Lymington Precision Engineers has gained a reputation over its 30 year history of being a ‘can do’ organisation, growing to a £50 million turnover business on the back of targeted investment in people and manufacturing technology. Now under the wings of the Senior PLC as a member of its Flexonics Division, LPE is continuing to invest and diversify as well as increasing the capacity for existing customers within the Oil & Gas, Telecommunications, Aerospace and Defence, Land and Sea Systems, Nuclear and Marine industries.

In the past 12 months LPE, which is accredited to ISO 14001 and 18001 and is working towards AS9100, opened a second manufacturing location, this additional 30,000 ft2 facility takes total floorspace to 121,000 ft2 and enhances the company’s ability to project manage large, low-volume components on machines with up to 4 m capacity as well as higher volume work on its two flexible machining systems. All of its work tends to be high-tech, high-added value, working with difficult to machine materials to tight tolerances. Within the new facility is a purpose-built, temperature-controlled, environment for its latest machine tool investment, a Danobat HG-72-3000-B11, a universal heavy-duty grinding machine. This 3000mm between centre machine is capable of grinding diameters up to 640 mm weighing up to 1.5 tonnes and, the integrated torque motor on the CNC-controlled B-axis allows the machine to carry out a wide range of grinding functions, including external and internal grinding, thread grinding. The machine’s wheelhead is powered by a 45kW motor that generates peripheral speeds of up to 45 m/min on the machine at LPE, with a maximum wheel diameter of 610 mm.

The new Danobat machine was purchased to support a long-term commitment by a longstanding customer, which will be part of a 10-year project for LPE. While this work takes priority the additional capacity created will allow new work, that couldn’t previously be ground, to be won. “The Danobat HG-72-3000-B11 is probably the largest capacity universal CNC grinder available for sub-contract work in the UK and having it should open up a number of opportunities for us. It is also a very accurate machine that will allow us to grind very large components, many with thin wall sections, to tolerances of 0.01mm,” says Nathan Davies, New Product Development Manager, Lymington Precision Engineers.

While LPE already had a wide range of grinders at its disposal, this is the first Danobat machine that it has purchased, and initially Nathan Davies was looking at ‘sticking with what he knew’. However, a visit to the Danobat factory quickly convinced him that it was time for a change. “We gave our existing supplier and Danobat three challenging parts to look at, and while the former would only talk about additional cost involved, Danobat simply got on with developing the process, they provided additional cycles for internal thread grinding including probing cycles and they committed to working closely with us throughout the project. Some of the parts have bores up to 1.1metres deep with wall thicknesses down to 2 mm, we are now able to grind these to tolerances of 0.02 concentricity and 0.01 on diameter to surface finishes of 0.4Ra. Danobat took on responsibility from start to finish and offered solutions to problems, not simply fixed ideas. This gave us the confidence that we had chosen the right supplier as we could blend our knowledge of the parts with their experience in grinding.”

The detailed planning by LPE ensured that the machine arrived and was installed without issues and virtually every contingency has been accounted for, with LPE specifying a wide selection of work steadies and ancillary equipment with the machine. To cover all internal grinding applications LPE ordered five spindles, with one having the shaft manufactured from carbon fibre, due to the extreme diameter to length ratio. Also fitted to the Danobat HG-72-3000-B11 grinder is an MDM Danobat Absolute Measuring Unit. This is designed for in-process gauging and enables LPE to measure a wide variety of diameters whether they are solid or intermittent surfaces. Once the grinding cycle is complete, before removing the part from between centres, it can then check, post-process, for diameter, faces and geometry within the complete mechanical working range of the machine.

Typical of the partnership that developed between LPE and Danobat were specific machine modifications that were made, such as the dual coolant system that allows LPE to quickly switch from the ‘clean’ coolant required for its long-term customer’s work to regular coolant for general work. Also, the machine’s internal covers are all manufactured from stainless steel, again to prevent contamination of parts. Service support was also a vital element in the decision making process and the fact that Danobat has UK-based service engineers who can be called on at any time was further reassurance for Nathan Davies.

“Working with Danobat has been an unexpected bonus, they are a company that is open to challenges and their engineers were willing to change and develop ideas in partnership with us. And, while the price of the machine was important, we presented them with lots of ‘what if’ scenarios Danobat took them all in their stride, gave us a fixed price for the machine, including software support in terms of writing new grinding cycles if we need them during the first 12 months. We added to the pressure further by not being able to fully divulge many of the part details in the early stages due to confidentiality clauses and when our customer put pressure on us to commence manufacturing Danobat pulled delivery of the machine forward by two months. The result of the close working relationship between LPE and Danobat means that we have achieved something quite special in terms of grinding capability,” says Nathan Davies.

NUM will be demonstrating an innovative new development to its renowned NUMROTO tool grinding software at GrindTec 2016. The company is launching a suite of enhancements for the package, including new gash out-X and flute-X facilities that pave the way for next-generation complex geometry tools.

NUM has also further enhanced the flexibility of NUMROTO by adding a number of new facilities for end-mills and drills. These include ‘Quickedit’ pages to simplify parameter selection for re-sharpening standard tools, predefined minimum cycle times to ensure reliable communication between the PC and the CNC even when generating very high precision tool paths with many points, and optimised grinding of rough profile end-mills.

First launched in 1987, NUMROTO software has become the preferred choice for many of the world’s leading manufacturers of machines for the production and re-sharpening of tools such as end-mills, drills, step drills, form cutters and many others. Compared to some competitive products on the market, the software provides a much more direct and efficient path between tool design and manufacture. Featuring an integrated modelling-simulation-interpolation chain, NUMROTO avoids the sequential CAD-to-CAM and CAM-to-CNC translation phases of conventional software approaches and provides a true WYSIWYG output. This helps users of tool grinding machinery sidestep multiple data format changes and emulations.

NUM’s stand at GrindTec 2016 – 7070 in Hall 7 – should be the first port of call for visitors wishing to see the future of CNC machine tool automation. Technical staff, equipped with computer workstations, will be on hand to demonstrate the advantages of NUMROTO software and to answer customers’ questions.

The S41 CNC universal cylindrical grinding machine is characterized by outstanding technology and cost-effectiveness. The machine grinds with much higher precision, paired with a much greater metal removal rate. In addition the longitudinal and cross slide, as well as the swivel axis for the wheelhead are equipped with electric direct drives, which move to the working position much more quickly and precisely.

Higher precision, better surface quality, higher metal removal rates – these are the constantly increasing requirements made by the market on the cost-effectiveness of grinding machines in a nutshell. In fulfilling these requirements, Fritz Studer AG once again sets standards with its S41 CNC universal cylindrical grinding machine. The developers used the practical know-how from a predecessor machine proven worldwide over many years, but the machine scores with a number of outstanding design features. It works more quickly and precisely and also offers a broader range of applications, with production options that are highly attractive with regard to cost-effectiveness. And by saving on auxiliary times, it considerably shortens the cycle times of the grinding process.

Maintenance-free guide system

The new StuderGuide^® guideway system ensures high precision of the longitudinal and cross slides when both stationary and during movement. The StuderGuide^® guideway system uses the advantages of hydrostatic and hydrodynamic guide systems and avoids the slip-stick effect or floating of the slide. Also contributing to the machine’s high precision is the fact that the solid gray cast iron longitudinal and cross slides rest completely on the guideways over the entire travel. With this maintenance-free guide system, Studer guarantees a straightness of < 0.003 millimeters over a measured length of 950 millimeters. The first test results even gave values of < 0.002 millimeters.

Machine variants expand market potential for users

In addition to the considerable increases in working speed and precision, the S41 also has a number of advantageous characteristics which enable the user to cover an extended workpiece range, and thus a broader market range.

• For instance the height of centers on the standard version has been increased to 225 millimeters. The machine is also optionally available with a height of centers of 275 millimeters; this is not achieved by means of distance plates, but by making the workheads higher. The maximum distance between centers is 1000 millimeters on the standard machine, but a machine variant with a distance between centers of 1600 millimeters is also available. Thanks to the greater heights of centers and distances between centers, workpieces with weights of up to 250 kg can now also be machined. The machine is equipped with a hydraulically clamped tailstock for the heavier workpieces.
• Up to four external grinding wheels or three internal grinding spindles enable over 30 grinding head combinations. The grinding wheels are no longer driven by belt drives, but only by motor spindles. The machine can also be equipped with motor spindles for high speed grinding (HSG). Internal grinding spindles with speeds from 6000 to 120,000 rpm can be used. Automatic balancing systems and frequency converters for each external grinding spindle allow the grinding process to be specifically matched to the respective conditions of use. Wheel head variants are also available with a vertical spindle for grinding keyways or with a traverse-grinding axis for traverse grinding of internal tapers.

AMADA MACHINE TOOLS CO., LTD. will participate in INTERMOLD 2015, the 26th Japan Metal Stamping Technology Exhibition, which will be held at Tokyo Big Sight from April 15 (Wed.) to April 18 (Sat.), 2015. The company will propose “Process innovation  a total solution from mold making to stamping process”, based on its latest digital, eco-friendly, grinding combined processing and automation technologies.

The multiprocess center GX-350 is a new 5-axis, milling and grinding combined processing machine. It can process workpieces up to φ 350 mm × 250 mm. Due to an independent structure for the tool spindle together with a gantry structure and an independent rotary table, the workpiece mass does not affect dynamic accuracy, which enabled processing to be stable and high precision. The ATC can handle grinding wheel diameters up to φ 150 mm, so grinding combined processing with a wide range of variations can be achieved.

The multiprocess center MX-150 is the optimal multiprocessing machine for making complex-shaped completed parts, as a wide variety of processing functions are combined into this machine. We will show a machine with automation specification with an automatic workpiece changer, which is optimized for high-mix and low-volume production. The multiprocess center MX-150 is also a 5-axis machine combining three processes which are milling, turning and grinding. It provides significantly improved processing accuracy as a result of an independent structure for the tool spindle which prevents the accumulation of positioning errors. Grinding surface finish can be
performed with this machine as well. The digital electric servo stamping press SDE-1522(SF) is equipped with an exclusive servo motor which can generate high torque energy at low speed. The machine has various motion
controls, which realize high value-added forming process; high accuracy processing, process shortening, combination processing and forming of materials which are difficult to be processed owing to pulse forming.
The single crank stamping press TP-80FX is the latest model of the general-purpose crank press TP series that has been offered since 1965. This machine can be used flexibly, from a single stamping such as blanking, bending or drawing to automated progressive stamping. A software “APINES,” which allows to visualize the operational status and maintenance information of  machines, will be also exhibited.

CNC grinding machine from Okuma delivers accuracy and power in a compact design.

Okuma’s GI-10NII is equipped with extremely rigid, high-speed grinding wheel spindles that produce high performance production in automated environments. Capable of simultaneous two-axis control, this model is extremely flexible in handling a variety of workpiece shapes in a simple data setting.

Centralized control of lubricating and pneumatic devices allows for easy maintenance, while simplified programming and the program help function allow for easy operation.

Equipped with features that enhance the automation process, this CNC grinding machine is capable of simultaneous dressing and loading, fixed workhead construction, and greater X-axis travel to provide additional space for workpiece loading/unloading.

Key Features of the GI-10NII

• 6” max grinding ID
• NC high-speed oscillation for higher stock removal rates
• 5-surface hydrostatic guideway system (Z-axis)
• High rigidity for powerful grinding
• Standard Hi-G control
• High-speed loader at a rapid traverse of 180 m/min
• Variety of loader patterns for easy automation

Strausak has been showcasing its splendid Swiss-made tool grinding machines at the 17th edition of South-East Asia’s biggest biennial industrial show IMTEX 2015 and Tooltech 2015.

The event kick-started its 7-day exhibition and conference on January 22, 2015, inaugurated by the Indian Machine Tool Manufacturer’s Association (IMTMA) at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) in Bangalore, Karnataka.

Manufacturers of tools are dependent on high-end technologies for the grinding and sharpening of their products. Often, these processes are undertaken by specifically designed grinding machines.

Strausak specializes in this highly complex field of operation located in Switzerland. The company develops, produces and distributes state-of-the-art 5-axes tool grinders and cylindrical, pinch/peel grinding machines for customers around the globe.

Strausak has introduced new cylindrical pinch/peel grinding machine C-Grind and the new release of the established 5-axis tool grinding machine U-Grind.

The U-Grind features a powerful motor-spindle with 12kW, which permits excellent material removal rates.

An integrated wheel changer and a tool loader, combined with the powerful numeric control by NUMRoto control provides our customers with the flexibility that is required to be successful in small batch tool production and/or prototyping.

The C-Grind completes the company’s portfolio as a highly efficient blank-preparation solution.

“With this machine we mainly supply manufacturers of precision cutting tools,” explains Mr Stefan Möri, sales director, Strausak. “This target group is addressed in various ways, for example through participation in international trade shows as well as through an extensive sales, application and service network worldwide. In the past 2 years our support network has expanded greatly in Asia. Our machines can be seen in showrooms in Tokyo, Japan, Shanghai, China and Chicago, USA, and we have excellent representatives throughout south-east Asia. Besides that, we are
able to take advantage of synergies in our parent company’s distribution network. Our high-precision machines are renowned for their reliability and availability,”

The company was founded as a mechanical repair workshop for the watch industry in 1923.

“In the beginnings of Strausak, the enterprise served as an accessory manufacturer for machine tools and produced its first complete machine in 1927,” explains Mr Stefan Möri.

He further said, “Based on its innovative strength, the company gradually developed into a leading manufacturer. In 1963, for example, a patented gear-hobbing machine was designed and produced in several thousand units. Between1980 and 1988, several machines for special applications in several industries were engineered.”

Today Strausak operates as a subsidiary of Rollomatic Holding with Alexandre Condrau as managing director.

Tyrolit exhibited its five brand new product innovations at the IMTEX 2015, which is South-East Asia’s biggest biennial industrial which kick-started its 7-day exhibition and conference on January 22, 2015. The company is exhibitin from Hall 5 and stall C105.

The event was inaugurated by the Indian Machine Tool Manufacturer’s Association (IMTMA) at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) in Bangalore, Karnataka.

TYROLIT is one of the world’s largest producers of grinding, cutting, drilling and dressing tools as well as machines for the construction industry.

The five product highlights:
STARTEC PG-1: Grinding tools for high-speed external cylindrical longitudinal grinding
With the STARTEC PG-1 product line, TYROLIT will for the first time be presenting an innovative roughing and finishing wheel for the peel grinding of tungsten carbide tool blanks in particular.

The innovative combination of process-optimized diamond quality and high-strength metallic bond results in a roughing wheel that delivers a feed increase of up to 25% while reducing wheel wear by up to 10%.

The finishing wheel is available with either long-life ceramic or metal bonds, which even smooths out large allowance fluctuations after roughing and produces maximum surface quality. The rapid availability of the STARTEC PG-1 product line is a further customer benefit.

STARTEC XP-P: Cup wheels for universal tool manufacturing applications
STARTEC XP-P from TYROLIT is a byword for maximum efficiency and optimum tool quality in flute grinding.

In the future, Cup wheels will be added to the product range with innovative specifications for machining clearance surfaces and face geometries on stock-removal tools made from tungsten carbide.

Users benefit from the outstanding edge stability produced by the extended dressing interval and also the large production volumes, which ensure the reassuringly familiar high tool quality.

The new STARTEC XP-P cup wheel specifications not only reduce grinding forces – achieving a higher feed speed in the process – but also prevents tool breakages due to overloading during the grinding process.

TYROLIT guarantees swift availability for selected STARTEC XP-P cup wheels.

STARTEC MT-1: Precision grinding wheels for producing high-precision micro tools
System solutions comprising high-precision grinding tools and specially designed dressing wheels make up the new STARTEC MT-1 product line from TYROLIT.

Customers are free to machine tools down to the smallest dimensions. Bespoke diamond qualities and an innovative bond structure ensure low grinding forces and particularly high cutting efficiency during grinding.

Minimal reject-part rates and optimum ground tool quality are the result. Furthermore, the new specifications also promise increased edge retention with the same tool quality and this is attributed to the trueing interval.

SOLOTEC: Grinding tools for peripheral grinding of tungsten carbide and metal-ceramic cutting inserts
The new SOLOTEC product line from TYROLIT has been designed as the perfect solution for the peripheral grinding of cutting inserts made from tungsten carbide and metal-ceramic.

It is compatible with all current grinding machines. Varied and newly developed bond systems with optimized strength and increased brittleness, as well as smaller diamond grit sizes, achieve higher stock removal rates with reduced cutting-edge chipping. The innovative specifications produce efficient grinding tools that improve the grinding process while simultaneously increasing workpiece quality.

TYROLIT application engineers define the optimum specifications for every usage case as stipulated by the customer-specific workpiece and machinery factors.

Standard tools from the SOLOTEC product line are in stock and available for rapid delivery.

MIRA ULTRA: Vitrified bonded worm grinding wheels for continuous generating grinding of gears
TYROLIT has specially developed the MIRA Ultra product line for the continuous generating grinding of gears. Its major quality is that all specifications can be produced without the addition of sintered aluminium oxide.

The result is maximum economic efficiency guaranteed through higher dressing cycles, reduced shift travel and greater stock removal rates in conjunction with lower purchase costs.

Aurangabad-based Grindmaster Machines Pvt Ltd, a leader in grinding and finishing technology is all set to unveil some of its most sought after technologies at the premier exhibition, IMTEX 2015 at Bengaluru. The company will be showcasing Microfinishing Machine for Crankshafts & Camshafts, Dynamic Balancing Machine for Crankshafts, Gear Tooth Chamfering and deburring machine, Nano finish range of machines and Robotic Machining Cell. The company will showcase its solutions at  Hall–2A Stall–B 106.

Grindmaster to display the below mentioned machines at IMTEX:-

Crankshaft Lapping Machine
The company offers crankshaft and camshaft microfinishing machines in technical collaboration with IMPCO USA. The machines are built with patented GBQ (Generating Bearing Quality) Technology. The machine configuration is determined depending upon the part drawings, cycle time requirement etc. These machines are capable of producing a surface finish of 0.12 µRa from input of 0.4µRa in a single step, consistently, with improvements in geometry, size-control & taper. Auto loading/unloading, Interface with gantry etc. can be offered as extra feature. Microfinishing of engine parts by GBQ method extends product life, prevents premature bearing failure thus reducing warranty cost.

Dynamic Balancing Machine
Grind Master offers Crankshaft Balancing Machines in collaboration with Balance Engineering, USA. Machine has soft suspension and highly accurate measurement system. Balancing accuracy within 10 gm cm can be achieved in only one pass. Machine has WIN CBI Touch Screen for user friendly operations. Various job loading options are offered.

Gear Tooth Chamfering & Deburring Machine
Grind master offers Gear Tooth Chamfering and Deburring Machine in Technical Collaboration with SAMPUTENSILI, Italy. Model SCT3 is a universal machine which can be used for a wide range of spur and helical gears, shaft type gears, bevel gears and pinions etc. It has Chamfering and Deburring heads that use patented tooling from SAMP so as to produce symmetrical & consistent chamfering results on the gear tooth.
SAMP patented deburring tools are spring loaded to compensate for face width variation. The machines are offered with optional shuttle feed loader or gantry / robotic automation systems.

CNC Microfinisher for Transmission Shafts
Grind Master offers Nanofinish range of machines for microfinishing of engine and transmission parts. Model SMP-500 is CNC microfinisher which is used for Microfinishing of Transmission Shafts, Steering Parts and Pump Parts, Turbo Charger Shafts, lay shafts, main shafts. It has patented Nano Finish Control System that provides the simple and user friendly screen for easy and quick set up change and therefore the machine is very flexible and suitable to handle a range of parts.
The various Microfinishing parameters can be easily set on the screen of this system thereby achieving the finishing results at optimum cost

Robotic Machining Systems
The new robotic machining system is equipped with Heavy Duty KUKA Robot, Machining Spindle with Automatic Tool Change and Delcam CAM Programming Software. It is specifically beneficial for art & sculpture, prototyping, foundry and die mould.

By Nishant Kashyap

Grindmaster bagged the title, “SME of the Year” award at the emerging India award 2014 that was jointly organised by ICICI Bank and CNBC. The award was presented at a ceremony in Mumbai on December 13. Grindmaster also received the award for “Engineering and Capital Goods” vertical and was nominated for “Woman Entrepreneur of the Year”.

Grindmaster is one of the few companies in India competing on a global level with Japanese and German companies, supplying critical microfinishing machines to global automotive OEMs such as Shanghai General Motors, SAIC, Renault Nissan, Kirloskar Toyota, SGMW and Great Wall. With “widest range of metal finishing machinery in the world”, Grindmaster has developed home grown technology and know how. Mr Milind Kelkar, MD, Grindmaster Machines Pvt Ltd, said: “We are proud to build international standard products with blood, sweat and tears. This award is dedicated to what I believe is the finest machine building team in India.”

“2014 has been excellent year for expanding our business and technologies. With success such as the setup of Grindmaster China office, and technical collaboration with SAMP Italy, “SME of the Year” award is like an icing on the cake. With IMTEX 2015 around the corner and many new product launches, there is lot to look forward in 2015,” added Mr Kelkar.

The GA15W and GP15W CNC precision cylindrical grinders, with the smallest width in the class, have been developed in line with the popular GP-TII and GA-TII series of compact wheelhead traverse cylindrical grinders

The GA15W and GP15W were developed with a thoroughly space-saving footprint to target small parts. The machines have widths of 1,550 mm, the smallest in the class, and high productivity per unit area.

They combine heavy-duty grinding and high accuracy with Okuma’s original non-round plain bearing (hydrodynamic wheel spindle). Rotational accuracy is 0.01 μm. High rigidity and low following error result from a wide V-Flat guideway design plus lapping work. They also introduce functions that minimize thermal deviation with a structure that does not readily transmit coolant heat and does inhibit regenerative chatter with a chatter suppression function.
Innovations for high accuracy machining are seen in all parts of the machines.

The GA15W and GP15W are also equipped with a new OSP-P300G CNC for grinders that enables setup operations to be done on a single screen with simple operating procedures in line with intuitive operative intentions and improves operability.