A new variable speed 2in (50mm) die grinder that greatly simplifies the procedure required to change accessories. Having a spindle lock only one wrench is needed on the collet.

A new variable speed 2in (50mm) die grinder that greatly simplifies the procedure required to change accessories has been introduced by Metabo. While other tools require two wrenches to change accessories, the GE700 has a spindle lock, so only one wrench is needed on the collet. The new grinder is extremely flexible, featuring an extended spindle ideal for operation in confined areas and Metabo's Vario-Constamatic (VC) full-wave electronic speed control.

The VC speed control allows users to vary speed to accommodate a variety of accessories, including flap wheels, carbide burs, abrasive cut-off wheels, and mounted points.

This makes the tool useful for grinding and cutting a wide range of materials, from hard to soft, including plastic.

The GE700 has a hardened and ground 1/4in collet for accurate balance of fitted attachments, and auto-stop carbon brushes that increase brush life while preventing motor damage that can be caused by worn brushes.

The power switch is ergonomically located on the top of the tool, making it easy to operate for both right- and left-handed users.

Offered with a 3-axis NC gantry loader as standard an angle-approach, cylindrical grinder has a 320mm swing and 125mm maximum centre distance for grinding small, high precision parts.

New from the grinding machine division of Toyoda will be theGW3A-12, an angle-approach, cylindrical grinder with a 320mmswing and 125 mm maximum centre distance. Available also with astraight approach wheel, the machine is Ideal for grindingrelatively small components such as fuel injector and electronicparts. The machine is the first Toyoda grinder to be offered witha 3-axis NC gantry loader as standard equipment, allowing longperiods of unattended running.

Further integration with otherproduction cells is achieved using pallets or conveyors.

Idealfor use with alumoxide wheels, or with CBN as will bedemonstrated at MACH 2002, the machine has a compact footprintmeasuring only 950mm wide without the loader.

It is also thefirst Toyoda grinder to be fitted with a Fanuc control - the 21iCNC - rather than the manufacturer's own.

This providecontrol of six axes, three for the machine and three for theloader.

A notable feature on this and all other Toyoda grindersis the STAT hydrostatic / hydrodynamic wheel spindle bearing.Absence of metal-to-metal contact and good vibration dampingcharacteristics assure high accuracy and long service life.Grinding speed is 45 m/s, although 60 or 80 m/s is available forCBN.

Other specifications include 219mm wheelhead infeed and20m/min rapid traverse rate; 32 - 1,000 rpm workhead spindlespeed; and 25mm tailstock quill stroke.

A single point, diamondwheel dresser is standard with the machine.

On show also will bethe Toyoda GU4x100 CNC, a universal grinder featuring automaticindexing of the wheelhead under computer control for deployingeither the internal grinding spindle or one of two externalgrinding wheels for straight- and angle-approach.

Poweredindexing of the wheelhead is in five degree or one degreeincrements using a Hirth coupling and hydraulic clamping toensure precise location.

A full B axis is a further option.Available in two versions with 1000mm or 1500mm between centres,the machine has maximum internal and external grinding diametersof 300 mm and 120 mm respectively, 320 mm swing over the tableand a wheel surface speed of 30m/s (optionally 45m/s).

An angle grinder, which maintains a constant speed while operating during both maximum load and no-load conditions, allows the user to achieve significantly greater productivity while grinding.

The WE14-150 Plus angle grinder, which maintains a constant speed while operating during both maximum load and no-load conditions, has been introduced by Metabo. The tool features Metabo's Vario-Constamatic (VC) full-wave electronic speed control, allowing the operator to achieve significantly greater productivity while grinding. The WE14-150 offers thermal overload protection to reduce motor burn out when used in heavy-duty applications.

A light signal flashes to give warning of impending overload to the operator if the temperature of the windings should approach the maximum permissible value.

The grinder includes several standard features for easy operation, including Metabo's unique 'Quick' system that enables the operator to change grinding wheels without the use of tools, significantly reducing downtime.

Metabo also offers a tool-less wheel guard adjustment that allows the operator to make adjustments rapidly and safely.

The WE14-150 incorporates Metabo's Marathon motor with epoxy resin powder-coated field coils, which make the motor extremely resistant to destructive grinding dust and help prevent overheating.

The grinder also includes a two-position side handle for additional comfort and control during operation, as well as Metabo's exclusive S-automatic safety clutch to prevent injury from kickback in the event of a wheel jam.

A winding protection grid deflects harmful airborne debris away from armature windings, increasing motor life by up to five times.

Using a biomedical engineering micro-dosing technique, CBN and diamond coated honing tool lives can be increased up to 10 to 20 times, while grinding performance can be quadrupled.

Using a biomedical engineering micro-dosing technique, CBN anddiamond coated honing tool lives can be increased up to 10 to 20times, while grinding performance can be increased up to fourtimes. It is no surprise that the tool grinding time and costs -and quality of finish - is directly dependable on the quality ofthe grinding wheel. Distribution of CBN or diamond grains on awheel surface is random - which influences grindingcharacteristics.

Dr Gregor Burkhard of the Institute of MachineTools and Manufacturing, the Swiss Federal Institute ofTechnology, Zurich, has developed a precise grain-placing methodbased on medical practices.

The result is significant shorteningof tool grinding time and grinding wheel life.

Dr Burkhardpresented his results at the Fritz Studer Grinding Symposium,held in Thun, Switzerland, earlier in 2002.

With random spacingof CBN or diamond grains, the spaces in between the grains canclog, resulting in 'burning' of the tool or workpiecesurfaces, said Dr Burkhard.

Usually CBN and diamond coatedgrinding wheels consist of a steel or aluminium wheel body thecircumferential work surface of which is electroplated withnickel or nickel alloy to secure the abrasive grains.

Usually,the surface is coated with an adhesive, and the wheel rolled in alayer of abrasive grains.

The adhesive holds them in place duringthe electroplating process.

'The grains are randomlyarranged,' said Dr Burkhard, 'which means that thedistance between the individual grains - which serves totransport cooling lubricant into, and chips out of, the machiningzone, is also random.

This represents a major disadvantage ofsuch tools, as individual spaces can easily become clogged duringmachining, which then eventually leads to abrasive burning on thetool and, therefore, to spoilage.' Another point made by DrBurkhard was that with existing grinding wheel electro-platingmethods, the abrasive grains are only 'mechanicallyclamped' in place and grain projection is only 40 - 50% ofthe mean grain diameter.

With the new grain dispensing method, itis possible to determine the size and location of the vacantspaces.

Then, if an active brazing alloy bond is used, grainprojection can amount to 80-100% of the mean grain diameter.'This permits good supply of the cooling lubricant into, andgood removal of the chips from, the machining zone, ' saidDr Burkhard, 'thus enabling higher metal removal rates andcutting times.' Dr Burkhard's team has adapted the useof micro-dosing from biomedical engineering processes.

Normallyused for precision pipetting purposes, micro-dosing producesuniform drops with a maximum diameter of about 40 microns at anemission frequency of up to 2000Hz.

Such a dosing head consistsof a glass capillary tube connected to a reservoir via a feedpipe.

It forms a jet with its mid-section enclosed by apiezoactor.

The piezoactor contracts when a voltage pulse isapplied, so causing a drop to be emitted.

A heater is alsoincluded to set the optimum viscosity of the fluid.

So DrBurkhard's team built a prototype device to sequentiallydose the work surface of a grinding wheel body with liquidadhesive drops in specific patterns and distribution.

The wheelis then rolled through a thin layer of abrasive grains, the sizeof the drop determining whether a single, or clusters of, a CBNor diamond grain are picked up.

Brazing paste is then applied tothe wheel work surface.

In practice, the prototype'micro-dosed' structures were applied to mandrel-typehoning tools (or honing sleeves) to hone the interrupted bore ofa hardened gear wheel to the finished size of 12F7 diameter.Before, the process was carried out in three stages usingelectroplated honing sleeves with settings of 0.04, 0.04 and acalibrating pass of 0.01mm (on diameter).

The mean service lifeof the electroplated tools was 5000 strokes at the 0.04mmsetting.

In tests, with setting at 0.08mm on diameter, life ofthe electroplated honing sleeve was 1000 bores.

The micro-dosedand brazed honing sleeve lasted for 6000 bores.

Yet themicro-dosed tools had not yet been fully optimised in terms ofgrain size and grain spacing! Further development resulted in themicro-dosed honing sleeves producing a service life of 10 to 20times greater than the traditional electro-plated honing sleeves.Development went on to produce internal grinding CBN and diamondcoated pinwheels and a disc-type grinding wheel.

In tests withthe latter, a wheel of 300mm diameter and 20mm wide was used intests in hardened tool steel in a Maegerle surface grinder,producing a related time/machining volume of Qw = 20mm3/mms at acutting speed of Vc = 40m/s.

'This is four times the valuefor conventional tools,' said Dr Burkhard.

Bear in mind thatthe increased metal removal rate was achieved without optimisingcoolant to suit the new wheel.

In many industrial fields, including the automobile industry, product platforms have been used successfully for several years, it has now been applied to cylindrical grinders.

The modular platform concept is to the customer's advantageIn many industrial fields, including the automobile industry,product platforms have been used successfully for several years.A standardisation of systems, sub-assemblies and components, evenover different makes and models, are of central importance, themain target being a reduction of engineering time and costs.Although the above cannot be directly applied to machine tolls,the following explanations should show that similarities existand a platform concept also provides considerable advantages withregard to the universal and external cylindrical grindingmachines of Studer. The Studer product range is characterised bya large variety of machine types and versions with the intentionof satisfying the different requirements of a large number ofinternational customers. Due to this multitude of types andvariations, there are additional expenses for engineering,production and logistics.

In this field, a modular platformconcept, combined with a consequent 'same partstrategy', provides economical and technical advantages forthe manufacturer as well as for the customer.

All the newdevelopments of recent years in the field of universal andcylindrical external grinding machines are based on two basicplatform types with standardised sub-assemblies, components andinterfaces.

The product platforms for the respective machinetypes derive from this: Platform basis A for the machines S21,S31 and eco, Platform basis B for machines S32 and S41 Furtherproduct platforms can be built from the above, and realised withminimal technical risks.

Characteristics of the basic types ofplatforms A and B - common characteristics * Machine bed inGranitan S103 with 3-point support.

* Circulating balls screwswith directly coupled servo motors.

* Linear measuring systems.

* Well dimensioned slides.

* Coolanttray.

* Protected guideways.

Varying characteristics: Platformtype A: * Distance between centres max: 1000mm.*Centre height max: 175mm.

* workpiece weight, max: 120kg.

*Guideways, X and Z axis: linear roller ways.

* Distance betweenthe guideways: 200 mm.

* Workpiece table: 140 mm for centreheight 175mm and 200mm for centre height 225mm.

Platform type B:* Distance between centres, max: 1600mm.

* Centre heightmax: 225mm.

* Workpiece weight max: 180kg.

* Guideways: X axis:Pre-loaded hydrostatic guideways and Z axis, linear rollerbearings.

* Distance between the guideways: 250mm.

* Workpiecetable: 140mm.

Platform concept combined with modularsub-assemblies - the combination of product platforms and modularsub-assemblies, such as wheelheads, workheads, tailstocks, etc,form the basis for a versatile and clear product structure.However, the possibilities of combining are limited by physicaland economical restrictions.

These are due to the machine sizes,the drive power of the wheelhead and the type of machine, i e,universal or cylindrical external grinding machine.

Product andstrategic marketing considerations are further criteria which caninfluence and restrict the combination possibilities.

The basicversions of wheelheads are firmly allocated to the differentproduct platforms.

We distinguish between wheelheads withintegrated B axis for the universal cylindrical grinding machinesand the fixed or limited swivelling wheelheads for thecylindrical external grinding machines.

The layout of grindingwheels can be adapted to the customer's requirements withinthe possibilities of the respective modular concept.

For furtherinformation with regard to the grinding wheel layout, pleaserefer to the respective documents.

Depending on the main use, theproduct platforms can be equipped with workheads for universal orchuck applications.

One of the main differences, apart from theadmissible load, is the tool clamping interface.

For automaticprocessing, for instance of highly accurate components in largeseries for the Diesel injection industry, special workheads canbe installed.

On all the product platforms there is the samebasic tailstock type.

This unit is conceived for the differentcentre heights and table loads.

For automatic processing, specialversions are available.

Summary - the modular platform conceptfor the universal and external cylindrical grinding machines ofStuder brings various advantages: * Reduced engineering time andcosts for realising similar machine types or versions.

* Savingsfor the manufacturer and the customer by using compatible systemsand components.

* Versatile product structures by combining theproduct platforms with modular sub-assemblies and standardisedinterfaces.

* High reliability of the products thanks to ampleexperience gained with the product platforms under differentworking conditions.

* High and stable quality thanks toproduction in series and standardised quality checks.

*Accessories can be used for different product platforms.

*Identical service and maintenance thanks to similar systems andcomponents.

* Short-term availability of spare parts.

*Simplified retrofitting of functions and sub-assemblies..

Facing and internal grinding machine can concentrate and combine serveral operations - including profile grinding - into one set-up under CNC.

Danobat offers maximum flexibility in internal and face grinding with the new Overbeck IG 400 CNC internal and face grinding machine. Increase productivity and efficiency of the processes, reduce the space in the plant and guarantee the finishing of parts are the results of the new Overbeck IG 400 in the demanding internal grinding sector. * Danobat: Overbeck IG 400 - the IG 400 offers the possibility of concentrating and combining several operations coordinated by numerical control.

This model performs form grinding, and also has up to four workstations combining internal and face grinders and measuring devices.

The main advantage offered by the IG400 is the capacity to carry out all the part internal and face grinding operations in one clamping, regardless of the size of the batch.

The software designed for this machine allows for easily carrying out simple cycles by means of the introduction of basic parameters or more complex combinations that enable a greater degree of automation of the process.

More flexibility in programming with variable graphics simulation for grinding and wheel dressing feature the latest Chevalier CNC surface grinding machines.

Expansion of the Chevalier range of CNC surface grinding machines, represented in the UK by C Dugard of Hove, UK, brings new levels of programming flexibility with variable graphics simulation for grinding and wheel dressing where the speed of review sequences can be varied by the operator. The Smart II - Series of multi-function, 3-axis machines has been developed for surface, form, step, slicing and profile grinding parts as diverse as turbine blades, punches, graphite electrodes and ceramics and production batch work such as automotive cam followers and valve stems. With the new control and software, the machines can also be programmed to produce different slots with varying depths and pitches on the same part.

In addition, with the inclusion of a CNC rotary table giving speeds up to 33 rev/min, the machines can be used to create cylindrical grinding cycles as well.

Key to the flexibility of the Smart-II Series is the simple graphics-based conversational control that incorporates a wide range of macros for grinding and wheel dressing including compensation with full grinding and wheel dressing simulation.

The simulation cycles utilise the electronic handwheels for manual axis movements to provide the facility whereby forward or reverse display of the program paths can be viewed.

The faster the handwheels are rotated in either direction, governs the speed of the execution of the simulation cycle.

There are four automatic graphic modes for dressing: table type with single point diamond or diamond roller, overhead diamond roller or full profile dressing.

Further advantages of the Chevalier system is the automatic wheel compensation that can even be executed in profile dressing mode, while pre-set dressing cycles can be initiated at anytime during the grinding cycle.

Once the dressing cycle is complete, additional finish or 'patch' passes can be made without having to repeat the complete cycle.

The new machine range spans the Smart II-818, 1224 and 1640 providing table sizes of 200mm by 460mm, 300mm by 600mm and 400mm by 1000mm and table loadings up to 670kg.

The maximum distance from table surface to spindle centre 406mm on the smallest machine, 630mm on the 1224 and 630mm on the larger machine.

Grinding wheel sizes are 203mm by 12.7mm by 31.75mm, 355mm by 50mm by 127mm and 355mm by 50mm by 127mm.

The machine is built on a single T-shaped base casting giving maximum rigidity with hardened and ground double 'Vee' ways and Turcite-B coated longitudinal and crossfeed guideways between base, saddle and table.

There is a range of options for the spindle specification from 1.5kW to 11.25kW depending on the machine size with further options for oil or air cooling.

Additional options include: linear scales, automatic wheel balancing, single disc dresser and a paper filter coolant system.