What are the most important recommendations when using metal grinding machines

Metal processing requires the use of specialized machines in order to obtain the appropriate accuracy of parts and their quality. The final accuracy of the parts is achieved thanks to the use of stationary grinders in the technological cycle.
Thanks to the selection of appropriate grinding machines and the use of appropriate cutting tools (grinding wheels), we can process virtually any material, achieving very high accuracy of details.

What are the basic types of stationary grinders

Grinders are machines that allow processing of wrkpiece made of various materials and of various shapes while maintaining the required accuracy and surface quality. We can distinguish surface grinders (e.g. Polish production SPC20, SPD30, SPD40, or SAB100W carousel grinder with a round rotary table), cylindrical grinders with the possibility of grinding holes (e.g. SWA25, E450Np licensed by the German company SCHAUDT), tool grinders, e.g. NUA25), and centreless grinders for grinding cylinders characterized by very high efficiency in serial and repeat production).

How to properly use a metal grinding machine?

The stationary grinders offered on the market today are very functional, efficient and accurate tools. Nevertheless, if we do not take care of the correct use of our machine, we can expect a reduction in the accuracy of machining, and even frequent failures. Grinders, just like any other machines, are intensively used and the lack of supervision over their proper technical condition may cause frequent downtime due to the need for repairs. In extreme cases, in case of improper operation of machines, the technical condition of the machines deteriorates very quickly and forces costly major repairs to be carried out in order for the grinder to regain its functionality and accuracy. At the same time, working on a damaged machine poses a threat to the health and life of both the operator and co-workers staying next to the processing station.

How to perfectly choose a magnetic chips separator for a grinding machine?

One of the factors that enable the desired grinding results to be obtained in the grinding process is the proper selection of the coolant and keeping it clean. Improper coolant can cause, among other things, the formation of corrosion centers on already finished parts. For this purpose, it is recommended to use magnetic coolant separator (magnetic filter) in the coolant system, which clean cooling fluid from the residues formed during the grinding process. It is important to always choose only the highest quality products, which is what MultiMasz offers. The Polish MMA series magnetic filters are perfect for the processing of magnetic materials, because the coolant purification process is carried out by a drum with magnets capturing impurities, and the cleaned coolant can be reused. Due to the fact that the filter works in a closed circuit, we achieve significant savings in the amount of used coolant.

When selecting the size of filters, the efficiency of the machine’s coolant system should be taken into account. To select the correct size, check the maximum capacity of the coolant pump mounted on the coolant tank and the filter capacity must be greater than the pump capacity.

What parts do metal milling machines consist of?

A metal milling machine is a device that is indispensable for metalworking. Thus, it should be an important part of every metalworking workshop equipment. Milling machine is a kind of specialized machine tool, thanks to which one can realize precise machining of different metal parts and details. With its help you can give shape to metal parts. Without a reliable metal milling machine, such parts as threads, profiles, spindles, gears or keyways, for example, could not be created.

Metal milling machine can perform such work as:

• shaped milling – in this case, the cutting edges must be located on a rotating body with a complex outline,
• cylindrical milling – in this type of milling, blades with cutting edges arranged on the surface of a cylinder are used,
• face milling – during this type of machining, the axis of rotation of the cutter is perpendicular to the surface on which the machine tool is set.

How is a metal milling machine built?

What can we say about the key components of a milling machine. We can distinguish here the body, the console (in the case of a console milling machine), the cross slide, the table, the speed and feed box, the electric motor, the spindle, the sliding (cantilever) bar, the center support, the edge support and the stiffening bars. An extremely important component of the modern metal milling machines is the swivel head. The swivel head for milling machine allows to machine the material precisely at different angles, even in very hard-to-reach places. Not less important tool of any metal milling machine is the cutter, which is shaped like a rotating solid, which gives the final form to the workpiece.

At MultiMasz Company you will find reliable accessories and tools for milling machines – not only swivel milling heads, but also new slotting heads for milling machines, dividing heads and machine vices.

There are three most popular types of metal milling machines: vertical, horizontal and universal.

Modern milling machines are made of very resistant to intensive use of materials, so they are characterized by long life and reliability. They can be equipped with electronic control modules that provide easy, intuitive operation, as well as high-performance cooling systems, a central lubrication system and a 3-axis digital position readout.

Criteria for selecting steady rest for a lathe

Thanks to machining one can produce parts with high dimensional accuracy and an excellent level of surface finishing, as long as it is carried out using equipment with the right performance characteristics. When it comes to the lathes, not only the machine itself is important, but also the tools we use, as well as accessories that facilitate the desired precision, including the use of an appropriate steady or follow rest.

What is the role of the lathe steady rest?

Turning machining involves the removal of excess chips from the workpiece, which is put into rotation with a strictly set number of revolutions, using a lathe knife with an appropriately shaped cutting edge and moved along a carefully selected path with a properly set feed speed. During the entire process, the material is affected by forces related to the rotary motion itself, as well as the work of the turning knife, which can result in deviation from the axis of rotation in accordance with the direction of the feed, that is, sideways as well as upwards, which is a consequence of the resistance posed to the cutting edge by the structure being machined. In the case of workpieces of small size, most of the impacts of this kind are offset by stable seating in either the center or the chuck, and sometimes the combination of chuck and center. If, on the other hand, the workpiece lenght is much longer, and the rigidity of the clamping system and the material itself proves to be too small, vibrations will occur. The way to deal with this problem is to use a device called a lathe steady rest which provides an additional point of support, thereby increasing stability and minimizing the risk of vibrations leading to the appearance of machining inaccuracies.

What are the common types of rest used in the lathe?

Lathe supports come in two basic variants – fixed steady (steady rest) or movable (follow rest). Fixed supports are installed on the guides of the lathe bed, which makes it not change its position in relation to the workpiece, limiting the range of motion of the tool. This means that the fixture must be changed if the entire surface of the workpiece needs to be shaped. Movable supports – follow rests – are attached to the lathe slide, which makes it change its position during turning, maintaining a constant distance from the lathe knife. Steady and follow rest can be equipped with 3 or 4 axis positioning elements They are also made in hydraulic self-centering versions, which improves handling, automating the positioning process.

A wide range of tooling for machine tools can be found in the offer of the company MultiMasz POLAND. It offers not only the purchase of fixed and movable supports, but also vibration isolators, setting wedges and coolant lines, among others.