Product category:
Ballscrews, Linear Guides, Jacks, Dampers
News Release from: HepcoMotion | Subject: GV3 linear slide system
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 28 March 2001
Stone cutter kept straight by linear
slide system
The Gradient Grinder can complete a set of six drainage grooves in marble and granite worktops in as little as 30 minutes, and for straight and controlled movement it uses the Hepco GV3 linear slide
Until the introduction of the Gradient Grinder, kitchen furniture manufacturers and stonemasons had little option but to create drainage holes in marble and granite worktops by hand Typically, it would take a craftsman up to three hours to cut and polish the grooves, a procedure which not only tied-up equipment such as saw benches but could also be dangerous
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 3 Feb 2000 at 8.00am (UK)
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Gradient Grinder is the invention of stonemason Nick Browne, MD of Medway Marble.
It can complete a set of six drainage grooves in as little as 30 minutes, including setting time.
Quality of cut is crucial to the elimination of secondary finishing and to achieve the smooth, straight and controlled movement of the on-board Flex cutting mechanism, Mr Browne chose the Hepco GV3 linear slide system and Pacific Simplicity bearings.
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The GV3 linear motion system combines the proven benefits of the Hepco 'V' bearing principle with its highly successful Generation II and CM slide systems and teams them with new components.
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Designed to be portable for use on site, the hand-operated Gradient Grinder is basically an x-y axis rig which clamps onto the worktop to be cut.
Hepco's SB beam comprises the vertical 'x' axis and is used in the inverted position so that the carriage plate locks onto the horizontal 'y' rail; a handle is joined to the end of the beam.
The single Hepco Pacific Simplicity bearing employed on the 'y' axis provides both linear and rotary motion.
This bearing allows the beam to be indexed to - and locked at - each groove cutting position and also for it to be lifted upwards for repositioning.
Water is essential to the cutting process and when this is combined with stone dust, a relatively hostile environment is created.
Both Hepco products used in the Gradient Grinder benefit from designs which have the ability to operate maintenance-free in such conditions.
The GV3 carriage mounted on the SB beam is equipped with Hepco's unique cap wiper system which prevents any ingress of dirt or debris on the slide mechanism.
The long-life Simplicity bearing will not catastrophically fail even in the most arduous of applications and incorporates a Frelon 'J' self-lubricating liner, bonded into the housing.
"On early models of the Gradient Grinder, we used rods and rollers to guide the cutting head but these tended to bend even when the 'x' slide was only slightly extended," Nick Browne explained.
"The Hepco products which are now central to the new design give us exceptional rigidity, providing 'grab' free motion and no yawing (deviation from course)." So successful is this new engineering formula that Nick Browne has been able to add value to his Gradient Grinder by extending its application potential.
By removing the gradient bar and substituting it with a shaped profile - known in the trade as a forma - the rig can now be quickly adapted for cutting the curved legs on fireplaces which are currently in vogue. Request a free brochure from HepcoMotion ...
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