This on-demand webinar is presented by Walter
Grinders. Why should you consider CNC tool grinding? View this
multimedia presentation to learn more.
Some people get into CNC tool grinding because manual tool grinding presents too many problems.
Grinding tools on manual machines presents several challenges:
- With manual machines, multiple machines are needed for one tool. For example, a fluting machine, OD grinding machine, and pointing machine may be needed. This means multiple setups to grind one tool. A CNC machine requires one setup and grinds the tool complete.
- For the same reason, more floor space is required to accommodate several manual machines than is necessary for one CNC machine.
- Also, because manual machines are not enclosed, it fills the workplace with carbide dust, which is a health concern
- Perhaps most importantly, manual grinding depends heavily on operator skill level and THAT is a dying art. It’s becoming more and more difficult to find anyone who can grind good tools on a manual machine. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics there are fewer than 20,000 people grinding cutting tools of any kind manually – including saws – in the entire country.
- Finally, it takes much longer than with a CNC machine. How much longer? Let’s take a look at some examples
Manual tool grinding takes much longer than CNC
These are times supplied from an automotive manufacturer comparing regrinding times of manual and CNC machines. You can see as the tool geometry gets more complex, the manual grinding time increases dramatically.
A typical example of this is with the step tool, the last one on the page, where typically after each step is ground, the tool would be checked on a comparator before grinding the next step. This is obviously a very time consuming task.