Manufacturing Machinery World April 2020

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LAYING THEGROUND WORKQuality has been described as an ongoingprocess of building and sustainingrelationships by assessing, anticipating andfulfilling stated and/or implied needs. Neverhas this definition been more appropriatethan when applied to Aldershot-based FTGearing Systems Ltd. In addition toestablishing long-term relationships with itscustomers, this manufacturer of geartechnology and high-precision componentsalso enjoys enduring associations with asmall number of carefully chosen machinetoolsuppliers. At the top of the list is Studer,and the company’s UK agent, AdvancedGrinding Supplies.FT Gearing’s continuous expansion inrecent years has led to regular investment inthe Swiss-built machines, resulting in thecompany now operating 16 Studer CNCgrinders - the largest collection owned by asingle UK company.Explaining the company’s loyalty to theStuder brand, managing director GrahamFitzgerald says: “Studer machines are able toconsistently deliver levels of accuracy andrepeatability that conventional grindingmachines are unable to achieve. For instance,through the use of Studer technology we areable to accomplish sub-micron cylindricityresults on 35mm diameter gear journals. Wecan also achieve surface finish of 0.08 µm andgear flatness to three light bands. To enablegrinding to sub-micron tolerances, werecently installed our Studer CNC machinesin a new temperature-controlled facility.Elsewhere, following 12 months oftrouble-free operation at the Crewemanufacturing facility of CoorsTek, amanufacturer of engineered ceramics, anOkamoto 818 CNC surface and profilegrinder has been integrated as a core part ofthe company’s specialist grinding operations.The machine was one of the first to besupplied by Jones & Shipman Hardinge,Okamoto’s sole UK distributor.“In the surface grinding cell, we areprecision grinding ceramics to typicaltolerances of ±10 µm on form radii, and downto 5 µm on flat surfaces,” explains TristanWeller, production manager at CoorsTek. “Itis a complex process with slow feeds andspeeds, and can take its toll on machines andwheels alike. Inherently, it is a timeconsumingtask, so sustained machineintegrity and stability are important.”Sometimes a dedicated machine provesthe best route to enhanced productivity, asevidenced by Ricardo’s recent £1.5minvestment in a Klingelnberg spiral bevelgrinder. The Klingelnberg machine is nowinstalled and commissioned at Ricardo’sMidlands Technical Centre in LeamingtonGRINDINGSpa, and is producing gears and gearcomponents for the current range ofmotorsport and sports car transmissionsbeing developed by the company, whilesimultaneously supporting the developmentof products destined for market release in thenear future. Klingelnberg machines areavailable in the UK from Micronz.Ricardo Performance Products MDMartin Starkey, says: “The investment inmanufacturing technology and software,including the purchase of the Klingelnberggrinding machine, has enhanced ourcapability to design, analyse, manufactureand inspect bevel gears with a closed-loopsystem. This new technology is a key enablerin supporting customers with moreadvanced solutions, meaning they can lookforward to even higher standards of productquality and shorter lead times.”Tool grinding remains a prevalent part ofthe UK abrasive machining sector, and a casein point can be seen at tooling specialistGandtrack and sister company GT Grinding,which have been mirrored by their regularinvestment in Walter tool grinders andautomatic measuring machines.With 28 employees between them,Gandtrack and GT Grinding have installed atotal of 12 Walter machines (10 Helitronictool grinders and two Helicheck inspectionmachines) since 2000. And while in eachsuccessive case, the new machine hasresulted in a higher level of productionefficiency, it is Gandtrack’s latest investment- a Helitronic Power with robot loader - thatcatches the eye.Director Adrian Jones says: “We foundthat machining batches of initially 20-60 eachmonth of comparatively long [up to 280 mm]reamers in 15 different sizes, and with longflute lengths of 70 to 90 mm, wasn’t provingideal when using the machine steady. So, weinvestigated the use of the Helitronic Power’sautomatic tailstock in conjunction with themachine chuck. We liaised with Walter AG inGermany – whose engineers prepared theprogram and, with carbide rods in hand,spent a full day there producing the reamers.The demonstrations showed that we couldhalve machining times and, importantly,avoid scrap.”Superfinishing is another abrasivestechnology segment in demand, which iswhy Engis UK has installed one of its latestSPM 6000 bore-finishing machines at thecompany’s Henley-on-Thames headquarters,where it will undertake process and toolingtrials for customers and prospects acrossEurope.Engis UK offers customers a wellequippedbore-finishing laboratory thatprovides technical support and expertise indeveloping bore geometries for applicationsin sectors which include automotive,hydraulics and aerospace, using materialssuch as ceramics, steels, cast iron andaluminium. The introduction of the SPM6000 expands on these capabilities,particularly as the machine is supported byleading-edge metrology equipment with theability to measure the cylindricity, roundnessand straightness of bores to an accuracy of 0.1µm.In other industry news, Broadbent Stanleyand Czech Republic-based Fermat Grouphave signed an agency agreement that willgive the heavy-duty machine-tool specialistexclusive rights to the full range of Fermatgrinding machines. Fermat grindingmachines provide between-centre distancesof up to 6,000 mm and a capability to grindparts weighing up to 5,000 kg. BroadbentStanley will be focussing its sales activity forthe Fermat product range on the oil and gas,rail, power generation, marine, and yellowgoods sectors.Over at the Emag Group, the companyhas expanded its technology portfolio byacquiring CNC -Technik Weiss GmbH, aspecialist in cylindrical grinders. Founded in1993, CNC Technik Weiss built its expertiseby performing maintenance and upgradework on Karsten cylindrical grinders. Theservice provided by the company quicklyresulted in demand for in-house productionsolutions, leading to the development of itsown cylindrical grinders. CNC Technik Weissexpects that being part of the Emag Groupwill open up additional opportunities for itsproducts. Indeed, it appears opportunitiesfor the latest grinding technologies continueto grow across the UK and beyond.12 Manufacturing Machinery World, April 2020
Creating Tool PerformanceA member of the UNITED GRINDING GroupSYSTEM AND SOLUTION PROVIDERFOR TOOL MACHININGManufacturing and resharpening ofrotary tools – HSS, CBN or super-hardmaterials – grinding, EDM, laser ormeasuring, as well as insert pro duction,WALTER and EWAG offer all technologiesfrom a single source! Together withsoftware and services we provide thebest fit for your requirements – you canfeel secure with the competence andprecision of the experienced partner!Creating Tool Performancewww.walter-machines.com · www.ewag.comA. J. Baker (Grinding) LtdSpecialists in the supply and rebuild ofCINCINNATI CENTRELESSGRINDING MACHINES• CNC Grinding• Surface Grinding• Thread Grinding• Centreless Grinding• HoningTel: 0116 271 8188 Email: info@centralgrinding.co.ukwww.centralgrindingservices.co.ukAdditional Service Include:• Manual / CNC Controls• Machines can be supplied Rebuilt,Reconditioned or Overhauled.• Cincinnati spare partsMIDDLEMORE LANE WEST, REDHOUSE INDUSTRIAL ESTATE,ALDRIDGE, WALSALL, WEST MIDLANDS WS9 8BG, UKTel: +44 (0)1922 745075 Fax: +44 (0)121 378 3291Email: enquiries@ajbaker.comWeb: www.centrelessgrinders.comManufacturing Machinery World, April 2020 13
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