ing materials such as steel, which makes it robust and reliable, ensur- ing a long life machine operation and highly precision parts.
• Quality: Having a system that measures parts using a laser gives the ability to verify the current position of the workpiece and compensate for errors due to the dimensional variation of the parts and fixtures. This maintains the quality and tolerance required.
Implementation
Once the decision was made to buy a CNC grinder, the challenges began. Te first involved adapting the new
technology to a manual process con- sidered one of the most difficult and complex in the metalcasting industry. To achieve the optimal imple-
One of the cases where Fimex got a greater benefit from the CNC grinder has been with three part numbers that have similar conditions.
Advantages:
• Precision. • Repeatability. • Quality. • High security in the process. • Ability to pre-machine surface areas of parts.
• Ability to handle big batches of production. Disadvantages:
• Limited dimensions and size of parts.
• Weight-limited parts. • Costs of machinery and tools. Flexibility, productivity and
quality are added-values of automatic grinding, and with this in mind, and after analyzing its primary market niche, Fimex felt the CNC grinding would be a profitable option. Fimex had the opportunity to buy a second-hand CNC automated grinding machine in England that was in very good operating condition. Tis and the benefits of the machine resulted in a return of investment of five years.
The CNC grinder has a maxi-
mum part size of 20.5 in. (520mm) and maximum part weight 242.5 lbs. (110 kg). The maximum swing-
30 | MODERN CASTING January 2017
ing diameter is 23.6 in. (600mm) with four natural axis of operation. There’s a dust extraction system and up to three cutting tools. Te three strongest points of CNC
grinding focus on: • Flexibility: By having two work tables of rapid change, parts can be loaded and unloaded while the machine is operating. This reduces the risk of the opera- tor and increases productivity. Quick changes of holding fixtures becomes easy and fast to switch for different parts since the system changes the entire pallet, making it quick and productive.
• Strength and precision: The machine has been designed and manufactured to work with grind-
mentation, it was necessary to consider high-capacity personnel required to operate, program, main- tain and give support to this equip- ment. This forced Fimex to make a structural change in the layout of its cleaning facility by connecting it to the machining facility through a door, placing the CNC grinder between both facilities. This means the machining staff could support the operation, and the raw castings would be fed through the cleaning department and continue through the normal process. Te location of the CNC grinding
machine gave Fimex good results by reducing material movements and time, obtaining an optimal process time. Once the machine was installed and the operators and technicians had been trained, Fimex began the development of the holding fixtures and the grinding programs. For the selection of parts to grind automatically, Fimex considered
Once the machine was installed and the
operators and technicians had been trained, Fimex began the development of the
holding fixtures and the grinding programs.
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