The machine is said to offer an “unrivalled affordable and compact solution to the machining of complex PCD tools within this size envelope” and handles increasingly complex geometry PCD tooling in various forms, such as solid tips, sintered spirals and PCD on diameters, as used for milling and reaming, and ‘straight’ PCD ‘plates’ and chamfered PCD tips for drilling.
Taking floorspace of just 4.2 m², the 9 kW/10,500 rpm Helitronic Diamond Evolution can grind and erode a wide range of carbide and PCD styles, including shank, profile, circular and roll mills, multi-step tools and countersinks, as well as cutting and profile cutting plates.
Its PCD tool programming routines include the erosion of PCD on tool diameters and the production of K-Land, variable spiral and ballnose gash.
In addition to a robot loader that delivers unmanned operation by automatically handling up to 72 HSK tools or 7,500 cylindrical tools (diameter-dependent), the machine also features an HSK spindle that, being shorter than an NCT spindle, offers excellent stability and superb electrode surface quality during dressing, as well as longer life for the dressing insert.
The machine is also equipped as standard with Diamond Plus software that, in addition to simplifying and speeding up the programming of complex PCD forms, also enables production times to be reduced by up to 40% and cutting edge quality to be improved (edge chipping down to just five microns at 10 micron grain size).