Tech Talk
Why grind with CNC versus manual?
Do you have a CNC lathe in your turning department? Probably. Do you have a CNC grinder? Probably not. CNC is an integral step towards a more proficient workspace. As the industry focuses more and more on value-added operations with cost-reducing equipment, the grinding department stands in glaring need of improvement.
Grinding is typically the final operation on expensive components. It is one thing if a low value-added part gets scrapped in milling prior to heat treating -- but something else altogether if a grinder improperly undersizes a critical part just prior to shipping. A CNC grinder dramatically reduces part handling throughout processing, assuring better concentricity and better repeatability.
On the manual-labor front, watch as grinding's skilled-labor pool is replaced with zealous, yet raw, young machinists. It's a frightening reality. A recent industry survey found that the average North American grinder is 58 years old and his process knowledge is set to retire along with him.
Canadian industry has 24 months to address a serious labor crisis. We must act now to maintain our grinding capabilities by implementing CNC technology. CNC -- if implemented correctly -- will store some of this knowledge in the CNC grinder's memory and allow continuous optimization of process as forms repeat themselves over the years.
The new generation of workers has a strong familiarity with computers and software. We, as industry leaders, have a responsibility to sustain their abilities by offering them safe, clean and well-equipped environments. The grinding machinists of the future have a right to job security and a comparable workspace to those in other machining departments.
Today, evolving grinding applications test the skill of even the most seasoned manual operators. In cutting tools, the recent advent of S-point drills, along with solid carbide step tools, have challenged operators.
At one time, cams and templates took care of simple form grinding. However, today's multi-axis grinding requirements, coupled with JIT quick-change set-up requirements, demand CNC grinding. Cams, punches, threads, and mould inserts, all require out-of-round grinding. They also require CNC grinding so that they may take advantage of advances in CBN and diamond-wheel technologies. Profiled cylindrical parts are another great candidate for CNC grinding, as they offer single set-up processing to sizes and finishes unmatched by the limits of conventional abrasive manual grinding.
CNC grinding can tackle these difficult applications through the marriage of powerful PCs with high-resolution drive systems. Coupling these technologies with rigid machine bases, high-pressure coolant, and variable-speed high-r/min. spindles, sophisticated dressers and in-process gauging has permitted CNC to advance the art of grinding.
Most importantly, CNC grinding only works if the operator interface is simple. Several manufacturers have recently introduced control interfaces that allow DXF files to be imported. This CAD compatibility closes the loop in manufacturing with the ability to take a part from desktop to finished grinding with minimal operator intervention.
With part tolerances tightening and part complexity increasing, it might be prudent business to let the skilled trade of manual grinding retire -- together with your employees
