Part of the Hardinge Group, Swiss grinding machine specialist Kellenberger has been substantially adding and improving to its range in recent years. The new introductions, many of them shown for the first time at last September’s EMO in Hannover, are designed for a wide range of grinding circumstances and applications. PES reports.
With the new Voumard 30 internal grinding machine, Swiss grinding specialist Hardinge Kellenberger has expanded the high-precision internal grinding expertise of the brand by adding a machine for many industries whose main requirement is simple internal grinding operations in small and medium volumes.
The Voumard 30 is designed for workpiece lengths up to 150mm and diameters up to 150mm. With a footprint of just 1.8 x 1.8m, this compact machine is particularly attractive for small and medium-sized companies. With its competitive price/performance ratio, it is also an ideal entry-level machine.
When it comes to the features included, the Voumard 30 makes no compromises. Depending on the application, either one or two parallel internal grinding spindles can be used. These high-quality internal grinding spindles ensure the best grinding results with short cycle times. They are available with speeds from a maximum of 45,000rpm up to 120,000rpm. Other impressive features are a high-precision work headstock and a high-precision X/Z cross table.
The machine is equipped with a Fanuc 0i control with the latest Blue Solution software, which is now standard on all Voumard and Kellenberger grinding machines. Blue Solution is characterised by simple, fast and intuitive touch operation. The operating elements are designed so that they can be quickly grasped and logically selected. A special feature for data entry is that the operator is optimally supported by an intelligent control system, equipped with a plausibility monitor that indicates incorrect entries so the operator can then easily readjust entries. For automatic loading, the Voumard 30 can be equipped with a robot which can be optionally integrated into the machine enclosure.
The high-end internal and external cylindrical grinding Voumard 1000, already well established in the market, is now available with a grinding length up to 600mm and an extended table with the possibility of using a steady rest, ideal for machining long shafts and spindles with high requirements for concentricity.
The kinematically flexible design of this machine features two linear and rotary axes. The hydrostatic linear axes with newly developed Hydrolin guides are backlash-free for positioning accuracies in the nanometer range. The high-precision hydrostatic B-axes additionally perform all necessary movements of the dressing and measuring devices. This flexibility makes a large number of machining variants possible and shortens setup times.
The spindle turret on the B1-axis is equipped with a compact grinding spindle head with flexible internal grinding spindle arrangements for a maximum of four grinding spindles.
(X head) In touch with sound
The two universal cylindrical grinding machines Kellenberger 100 and 1000 are equipped with many new features for superior grinding results. The Kellenberger 100 comes with the innovative gTOUCH integrated structure-borne sound sensor system, a further development of the previously proven Kellenberger KEL-Touch sensor system. This monitoring system will in future be known as gTOUCH.
The gTOUCH sensor was developed specifically for the design conditions of the Kellenberger 100, whose spindle motor is equipped with a direct drive. Noise from the motor can impair the sensitivity of the sensors mounted on the spindle. The highly sensitive gTOUCH integrated sensor system has therefore been integrated into the grinding wheel flange and is now located at the closest point to the source of structure-borne noise, directly on the grinding wheel. A new flange nut can be used for both old and new flanges.
Retrofitting of gTOUCH is possible at any time, even on old machines and the sensor is suitable for use with synchronous and asynchronous motor spindles. The reliable and effective noise shield prevents the passage of background noise and guarantees highly sensitive signals even on small grinding sections, such as shoulders or phases. gTOUCH is also particularly suitable for scratching and/or dressing with special grinding wheels with carbon or plastic bodies.
Automation solutions
The Kellenberger product specialists have also expanded the existing product portfolio of its automation solutions and added the newly developed Automation Fly to the Flex and Step offerings. The Kellenberger 100 was shown at EMO last year with the new Automation FLY system, which offers the ideal entry into machine automation with its basic and compact, modular design.
Automation Fly is designed for shaft parts up to 60mm diameter, length up to 600mm and workpiece weights up to 5kg in alternating mode (length up to 280mm) and 10kg in single part mode. Due to its compact size of 1,200 x 1,400 x 2,200mm (L x W x H), it can be easily integrated into any production environment.
Furthermore, Kellenberger 100 is available with centre widths of 1,000mm and 600mm with centre heights of 200/250mm and designed for workpiece weights up to 150kg. The high drive power of the grinding wheel ensures high productivity with the new Z-guide for high profile accuracy. The C-axis with direct drive brings higher accuracy for non-circular grinding.
The Kellenberger 1000 was developed for the precision manufacturing of prototypes as well as small and medium series, e.g. in tool and die making, the automotive and electrical industry and the aircraft industry. The solid machine table with a reinforced machine bed guarantees high rigidity and stability, prerequisites for high precision. Workpieces up to 300kg can be machined on this grinder.
Over 30 grinding head variants with external and internal grinding spindles are also standard on the Kellenberger 1000. The optional centre heights of 200/250 and 300mm and centre widths of 1,000/1,600mm expand the machining possibilities considerably and allow a wide range of applications with specific configurations.
Length compensation
Automating grinding processes on workpieces of differing lengths can be a challenge. The design engineers at Kellenberger have developed an integrated positioning axis (Z2-axis) for this task for the 1000 machine, which ensures automatic length compensation during fully automatic loading by a robot or gantry loader. Previously, the workpiece headstock or tailstock had to be repositioned manually for the necessary length compensation during workpiece change. The Z2 axis reduces the changeover time by around 80%.
The Z2 axis moves on the Z-axis and the automatic zero-point shift is performed via a longitudinal probe. Workpieces up to a diameter of 300mm can be machined and a steady rest can be clamped for longer workpieces. Non-circular parts can also be ground and can be oriented automatically on the C-axis.
Kellenberger grinding machines are available from DF Precision Machinery in Lutterworth, the sole UK agent for all Hardinge Group grinding brands.
DF Precision
https://dfpmach.com/
