Tool grinders ensure ITC’s competitive edge

Citation

(2005), "Tool grinders ensure ITC’s competitive edge", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 77 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2005.12777dab.005

Tool grinders ensure ITC’s competitive edge

Tool grinders ensure ITC’s competitive edge

Keywords: Tools, Grinding

As part of a continuous investment programme that has seen over £3 million invested in state-of-the-art production equipment designed to maintain the competitive edge, Industrial Tooling Corporation (ITC), based at Tamworth, UK, has installed another Helitronic multi-axis CMC tool grinder from Walter GB of Redditch, UK.

The purchase of the five-axis Helitronic Power with Pallet Loader is ITC’s fifth Walter machine in as many years and, says technical director Roy Talbot, has been installed to match the company’s steady growth in business.

“We’ve invested in a new Walter tool grinder every year since 1999”, says Roy Talbot. “The driver has always been to use the best tool grinders available to keep one step ahead of the competition through guaranteed high- quality output and responsive service in terms of our ability to meet ever- demanding delivery schedules”.

“In addition, another reason for repeatedly returning to Walter GB is the fact that the service and back-up from Redditch is excellent”.

ITC specialises in the design, manufacture and regrinding of a wide range of HSS and carbide tooling for customers across many industry sectors, particularly aerospace, motor sport mould and die/toolmaking.

In addition to a burgeoning regrinding business – “thanks to the Walter machines, we can provide a regrind service that restores tooling back to original geometry”, comments Roy Talbot – the company is also the sole UK stockist of Hanita (Israel) and Metal Removal (USA) products.

The company’s new Helitronic Power has traverses in the linear X, Y and Z axes of 500 mm × 320 mm × 660 mm; plus ±200º of swivel in the rotary C axis. A 24 kW spindle drive produces a speed range 0-7,000 revs/min and constant torque. Rapid traverse rates are 120º/s in rotational axes and 15 m/ min in linear axes.

Featuring a stable and compact gantry-type cast base and an automatic central lubrication system, the machine also employs digital servo drives and an integrated rotary encoder to ensure maximum precision.

One particular useful feature of the machine highlighted by Roy is the user- friendliness of the new generation PC- based HMC 600 control software that is common across the Helitronic range. This incorporates the Microsoft Windows XP operating system and the 2.4 GHz processor (Pentium 4) provides maximum computing power via the easy-to-operate 15 in. TFT touch screen.

In Walter Window Mode, the control system assists the user in quickly creating programs for the regrinding of a number of tools types including cylindrical cutters, tapered cutters, drills and step drills, side and face milling cutters, stepped tools, profile tools, taps, crest cut tools, reamers and routers.

The Helitronic Power accommodates tools from 3 to 320 mm diameter and up to 370 mm long for length/contour grinding and 300 mm long for length/ face grinding.

ITC’s Helitronic Power sits alongside two Helitronic MiniPowers (one with pallet Loader), a Helitronic Power with pallet Loader and a Power regrinder with disc Loader.

“Of course, the Walter loaders enable us to run the machines unmanned and overnight, if necessary”, concludes Roy. “The extra investment in the loader technology more than repays itself in terms of ITC retaining both its competitive edge and an enviable level of customer service”.

Details available from: Walter GB Limited. Tel: +44 (0) 1527 60281; E-mail: neil.whittingham@walter-aa.de; web site: www.walter-ag.de