Okuma and German grinding expert Dr. Kaiser Diamantwerkzeuge GmbH & Co KG jointly developed a grinding system that offers cutting-edge dressing functions. This is achieved by an unprecedented symbiosis of the CNC grinding machine, the dressing hardware and the control technology.
State-of-the-art grinding solutions
Okuma has over a century of grinding experience. The industry’s only single-source supplier develops and manufactures machines, spindles, motors, controls and many more in-house. For the development of peripheral components, Okuma cooperates with renowned cooperation partners such as Dr. Kaiser Diamantwerkzeuge GmbH & Co KG, a German system provider for grinding and dressing. The company develops and produces grinding wheels, dressing tools, wear-resistant parts and dressing spindle systems. Okuma and Dr. Kaiser can look back on a successful cooperation and have developed a special app to determine the optimal dressing parameters. Now, Dr. Kaiser has developed a vitrified CBN grinding wheel, a dressing spindle system and the according dressing tools for an Okuma GP25W x65 CNC grinding machine, which have already achieved outstanding grinding results in combination with short and stable process data.
Communicating dressing spindle and control
When installed on an Okuma grinder, the dressing spindle C72FCA2 by Dr. Kaiser is connected to the Okuma control OSP-P300G via PROFINET. With its output of 1.3 kW, the dressing spindle achieves a very steady circumferential spindle speed during synchronous dressing as well as during counter-rotation dressing. During the dressing cycle, the control receives process data from the dressing spindle. The spindle is equipped with integrated acoustic emission sensors that detect when the dresser and the grinding wheel come into contact. As the sensors can determine the contact in the micrometre range, it allows for aligning the axes perfectly. This reduces air-grinding time, minimises wear on the diamond dressing tool and ensures a defined abrasion of the grinding wheel. In sum, these technologies allow for grinding operations that are as productive, precise and reliable as possible. Operating the system is simple, because the Okuma control visualises all data of the dressing process and allows an optimal adjustment of all parameters. Changes made by the operator or variables recorded in real time are automatically translated by the control into an NC program.
Joint solution on display
The Okuma CNC grinder equipped with the dressing components developed by Dr. Kaiser was first presented to the public at EMO Hannover 2019. It will be on display at Dr. Kaiser in Celle, Germany, until GrindTec 2020 (Messe Augsburg, Germany, 18 – 21 March, hall 2, booth 2012). In Celle, the grinder is currently used for further testing and research as well as for trainings of customers and representatives held by Okuma application staff.