Okuma has over a century of grinding experience, developing and manufacturing machines, spindles, motors, controls and many more systems in-house. For the development of peripheral components, however, Okuma co-operates with partners such as Dr Kaiser Diamantwerkzeuge GmbH & Co KG, a German provider of grinding wheels, dressing tools, wear-resistant parts and dressing spindle systems.
Okuma and Dr Kaiser can look back on a successful co-operation having previously created a special app to determine optimal dressing parameters. Now, Dr Kaiser has developed a vitrified CBN grinding wheel, a dressing spindle system and the related dressing tools for an Okuma GP25W x65 CNC grinding machine.
When installed, the Dr Kaiser C72FCA2 dressing spindle is connected to the OSP-P300G Okuma control via Profinet. With its output of 1.3 kW, the dressing spindle achieves a steady circumferential spindle speed during synchronous dressing, as well as during counter-rotation dressing.
During the dressing cycle, the control receives process data from the dressing spindle. The spindle is equipped with integrated acoustic emission sensors that detect when the dresser and the grinding wheel come into contact. As the sensors can determine contact in the micrometre range, the system allows for correct alignment of the axes. This capability reduces air-grinding time, minimises wear on the diamond dressing tool and ensures defined abrasion of the grinding wheel.
Operating the system is simple because the Okuma control visualises all dressing process data and allows for the optimal adjustment of all parameters. Changes made by the operator, or variables recorded in real time, are automatically translated by the control into an NC program.
The Okuma CNC grinder equipped with the dressing components developed by Dr Kaiser was first presented at the recent EMO 2109 exhibition in Hanover. The system will be on display at Dr Kaiser in Celle, Germany, until GrindTec 2020, which takes place in Augsburg on 18-21 March (hall 2, stand 2012). In Celle, the grinder is being used for further testing and research, as well as for training customers and representatives.
