United Grinding Technologies (UGT) has announced the new Studer S41 CNC universal cylindrical grinder. “The machine is designed to grind with precision and at extreme metal removal rates,” said a company spokesperson. “In addition, the longitudinal and cross slide, as well as the swivel axis for the wheel head, feature electric direct drives, which move to the working position very swiftly and precisely.By saving on auxiliary times, the S41 is designed to considerably shorten the cycle times of the grinding process. “The Granitan S103 machine bed provides a solid, rigid and thermally stable S41. The formula of this mineral casting is designed for optimal grinding operation conditions. Thus, the machine bed literally provides the integrated guide system with a stable basis for absorbing the high forces that occur during grinding with high metal removal rates. Due to its thermal behavior, the machine bed largely equalizes brief variations in temperature so that the machine operates with consistently high precision even with changing ambient temperatures.Its rigidity and damping provide the basic prerequisites for high surface quality of ground parts and long grinding wheel lifetimes. The guide ways of both the longitudinal slide and the cross slide are molded directly into the machine bed. To ensure that the high forces that occur during grinding with high metal removal rates are optimally absorbed into the machine bed, the guideways have a larger spacing. “The new StuderGuide guideway system is designed to ensure precision of the longitudinal and cross slides when both stationary and during movement.The StuderGuide system uses hydrostatic and hydrodynamic guide systems and avoids the slip-stick effect or floating of the slide. The machine’s solid gray cast iron longitudinal and cross slides rest completely on the guideways over the entire travel.With this maintenance free guide system, UGT guarantees a straightness of < 0.0001 inches over a measured length of 37.4 inches.” The longitudinal slide (Z-axis) has a ground work table which carries the workhead and tailstock as well as additional accessories and devices.Aground T-slot over the entire length of the guideway enables optimal positioning of dressing tools. The cross slide (X-axis) supports the wheelhead. Longitudinal and cross slides are moved by linear direct drives and, with up to 66 ft. Per minute, can achieve four times higher travel speeds and axis system resolutions of ten nanometers. “The swivel movement of the turret wheelhead (B-axis) is also by a direct drive. It swivels the turret wheelhead around three times faster and positions the new grinding wheels in a much shorter time with a positioning resolution of 0. 00005-degrees,” said the spokesperson. “The positioning is therefore twice as precise as with the predecessor machine. The elimination of the Hirth gear, which fixed the wheelhead in position on the predecessor machine, also contributes to faster positioning. When swiveling in a new grinding wheel it is no longer necessary to lift the turret wheelhead out of the Hirth gear and then to engage it again by lowering it. “In addition to increases in working speed and precision, the S41 also has a number of features intended to enable the user to cover an extended workpiece range and thus a broader market range. “For instance, the height of centers on the standard version has been increased to 8.9 inches. The machine is also optionally available with a height of centers of 10.8 inches; this is not achieved by means of distance plates, but by making the workheads higher.The maximum distance between centers is 39.4 inches on the standard machine, but a machine variant with a distance between centers of 63 inches is also available. “Up to four external grinding wheels or three internal grinding spindles enable over 30 grinding head combinations. The grinding wheels are no longer driven by belt drives, but by motor spindles. The machine can also be equipped with motor spindles for high speed grinding (HSG). Internal grinding spindles with speeds from 6,000 to 120,000 RPM can be used. Automatic balancing systems and frequency converters for each external grinding spindle allow the grinding process to be specifically matched to the respective conditions of use. Wheelhead variants are also available with a vertical spindle for grinding keyways or with a traverse grinding axis for traverse grinding of internal tapers. “Optimized ergonomics were one of the developers’ priorities,” the spokesperson said. “For instance, hoses and cables have largely disappeared from the work area of the machine. Grinding wheel change is performed with a single Allen wrench, and a special small crane is integrated into the machine, so that heavier grinding wheels do not have to be lifted manually. “The Fanuc 31i-A machine control with integrated PC operates with the StuderGRIND software specially developed for the grinding processes and the StuderWIN operator interface. A 15 inch touch screen and ergonomically arranged controls are available to the grinder for communication with the control system and for programming.” For more information contact: United Grinding Technologies, Inc. 510 Earl Blvd. Miamisburg, OH 45342 937-847-1253 www.grinding.com Booth N-6800