Within the grinding process, very small inputs can have dramatic effects on machining performance. So, meticulous and continuous care is required for many aspects of the process, including those provided by ancillary units. Some of these factors depend on external suppliers that have specific experience in niche engineering technologies, such as spindle balancing, touch detection, in-process gauging and vibration analysis.
“Balance Systems’ knowledge and experience of grinding process systems helps to improve the quality of the workpiece,” states Mark Jones, managing director at Leader Chuck International. “They offer the capability to reduce grinding-wheel wear and speed-up cycle-time, while extending machine lifetime and increasing operator safety.”
The balancing of the spindle and grinding wheel is an essential operation in order to achieve workpiece surface quality and ensure long life for the rotary components.
“We offer a range of systems based on balancing heads that can be installed externally or built into the spindle,” says Jones. “Control units are equipped with cable and contactless solutions, and provide constant vibration monitoring. The newly designed ‘Absolute Balancer’ technology is characterised by high performance levels in terms of execution speed and balancing precision for single and two-plane applications.”
The application of in-process measuring systems offered by Balance Systems allows manufacturers the opportunity to produce components that conform to specification even under the most severe environmental conditions, such as warm-up, thermal shifts, chemical coolant, local or induced vibrations, and so on, and to operate using high-speed cycles.
Close control of grinding wheel balancing and its dresser attains a near perfect profile, also optimising the removal of the grinding wheel surface, which is evident by the increase in tool life. Identification of the instant when the tool touches the workpiece is essential to minimise cycle time, reduce ‘air grinding’ and optimise axis infeed.
B-Safe is the solution for spindle and machine-tool diagnostics, according to vibration and temperature analysis. The miniaturised system can be directly installed on any machine spindle, guaranteeing the real-time monitoring of all anomalies, predicting malfunctions and safeguarding businesses by reducing machine downtime.
Jones explains: “B-Safe provides collision protection and can stop either the spindle or whole machine within milliseconds. Monitoring is continuous, even when the machine is switched off. An embedded ‘black box’ data logger stores events locally, and the system is designed to support the growing movement towards IoT and Industry 4.0.”
Comprising an advanced sensor, an interface switch and a user-friendly software platform, B-Safe can be easily retrofitted to any machine tool. At just 12 mm in diameter, the sensor guarantees complete signals analysis on a wide band. The inclusion of a microprocessor with integrated memory allows local detection and on-board memory data logging of collisions, unbalances, overloads, anomalies of the working cycle, tool wear and bearing diagnostics. As a result, evidence for predictive maintenance is provided at a glance.
The software program offers a ‘dashboard’ where all parameters and thresholds for the sensor can be set up, monitored and viewed over logged time, and any alarms can be investigated and fully analysed. For example, the system’s ‘Spindle Check-Up’ function includes a series of algorithms to check production efficiency, with the aim of maximising the productivity of the machine’s spindle and verifying product quality. The system’s statistical analysis provides essential support for planning maintenance intervals, according to actual equipment use.
Key parameters shown on the dashboard can be customised so that only events or trends which are important to each user are shown, and authorisation levels can be set such that users are view-only or have the ability to interrogate the data and adjust parameter setting or thresholds.
Sensors can be specified in two formats, hardwired to an integrated 5 m cable, or with a five-pin connector. In either format, the rugged sensor can reliably operate between -40 and +85°C, and is robust enough to withstand a 10 kg shock load under collision conditions.
Jones concludes: “B-Safe is a set of different evolved technologies that has been developed to allow machine-tool users to create a distributed and interconnected system of analysis and supervision for any production plant.”
