External and universal grinding machines
Available through NL Machine Tool Consulting is the new line of Proflex CNC external and internal grinding machines for flexible production.
Proflex is a fully reconfigurable system that combines multiple grinding operations on the same machine; a grinding centre that can be customised for specific production needs and grinding applications. At the heart of its flexibility is a range of wheelhead configurations. This makes it possible to use multiple tools in different combinations; so two, three or four conventional or high-speed CBN wheels can be mounted at the same time on integrated motor spindle assemblies and used in successive grinding operations. There’s a wide range of accessories and custom features, and the machine can be interfaced with a variety of automated workpiece handling systems, including gantries, integrated loaders and robots.
A wide selection of workholding and clamping units for workhead and tailstock provides solutions for all between-centres grinding processes - whether they incorporate live centres, dead centres or face drivers - and any kind of chucking operation. Also available are steady-rests with open 2-point or closed 3-point configurations, with automatic engagement and self-centreing diameter compensating capabilities. Special workheads, including units with integrated motor spindle assemblies, make it possible to grind non-round shapes such as regular polygons, cams and threads thanks to crossfeed C-axis design. Wheel dressers featuring either single dresser centres or diamond dresser wheels may be incorporated in the workhead and tailstock, or installed on independent units that can be positioned on the stationary table.
In-process gauging instruments such as axial positioners and diameter gauges are easy to reset during type changes, thanks to manually operated self-aligning devices or automatic supports with hydraulic positioning on pre-set stops. In addition, active axial positioning probes can be installed on the wheelhead. Where absolute diameter gauging is required along the entire grinding length, the Proflex range is designed for easy system integration with units featuring additional CNC-controlled axes. Other modular design features include a choice of three CNC-controlled W-axis workpiece length compensation units providing different compensation strokes.
There are three models - Proflex 2, 3 and 4 - which differ according to the number of external and internal grinding wheels housed in the wheelhead structure. Each model is specially designed to use conventional external wheels with Ø508, Ø610 or Ø760 mm and peripheral speeds from 50 to 63 m/s (C line), or high-speed CBN wheels with Ø400 or Ø500mm and peripheral speeds from 120 to 140m/s (S line), in combination with several internal grinding units. Different spindle designs are available for each wheel type. All spindle units feature extra-precise ceramic rolling bearings, coaxial integrated drive motors and wheel balancers incorporated in the spindle nose. The machine bed and stationary table are modular units with one-piece load-bearing structure, ribbed to guarantee thermal and dynamic stability. Stationary table design with recirculating roller or hydrostatic Z-axis crossfeed and X-axis infeed minimises the machine’s footprint and rationalises fluid and electrical system layout.
Easy, user-friendly programming is ensured by Tacchella’s patented TOP (Tacchella Operator Package) - powerful interactive software that meets the challenge of combining flexibility with full process capacity. All setup, programming, grinding, cycle monitoring and diagnostics operations for normal machine use are simple and familiar to the operator thanks to a specially designed working environment. The most commonly used wheel profiles are stored in the package’s Standard Wheel Library.
Geometrical characteristics are specified simply by assigning the desired value in the table of variables appearing in the screen form for the selected wheel. The wide selection of standard grinding cycles makes it possible to satisfy an enormous range of needs, carrying out complete, complex grinding operations with ease. The standard grinding cycles, which can be combined in any machine configuration, can be used for diameter, shoulder, groove radius, chamfer and taper grinding with or without interpolation, as well as for contouring and grinding threads, regular polygons, non-round shapes and cams with regular or special wheels, all in a single setup.
