Custom Solution for Thrufeeding Metal Tubes
January 1, 2020
Glebar Company, a manufacturer of precision centerless grinding machines, recently partnered with a customer to reduce lead times and costs by building a grinding solution allowing the customer to vertically integrate. The customer needed a machine that could thrufeed 1.5" diameter, 15' aluminum tubes removing between 0.003" to 0.006" per pass. The second requirement was for the machine to be capable of grinding 8' steel tubes that featured a 1" diameter bearing surface in the middle which could not be ground. The tubes had a thin wall that needed to be structurally maintained due to strict surface finish requirements. To meet the customer's requirements, Glebar configured its GT-610 Infeed/Thrufeed centerless grinding system tailored to these needs.
The GT-610 was the best choice to meet these requirements because of its rigid granite base, multi-axis controller, fully configurable controls and 8 5/8" wheel width. The granite base absorbs vibration keeping the machine stable while grinding. The multi-axis controller can position both grinding wheel slides to a 0.1 micron resolution. The HMI touchscreen controls are fully configurable, making them operator friendly reducing the amount of training necessary. By using grinding wheels measuring at 8 5/8", the GT-610 grinds efficiently and requires less wheel maintenance.
Glebar develops its own software and programmed a grinding sequence into the controls where the regulating wheel infeeds the part at a controlled rate and initiates the thrufeed process. In combination with Glebar's vast variety of grinding wheels and grinding experience, they were able to select the proper grinding wheel for this process. The wheel selection was critical to provide efficient cutting action and to reduce heat buildup.
"I am proud of our engineers for their persistence in developing a great solution," said John Bannayan, Chief Technology Officer at Glebar. "With our customized programming, the machine will run at variable speeds, enabling the customer to complete their grind jobs quickly, at a low cost, meeting 100% of the quality requirements."
"One of the many reasons the customer chose to team with Glebar is because our machines are made in the USA and are fully configurable," said a company spokesperson.
For more information contact:
Glebar Company
565 East Crescent Avenue
Ramsey, NJ 07446
201-337-1500 / 800-235-5122
info@glebar.com
www.glebar.com
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