Specialising in rebuilding, CNC retrofitting and the servicing of precision grinding machines, Industrial Machine Tool Services (IMTS) in Kent has provided many cost effective solutions. abrasiv
Specialising in rebuilding, CNC retrofitting and the servicing of precision grinding machines, Industrial Machine Tool Services (IMTS) in Kent has provided many cost effective solutions in the abrasive machining sector over the last 20 years. A growing portion of the company’s business is now connected with upgrading existing grinding machines by way of retrofitting new controls and drive systems so that customers get all the benefits of the latest technology, but at a more affordable price.
One recent example of such a CNC retrofit concerned a sub-contractor who wanted to improve the efficiency with which it could grind multi-diameter shafts for AC servo-motors.
The company could not justify the cost of buying a new CNC cylindrical grinder for this project and so looked around for a more affordable alternative.
It knew of IMTS’s grinding expertise in the fields of rebuilding and retrofitting and contacted the Rochester-based specialist to see if could handle the project.
In fact, IMTS came up with a complete package solution which included sourcing a good quality used CNC cylindrical grinder and then updating the machine, notably on the control and drives side.
With all his contacts in the grinding field, IMTS managing director Charles Thurston soon tracked down a suitable model - a 1988 Jones and Shipman 1094 CNC cylindrical grinder.
While this straight-approach wheelhead machine was equipped with an old Alan-Bradley control system, it was mechanically very sound as it had been installed in a university and had not been subjected to a great deal of use.
The complete upgrading project involved: stripping the existing machine right down to its carcass, checking all the key elements, retrofitting a new two-axis NUM 1040CNC system and adding Marposs in-process gauging.
This updated cylindrical CNC grinder is now being used to process AC servo motor shafts measuring up to 450 mm long with diameters up to 50mm in batches of 100 off.
Previously, the sub-contractor could only grind one diameter at a time on its manual machine.
But the introduction of the Jones and Shipman CNC model has transformed production efficiency.
For grinding operations can now be performed some three times faster, up to five diameters can be ground in a single operation, set-up times have been significantly reduced, peripheral wheel speeds now reach 35m/sec and the 5 micron tolerance is readily held throughout the entire batch.
What’s more, the complete retrofit project carried out by IMTS provided an affordable and speedy solution to the sub-contractor’s production problem.
For this upgraded machine saved 35% of the cost of a comparable new CNC cylindrical grinder and it was delivered in just seven weeks, as opposed to the six or seven months lead time being quoted for a new cylindrical grinder.
As well as optimising grinding operations on the servomotor shafts, the customer is also now using the machine to grind a range of stainless steel components, too.
Founded in 1981, IMTS has established itself at the forefront of grinding technology by providing a range of specialist services.
These include: complete machine rebuilds, partial rebuilds, CNC retrofitting, on-site service (for both manual and CNC grinders) and the supply of spare parts.
The company works closely with control manufacturer NUM and has developed its own special grinding software.
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