheels - fully automatic measurement of wheels.
Also available is a teach-in mode to create user-specific measuring programs and standards, as well as the optional ViaScan and ViaFit software routines that enable users to quickly and easily scan a tool profile then compare the resulting contour with the original CAD design.
Both machines feature the Walter Window Mode (WWM) software which enables interchangeable and corrective data to be transmitted between themselves and Walter's Cyber Grinding tool simulation software system and the Walter Helitronic range of tool grinders.
When used in combination, this Automated Toolroom concept can lead to substantial reductions in setting times through automating the process of designing and producing tools and profile inserts from concept stage through prototyping, grinding and wheel compensation to tool measuring.
• Walter GB: 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
