Punch type components up to eight times faster

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Nov 8, 2001

The latest Okamoto UPZ 315Li high speed CNC surface grinding machines are able to produce punch type components up to eight times faster than traditional optical profile grinding methods

Targeted at the carbide industry for grinding components such as punch forms, the latest Okamoto UPZ 315Li high speed CNC surface grinding machines with up to 100 m/min feed rate are able to produce punch type components up to eight times faster than traditional optical profile grinding methods.

Available from 600 Centre in Shepshed, the UPZ uses linear motor drives for the table with linear glass scales to provide precise closed-loop positioning.

With the new 4.2 kW drive system, the grinding feed rate is totally programmable up to 100 m/min through the Fanuc 18iMB system.

Central to the machine design is the placement of the dual linear drive system which is set on the vertical plane each side of a tennon section that runs the length of the underside of the table.

This configuration overcomes any forces that could be created by the linear drive and thus eliminates any tendency for table lift or pull-down during the grinding process.

This action would not only reduce the maintenance of grinding size and the holding of geometric tolerances, but would also lead to bearing surface wear on the table.

The table design also eliminates effects of thermal growth generated from the high table speed and any heat generated by the high power drive system.

The main wheel head has a 3.7 kW AC motor and maximum wheel size of 200 mm with a surface speed of 6,000 m/min.

The wheelhead assembly is attached to the main bed casting and reaches the floor which improves rigidity.

The wheel to table dimension is 400 mm, longitudinal table travel is 280 mm and cross travel is 170 mm.

The magnetic chuck size is 175 mm by 105 mm.

The machine control software is able to accommodate the grinding of a series of 'family' parts of various sizes using a grid reference style tabulation of the magnetic chuck surface in conjunction with program positional and size data.

By using a touch trigger probe, higher levels of datum position for form grinding can be made in order to accommodate high accuracy requirements.