Product category:
Tool and cutter grinding
News Release from: Walter GB | Subject: 5-axis tool and cutter grinding machines
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 14 July 2005
5-axis tool and cutter grinding enhanced
Many enhancements that improve the productivity of five-axis tool production and regrinding machines include erosion technique for the production of hogging cutters.
Walter Maschinenbau has announced a host of enhancements that improve the productivity of its Helitronic five-axis tool production and regrinding machines: a new erosion technique for the production of hogging cutters on the Helitronic Power Diamond; a grinding wheel storage/changer unit and the new Forklift Loader for the automatic processing of up to 330 tools for the Helitronic Vision; and a profile blade loader for the Helitronic Power Capable of handling tools 350mm long (300mm for face grinding) and 320mm diameter, the two-in-one Helitronic Power Diamond combines CNC erosion with 'conventional' CNC tool grinding for the fast, accurate and cost-efficient machining of both PCD and carbide tools
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 20 Jun 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
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.
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.
The machine uses rotational erosion technology to produce radii down to 0.1mm and generate surface finishes that can eliminate the need for finish-grinding, and it can quickly 'revert' to being a Helitronic Power by utilising its twin-head electrode/grinding wheel spindle unit and the same dielectric.
This erosion process depends on an automatic measuring program that determines all necessary parameters such as angle between axes, angular pitch and tool orthogonal rake, cutting edge position convex/concave and length of cutting edge.
The electrode dressing device allows the creation of contours down to 6 mm.
Further reading
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.
Drills offer price-to-performance benefits
The new range of NOVEX Mini Stardrill solid carbide drills from Walter GB promises unrivalled price-to-performance benefits across the full spectrum of materials and applications.
The new erosion technique for hogging cutters (roughing cutters that hog out large amounts of material) uses a cup electrode during plunge-cutting.
It presents the face of the electrode along the entire length of the PCD cutting edges, with a resulting reduction in processing time and enhanced surface finish.
Capable of holding 12 grinding wheel sets, complete with coolant distributor unit (now capable of 50 bar delivery pressure), the new auto wheel changer for the Helitronic Vision - which accommodates HSS and carbide tools from 3mm to 320mm diameter and up to 370mm long for length/contour grinding and 300mm long for length/face grinding - operates in a similar way to a conventional toolchanger on, say, a machining centre.
The unit is sited adjunct to the machine's working zone and is accessed via a sliding side panel.
Utilising the machine's axes movement for wheel load/unload, a wheel change takes less than 10s.
Benefits of the device include the ability to store and use duplicate wheels for long-run production - to counter downtime caused by wheel wear - and to maintain different wheel sizes and types, including roughing and finishing, CBN and diamond, for processing different tools.
Companies handling profile blades on the Helitronic Power can now take advantage of the new pallet-mounted loader that can accommodate up to 76 blades, depending on blade size, for automatic operation.
The loader incorporates an auto clamping device and is mounted on the machine table.
Walter's new Forklift Loader is the latest example of Walter's continual quest to enable users to maximise the unmanned, and where appropriate lights-out, running of its Helitronic machines - including the processing of mixed batches of tools.
The loader can hold up to 330 tools (each up to 120mm long) on three pallets; on two pallets for 180mm long tools; and one pallet for 300mm long tools.
Walter can supply a variety of Loaders - Eco and Disc, for example - to suit users' unmanned production requirements.
• 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
