Unova UK Limited

Other

Western Atlas U.k. Limited

Michael Laycock

Peter Brian Leadbeater

Christopher David Bartlett

Stephen Roger Coverdale

Ian David Locker

A computer controlled grinding machine grinds a cylindrical region and an annular shoulder of a rotatable workpiece. Relative movement is effected between the workpiece and a grinding wheel along a line of action which subtends an angle of approach of less than 90 degrees to the Z axis of rotation of the workpiece. Such an angle of approach enables the wheel to grind the annular shoulder of the workpiece simultaneously with grinding the cylindrical portion.

Angle head grinding method

Angle head grinding apparatus

A grinding machine has a wheelhead movable tinder computer control perpendicular to the axis of a composite workpiece, mounted between a headstock and a tailstock, and workrests slidable along front and rear rails. Between the workrests are sandwiched rigid cover-spacers to protect the rails and prevent lateral movement of the workrests. A spring-operated thrust bar may be supported against a fixed dressing wheelhead to clamp the stack of cover-spacers and workrests together, in order to accurately locate and space apart the workrests.

Apparatus and method for grinding composite workpieces

A machining location for machining workpieces, comprising: a machine tool; an enclosure for said machine tool that encloses the entire machine tool within a predetermined space; workpiece storage within said predetermined space for storing workpieces at least prior to being worked on by said machine tool and for subjecting such workpieces when so stored to said machining environment to become oriented thereto. The machining location is mounted and supported to be separate from and independent of said machine tool so that vibrations are not transmitted from said enclosure to said machine tool. The machining location further comprises ambient environment controls for effecting control of at least the temperature of the air within said predetermined space.

Environmental conditioning of workpieces

The time to grind a workpiece can be reduced by selecting a grinding wheel whose width is not substantially greater than wheel strength considerations require, and which may therefore be less than the axial length of the region to be ground providing a work rest or work steady to increase the workpiece stiffness if required, and performing a succession of plunge grinding steps so as to grind the whole of the said axial region. Typically the grinding wheel is an electroplated CBN wheel, and the width of the grinding wheel selected is the narrowest permissible given the desired feed rate and motive power available. A grinding machine is disclosed comprising a wheelhead having mounted thereon a grinding wheel whose width is not substantially greater than that dictated by structural and strength requirements, programmable indexing means to enable the relative positions of the wheelhead and workpiece to be adjusted in a sequence of steps to achieve a sequence of plunge grinds, which may or may not overlap, to enable a region of the workpiece to be ground, the axial extent of which is greater than the width of the wheel, and wheel feed means and control means by which the feed rate is controlled, whereby the wheel feed rate is similarly programmable to enable a feed rate to be achieved which is limited only by the peak and RMS power capabilities of the wheel spindle drive motor, so that the rate of material removal is as high as is compatible with the power capabilities of the machine during each plunge, thereby optimising the total cycle time for grinding.

Grinding methods and apparatus

An apparatus for, and method of, grinding crankpins of a crankshaft wherein the machine is under computer control and the grinding wheel is advanced and retracted under computer control so as to follow the planetary motion of the crankpin as the crankshaft rotates. This maintains grinding contact between the wheel and the crankpin to allow the grinding of the latter. The crankshaft is mounted between centers and is rotated by a drive unit, drive being transmitted to the end of the crankshaft via a connecting device which is torsionally rigid in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the crankshaft but which is readily deformable in other planes to accommodate misalingnment and so as to decouple the crankshaft from the drive other than to transmit pure rotation to the crankshaft.

Grinding machine and method of grinding

The time to grind a workpiece can be reduced by selecting a grinding wheel whose width is not substantially greater than wheel strength considerations require, and which may therefore be less than the axial length fo the region to be ground providing a work rest or work steady to increase the workpiece stiffness if required, and performing a succession of plunge grinding steps so as to grind the whole of the said axial region. Typically the grinding wheel is an electroplated CBN wheel, and the width of the grinding wheel selected is the narrowest permissible given the desired feed rate and motive power available. A grinding machine is disclosed comprising a wheelhead having mounted thereon a grinding wheel whose width is not substantially greater than that dictated by structural and strength requirements, programmable indexing means to enable the relative positions of the wheelhead and workpiece to be adjusted in a sequence of steps to achieve a sequence of plunge grinds, which may or may not overlap, to enable a region of the workpiece to be ground, the axial extent of which is greater than the width of the wheel, and wheel feed means and control means by which the feed rate is controlled, whereby the wheel feed rate is similarly programmable to enable a feed rate to be achieved which is limited only by the peak and RMS power capabilities of the wheel spindle drive motor, so that the rate of material removal is as high as is compatible with the power capabilities of the machine during each plunge, thereby optimising the total cycle time for grinding.

A machine tool, comprising: a worktable assembly slidably carried by the machine frame for reciprocal movement along a work axis and which is configured to carry a workpiece. A worktool assembly is slidably carried by said machine frame for reciprocal movement along a worktool axis at a predetermined angle with respect to said work axis and so as to intersect same. A reference straight edge is carried by said worktable assembly and has a reference surface. Reference sensing means is carried by said machine frame for coaction with said reference straight edge reference surface, to measure reference spacing between said reference surface and said reference sensing means and to provide a reference output indictive of said reference spacing. Control means is provided to facilitate movement of said worktool towards and away from said work axis, which is responsive to said reference output to further facilitate worktool movement towards said work axis. The reference sensing means includes a fixed electrode that forms with said reference surface a capacitance gauge. The control means includes a look-up table storing information relative to initial dispositions of said reference surface and said reference sensing means, to provide an initial disposition output indicative thereof to further modify and facilitate worktool movement towards said work axis. The look-up table initial disposition output is indicative of the flatness of said reference surface.

X-axis accuracy in two axis machine tools

Method and apparatus for supporting a crankshaft in a grinding machine

Drive transmitting device

Table drive for multi-axis machine tool

Control of 2-axis machine tool

A gauge for determining the diameter of an eccentric cylindrical workpiece part during grinding. The measurement is effected by a pair of fingers adapted to engage diametrically opposite regions of the part. The fingers are carried at the ends of a pair of elongate probes mounted on the grinding wheel table so as to move therewith, thereby to follow the eccentric movement of the said part in a horizontal plane, as the workpiece rotates. The probes are slidable in a generally vertical sense relative to the grinding wheel table and relative to each other. The two probes are also slidable as a unitary assembly relative to the table, in a direction towards the workpiece, with the two fingers positioned above and below the upper and lower extremities of the eccentric movement of the workpiece part, to allow subsequent gauging thereof by closure of the two fingers onto the part to make contact therewith. After grinding to size, the probes are movable to disengage the fingers from the workpiece part, and also movable away therefrom to permit relocation or removal of the workpiece. One of the probes may be slidably supported on the other probe.

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Keighley, United Kingdom

Michael Laycock