IMTS 2014: Abrasive Machining, Sawing, Finishing

Rollomatic will also launch their new ShapeSmart® NP3 peel grinding machine, a single-wheel cylindrical grinder with peel and traverse-grinding capabilities. This machine tool is the best choice for competitive grinding houses to produce the highest quality round products with total cost efficiency. The rigid design of this machine is equipped with a powerful 8.5 kW spindle motor and a wheel diameter of 250 mm (10 in) that allows grinding of parts requiring high material removal. Other features include:

• Standard integrated 3-axis pick-and-place parts loader
• Renishaw probe as on option to touch on the end of finished cutting tools
• Neck grinding of finished cutting tools such as long-reach necked molding endmills
• Form grinding of cutting tools blanks for the industrial, medical and dental market

The company will also display a 5-axis CNC tool grinder for large endmills/drills that enables shops to achieve sustained competitive advantage. Using larger hp and higher rigidity of the machine base, the modified GrindSmart 528XW® with SmartChanger® is ideal for increased feedrates, higher productivity and these features:

• Carbide 4-flute end mill cycle time of 11 min
• Diameter 20 mm (3/4 in) with 27 mm (1.1/8 in) cutting length
• Sticking of wheel each five pieces; spindle load between 27 percent and 34 percent
• 6-station wheel changer with HSK50E arbors, tested for repetitive concentricity of less than two microns
• 20 hp “synchronous” direct-drive grinding spindles offer constant rpm, no chatter marks in flutes (as opposed to conventional “asynchronous” motors), and a super-sharp cutting edge
• Enlarged coolant supply 30 gpm
• SmartChanger® changes wheel packs during automatic tool change without losing cycle time

Rollomatic provides outstanding service and support from their North American headquarters in Mundelein and another office in California. www.rollomaticusa.com

FOAM-FREE HIGH-PRESSURE METALWORKING FLUIDS
In Booth N-7227, QualiChem (Salem, VA) will feature their premium cutting and grinding fluids for high-pressure applications. Their XTREME series of premium metalworking fluids have been formulated to overcome the problems that often occur with high-pressure fluid delivery systems. These fluids are designed to:

• Eliminate foaming
• Minimize downtime and maximize productivity
• Improve surface finish and overall part quality
• Extend tool life
• Reduce coolant usage by 25-60 percent

“Our XTREME series of premium metalworking fluids are designed to help users get the most out of their cutting and grinding processes with high-pressure coolants,” said Mike Forest, the director of metalworking. “We are seeing significant increases in the occurrences of foam as a result of more machine tools taking advantage of the benefits of high pressure. Metalworking fluids that foam reduce the efficiency of the machining process as well as increase operating cost due to machine downtime, increased coolant usage and decreased tool life. We see numerous incidents of high-speed automated machines working at a fraction of their design capacity because their metalworking fluid foams at high pressure. The technology advances in our XTREME series of metalworking fluids result in low to no foam in all high-pressure applications, whether it’s ChipBlaster, MP Systems, CoolJet or other high-pressure equipment manufacturers. That’s why we’re putting a special focus on our high-pressure metalworking fluids at IMTS 2014.”

“We have numerous case studies documenting measurable cost savings and productivity gains from switching high-pressure machines to our fluids,” added Forest. “For instance, in one field test, our XTREME CUT 292 was found to double tool life, reduce coolant usage by 77 percent, cut downtime for tool changes by over 50 percent and eliminate foaming, staining and residue, when compared to another popular brand of water-based cutting fluid.” To get the most out of a machine tool investment, QualiChem invites visitors to come to their booth at IMTS and let their experts show them why “The Fluid Matters.” The company manufactures a complete line of metalworking fluids, including cleaners and rust preventatives. www.qualichem.com

MODULAR FIXTURING FOR MACHINING, WELDING, INSPECTION AND ASSEMBLY
In Booth N-6563, Bluco Corporation (Aurora, IL) displays 24 years of expertise in specialized modular fixturing for machining, welding, inspection and assembly. Whether you have a specific program that needs tooling, or want to discover the newest fixturing technologies to make improvements to your manufacturing capabilities, visitors to the booth can learn how modular tooling can benefit your company. Hands-on tooling displays will be available and application engineers will be on-site to discuss your customized application. www.bluco.com

http://youtu.be/uaFnijKRbhc
An overview of Bluco Corporation’s Modular Fixturing for Welding.

MODULAR HONING SOLUTIONS
Small bore diameters often place different demands on production technology than large ones. In Booth N-6740, Gehring LP / Gehring Honing Technologies (Farmington Hills, MI) invites manufacturers to discuss production honing solutions for the automotive and commercial vehicle, aerospace and defense, oilfield, job shop and other metalworking industries and examine its new line of modular honing machine tools for precision metal components.

Being showcased on display is the new lifehone machine with inner column construction that combines modern design with optimized accessibility. The rotary table is placed around the inner column for quick access to the process stations, a good overview and a quick and easy changeover. Pre- and post-gauging stations are fixed on the opposite side to optimize the interior space. The compact design requires a low amount of space. The Operator Panel can be led around the machine so it is easily visible from any location, ensuring optimum flexibility and ease of use. All lifehone machines are characterized by ease of use and high performance. The lifehone can be constructed as a multi-spindle transfer solution for mass production, or as a single-spindle design for small production batches.

Gehring will also present its entire portfolio of honing technologies and services, from position and form honing, laser structuring to contract honing, along with displays of tooling and abrasives, as well as a technical presentation titled “Honing of a Thermal Coated Cylinder Bores” on Tuesday, September 9 at 11:00 am by Gerhard Flores at the IMTS technical conference. www.gehring.de

WORLD’S FIRST BAND SAW SIMULATOR
In Booth N-7472, Simonds International (Fitchburg, MA) will be introducing and demonstrating the world’s first Band Saw Blade Simulator Program. The Simulator enables a user to model their sawing application and compare the results obtained with conventional saw technology to unique blade / tooth configurations designed specifically by Simonds/WESPA for the user’s application. This is accomplished via a formula referred to as IPC (Individual Performance Cutting).

Simonds will also be showcasing a variety of specialized carbide and bi-metal band saw blade technologies, all which feature the reliability and innovation that define Simonds/WESPA quality, The Professionals’ Edge.™ “Our new Saw Simulator Program is an excellent solution for the increasingly growing demand for customized cutting to optimize production efficiency. This will undoubtedly offer the user the most compelling, productive and profitable sawing solution for their specific application,” said David Miles, the vice president of sales and marketing at Simonds International.www.simondsint.com

LARGE-PART HONING MACHINE FOR JOB SHOP VOLUME
In Booth E-5510, the new SV-20 honing system from Sunnen Products Company (St. Louis, MO) is the first competitively priced large-part machine for job shop part production with a true linear, vertical, servo-stroking system to produce precision bore geometries on compressors, oilfield components, automotive/truck blocks and similar parts.

A demonstration of the Sunnen SV-20 Vertical Honing Machine.