Precision pinch and peel grinding machine

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROLLOMATIC

The ShapeSmart NP50 is a 5-axis precision cylindrical pinch and peel grinding machine with integrated 3-axis robot loader. Offering a grinding diameter range from 0.025mm to 25mm (0.001" to 1"), it’s well-suited for cutting tool blank preparation as well as punch and mold applications requiring complex geometry and high length-to-diameter ratios. The ShapeSmart offers two grinding methods: peeling the part in a single pass with simultaneous engagement of a roughing and finishing wheel; and a series of roughing passes followed by a final roughing/finishing pass, suitable for large material removals.

The roughing station enables different wheel positions with quick rotation change, resulting in faster setup times as well as flexibility in the choice of applications to be applied. The two synchronous spindles’ 14kW of power allow roughing operations to be carried out simultaneously on both axes, while the spindles’ direct drive ensures high-quality surface finishes.

The ShapeSmart NP50 was designed with an autonomous grinding concept and machine interface with third-party systems, increasing the level of production autonomy while maintaining geometric and dimensional tolerances. Designed for unmanned production of short and long batches, it also offers several smart features, including:

• Smart tool loader integrated into the machine and designed for fast setup and ease of use, achieved through pre-calibrated cassettes and clamps to hold different diameters without resetting the position
• Smart post-process measuring station which immediately transmits the compensation value necessary to achieve production within the planned tolerances, enabling accurate, reliable measurement immediately after machining
• Smart touch probe contact measurement system allowing blank position to be defined before grinding and avoiding variations during production, as well as compensating for machine thermal drift caused by changes in ambient temperature
• StickSmart automatic sticking system for in-process cleaning of grinding wheels, featuring a stick mounted in a holder and used to regenerate superabrasive grinding wheels to maintain their cutting performance
• Smart access door located on the right side and designed to facilitate the work of the operator when changing the orientation of the grinding wheels

The NP50 includes numerous customization options. Its versatility enables production of various non-round shapes such as squares, triangles, and hexagons, with radius shape accuracy within 0.003mm. Well-suited for grinding of medical and dental tool attachments as well as flats and threads, the ShapeSmart NP50 offers precision and size consistency in production with tolerances of just a few microns.

The ShapeSmart NP50 runs with intuitive, flexible, user-friendly ShapeSmart Pro programming software enabling the grinding of any profile in a single setup.

Rollomatic
https://rollomaticusa.com