PRESS RELEASE
MSG Series Multi Station Grinders

Multi Station Grinder Takes Tool Grinding Productivity to the Next Level

What do you do when you need more cutter manufacturing capacity? Searching the marketplace for new grinding machines will reveal a number of alternatives. There are also many factors to take into consideration when buying a piece of grinding equipment such as price, productivity, flexibility, fully automatic or manual load, durability, service, floor space requirements, and many others. However, what it all boils down to is “how much is it going to cost me to produce the tool?” And, in order for any manufacturer to survive, you have to be able to sell the tools you make for more than what it costs you to produce them.

Let’s say, for example, your carbide end mill business is growing. Your floor space is limited and you need more capacity. Your first thought may be to buy more of what you’ve already got. When your orders were smaller, your five axis CNC grinders did a good job for you. Your customers were happy with the quality of the tools that came off the machines, even though you always wished the cycle times were shorter. Based on your calculations, you estimate that over the next couple years you’ll need 6 more 5 axis machines to handle the additional workload. But where are you going to put them? And, where will you find the additional manpower to run six more machines? You are also concerned about the expense when you start adding up the cost of 6 additional 5 axis machines. It’s a lot of money.

Another alternative would be to add more dedicated machines (flute, OD, and end grinders) arranged in a cell concept. You’ve used the cell concept successfully in the past. Maybe that’s the answer? You know you can find good used mechanical grinders for a lot less money than adding more CNC equipment. And, you’ll gain the added productivity of dividing the operations up over three machines. However, you are again confronted by a lack of floor space to add the additional manufacturing cells. And, you really don’t want to add more inflexible, hard to set up, mechanical grinders to your shop. So, what do you do?

Multi Station Grinders
International Tool Machines of Florida, Inc. (ITM) designed their MSG Series Multi Station Grinders to finish all required grinding operations on a variety of tools, in one machine, in the shortest possible cycle time. The MSG is actually 2,3, or 4 CNC grinding machines, in one cabinet, at a price far below the cost of multiple stand-alone machines. Each grinding station is optimized for the particular operation being performed. An automated high speed loading system automatically transfers the part into and out of the machine and from station to station. The cycle times to produce a complete part is equal to the longest operation plus 5 seconds to transfer the part.

For example, when grinding carbide end mills from solid blanks the longest operation is the fluting. In a multi station grinding machine the total cycle time to produce a complete part is the fluting time (longest operation) plus 5 seconds to transfer the part. Fluting, end gash, end tooth primary/secondary, and OD primary/secondary grinding are each performed at independent stations. The multi station concept allows for ½” diameter, 4 flute, carbide end mills to be produced at a rate of 30 - 43 pieces per hour. For comparison purposes, most standard 5 axis CNC grinders will produce the same ½” diameter carbide end mill at a rate of 6 – 7 pieces per hour. 

Mechanical multi station tool grinders have actually been around for years. But, according to ITM’s company President, Mr. Karl Giebmanns, the old multi station grinders “are as big as a house and take too long to set up”. “What was needed was a compact multi station machine that sets up in hours instead of days,” says Mr. Giebmanns. 

ITM’s engineers had to overcome a number of obstacles when designing their family of Multi Station Grinders. In order to keep the footprint of the multi station machines as small as possible, high performance Motor Spindles, equipped with HSK quick-change flanges, are used throughout. Also, an easy to setup system had to be developed to transfer the tools from station to station. ITM’s answer was a shuttle system with universal grippers that will accommodate a wide range of tools without the need to change grippers. Finished carbide tools are automatically removed from the machine and placed back into a vacant position in the cassette loading system. This ensures that all finished surfaces on the tool remain untouched after grinding.

Tool support was another critical issue that had to be addressed. The fluting station utilizes a bushing and a pressurized coolant chamber for optimal tool support and cooling. During setup, a slot is cut in the side of the bushing by the fluting wheel. This slot provides space for the wheel to enter the bushing. Grinding then takes place within the bushing, under a pressurized flood of coolant, providing total support for the tool. Finally, the machines had to be designed to run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To achieve maximum reliability, ITM designed the MSG Series with oversize mechanical components and reliable Fanucä CNC controls.

According to Mr. Giebmanns, “Customers need to keep in mind that my multi station grinders are actually 2, 3, or 4 machines in one cabinet at far less than the cost of adding multiple machines.” Mr. Giebmanns goes on to say, “Because I only need one cabinet and one control to build a multi station machine, I can sell the machine for less money”.