ITC continues investment in Walter grinding machines

The machines will give the company a portfolio of 12 Walter Helitronic tool grinders and two Walter Helicheck tool inspection machines for the manufacture and regrinding of high precision drills and reamers, among a wide range of carbide and HSS tooling. The tooling is supplied to an array of customers in the aerospace industry, motor sport including Formula One, die and mouldmaking, and general engineering sectors, in the UK and overseas. The new grinders are a Helitronic Mini Power (delivered January 2011) plus two Helitronic Micro machines and a Helitronic Basic that are all due for installation later this year. The Mini Power replaced one of ITC's existing Mini Powers – ITC's first CNC grinding machine and the first one installed in the UK, in 1998. With X, Y and Z axes travels of 350, 200 and 470 mm, respectively, the Fanuc 310i-controlled Helitronic Mini Power boasts a linear resolution of 0.0001 mm and can handle tools from 1 to 100 mm diameter and up to 255 mm long. Commenting on the need for the Walter Helitronic Micros – which will be the first Micros to be installed in the UK – ITC production manager Kevin Ford says: "We see the Micros as the perfect route for grinding in one operation, due to the extra spindle this machine has available. "In addition, not only will the machines' linear drives ensure superb surface finishes, but the availability of more grinding wheels can only add to our flexibility, productivity and cost-effectiveness. "While the machines will be invaluable for grinding small diameter tools [down to 0.5 mm diameter], we will also be using them to process tools up to 12 mm diameter," he added. The Micro has an X-axis travel of 400 mm, a fully automatic X-axis of 110 mm to reduce grinding traverses, and Y and Z axes both of 320 mm, while the C-axis is 200°. Designed for tools of 3 to 32 mm diameter, the Helitronic Basic has X, Y and Z axes of 460, 320 and 660 mm, respectively.