SPECIAL EDITION
for the Grinding Symposium 2019
The customer magazine of the
UNITED GRINDING GroupSTATIONSLECTURES
FUTURE LAB

New solutions in practical application
Experts from research and practice report
Technologies of tomorrow and beyond

THE WORLDOF GRINDING
Experts in precision machining
meet at the Grinding Symposium of the
UNITED GRINDING GroupCONTENTS

EXPERT TALKS
Experts from research and practice present trend
topics from precision machining and the manufacturingindustry in the lectures

31

Wednesday, 8th May 20192:00 pm

2:45 pm3

GRINDING SYMPOSIUM
The same applies for the Grinding Symposium as formachines and software: The benchmark is always thebenefit for the customer
Plus: Four ways to increase efficiency
INTERVIEW“Investment in a relationship”: Stephan Nell on thevalue of digital solutions, the past financial year andwhy the Grinding Symposium is also a way of saying
thank you to customers

TECHNOLOGY STATIONS
The latest machine and software solutions from the
UNITED GRINDING Group will be presented on thetechnology stations at the Symposium

3:30 pm

4:15 pm

4

REINER SCHMOHL 
MEMS-based sensor technology formachine and process monitoring

p. 34

CHRISTOPH PLÜSS 
UNITED GRINDING Digital Solutions™
– The customer benefit

p. 36

DR. SEBASTIAN RISI 
Artificial Intelligence – Towards
machines that can continually adapt

p. 38

Thursday, 9th May 20199:30 am

PROF. DR. THOMAS BERGS 
Assistance system-based processmonitoring in grinding technology

p. 40

10:15 am

ROMAN RUDOLF, THOMAS SCHENK 
WireDress® in practicep. 42

11:00 amDR. STEFAN BOHR 
High-performance grinding… rapid
development of various technologies

p. 44

11:45 am

DIPL.-ING. ECKHARD HOHWIELER 
Potential and applications for machinelearning in the manufacturing industry

p. 46

2:00 pm

PROF. DR. KONRAD WEGENER 
Vision and developments
in grinding machine technology

p. 48

2:45 pm

DR. MARKUS WEISS 
Process-adapted grinding tools
and innovative wheel bodies

p. 50

3:30 pm

PROF. DR. CARSTEN HEINZEL 
Coolant supply conditions as the key toprocess capability

p. 52

4:15 pm

MARC BLASER 
Improve your profitability with theliquid tool

p. 54

10

15

Customer Carep. 16
From digital machine monitoring through to retrofit: theCustomer Care services offered by the Group01

For high-precision tools 

p. 18

02

Production of modern PCD tools 

p. 19

03

Versatile for indexable inserts 

p. 20

04

Laser in tool machining 

p. 21

05  
From one part to another 

p. 22

Friday, 10th May 201906  Productive grinding of eccentric shafts 

p. 23

9:30 amp. 24

PROF. DR. WILFRIED SAXLER 
Avoidance of grinding burn and clogging
through targeted coolant supply

p. 56

07  
Highly flexible production machines 

10:15 amWOLFGANG VÖTSCH 
Trends in tool development and theirimplementation

p. 58

11:00 am

DR. CLAUS DOLD, JAN VAN FRANKENHUYZEN 
Think Laser! on tools and 3D geometries  p. 60

11:45 am

ACHIM KOPP 
Key to successful change

08Internal cylindrical grinding to perfection 

p. 25

09

From simple to complex 

p. 26

10  
Two machines, each with four distances

between centers

p. 27

11

Compact solution for aircraft turbines 

p. 28

12

Selection of the ideal process 

p. 29

13  
High-precision grinding of standard

components 

2

p. 32

Motion  01.2019

p. 30

p. 62

Cover Illustration: Nils Kasiske; Photo: Natalie Bothur



WELCOME

Stephan Nell, CEO of the UNITED GRINDING Group,on the Grinding Symposium in Thun and its benefit forcustomers

DR. DAVID BOSSHART 
Human and machine – how can webest complement each other?

WELCOME“THE TECHNOLOGIES OF THE
FUTURE WILL ALSOULTIMATELY BE MEASUREDBY HOW MUCH THEY BENEFITOUR CUSTOMERS.”DEAR READERS!

Stephan Nell,
CEO, ­UNITED GRINDING Group

It’s that time again! Every five years we organize theGrinding Symposium in Thun and this year we are holding it for
the fourth time. In a total of 13 technology presentations ourvisitors will have the opportunity to experience all the new
hardware and software solutions from our company brands.
You can find details in this edition from page 15.
Internationally renowned experts will speak in the second
main section of the Symposium, the lectures. They will tackle
relevant trend topics from the production industry and explain
new developments and insights in the grinding machine andmanufacturing industry. In this special issue of MOTION wehave put together a summary of all the lectures for you, as areference guide to the Grinding Symposium.
The Future LAB will celebrate its premiere at this Symposium. Here we will present innovative technologies developedby our Group and offer you a look into the future. But for
UNITED GRINDING it is also essential that these solutions offer
added value for you, the customer.
With the Grinding Symposium and its events we want tothank you for your loyalty and the confidence which you haveplaced in us in recent years.

Stephan Nell
CEO, UNITED GRINDING GroupEDITORIAL DETAILSPUBLISHER United Grinding Group Management AG, Jubiläumsstrasse 95, 3005 Bern RESPONSIBLE Paul Kössl PUBLICATION MANAGER Myria Aeschbacher CHIEF
EDITOR Michael Hopp (responsible for the purposes of press law) ART DIRECTION Tobias Zabell OPERATION MANAGER Niels Baum­garten PICTURE EDITING Thomas Balke
AUTHORS Heinz-Jürgen Köhler (copy editor), Ira Schoers TRANSLATION locsoft.net GmbH LAYOUT Claudia Knye PRODUCTION Ute Szimm HOUSE AND ADDRESS OF EDITORIAL
OFFICE HOFFMANN UND CAMPE X, which belongs to HOFFMANN UND CAMPE ­VERLAG GmbH, Harveste­hu­der Weg 42, 20149
Hamburg READER SERVICE +49 (0)40-44188-243 (Tel.), +49 (0) 40-44188-236 (Fax) MANAGEMENT Dr. Ingo Kohlschein, Thomas Keßler
ACCOUNT MANAGER Niels Baumgarten LITHO P·R·O·MEDIEN PRODUKTION GmbH, Hamburg PRINTING Neef + Stumme GmbH premium

printing, Wittingen. on FSC®-certified paper (FSC®-C001857).
All brands marked with ® are registered as a base trademark at least in Switzerland or Germany and are thus entitled to use the mark.

Motion  01.20193

UNITED GRINDING GROUPA QUESTION
OF ADDED VALUE
The latest technologies in precision machining, trends in the
manufacturing industry of tomorrow: As if it wasunder a magnifying glass, the Grinding Symposium shows thespirit of the corporate group: The focus is always on thebenefit for the customer
Text: Heinz-Jürgen Köhler

”FOR US IT IS VERY IMPORTANT, that everything
we do has added value for the customer.”This is the view of Stephan Nell, CEO of
the UNITED GRINDING Group. This focus
applies for everything the Group does. Machines, software and automation solutions,Customer Care in all markets as well as digital tools for production control and support– everything is intended to make the Group’s
customers more successful. The samething applies for the Grinding Symposium.

PRESENTATIONS AND LECTURESTHE UNITED
GRINDINGGROUP IN
FIGURES:

From the world’s largest portfolio of internal cylindrical grinding machines to special
machining for robot joints: The latest machine solutions from the company brands
can be discovered on the technology stations at the Grinding Symposium. With live
demonstrations and expert lectures, theUNITED GRINDING experts will explain thespecial applications for which the machines
are optimized.
The lectures will cover a wide range of
topics. Sometimes it’s about human-machine cooperation, sometimes it’s drawing

a big picture of the manufacturing industry, or
it may be describing the tangible optimization
potential provided by improved use of coolants. These lectures are given by researchers
from internationally renowned institutions likeETH Zurich and RWTH Aachen and by experts from everyday grinding practice.

INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE
The technology presentations and lectures
can be found in the program brochure for
the Grinding Symposium. What isn’t in thebrochure, but is at least as important, is theexchange between the more than 1500 visitors from all over the world, who with their expertise make the Symposium the world technology conference for precision machining.
Customers from all over the world talk to
one another and to experts of the UNITED
GRINDING Group: An international exchange,
which enables the Group to get to know its
customers even better.
For the first time the Grinding Symposium
will also offer a glimpse into the production of
tomorrow and beyond with FutureLAB (moreabout this on the next page).

69,000500

40700,000,000

Around 69,000 spare &wear parts stocked
by the Group500 km/h accelerationis reached by a high-speed
grinding spindle – in just
2.3 seconds

In more than 40 countries
the UNITED GRINDING
Group has a presence andoffers consultation and service

Around 700 million euros in turnoverachieved by the company brands of the
UNITED GRINDING Group in 20184

Motion  01.2019MÄGERLE

BLOHM

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTER2.

3.

4.

Photos: Thomas Eugster (2), Aaron M Conway, Stanislav Krupar

1.

EWAG

UNITED GRINDING worldwide:
1. MIKROSA machines are completed at the assembly plant in Leipzig (Germany)
2. The high-bay warehouse in Steffisburg (Switzerland) is one of the starting points for a global production
3. Dr. Michael Gebhardt coordinates customer-specific machine adjustments in
Miamisburg (USA) 4. In Kuřim (Czechia) project managers Julia Schäfer and Milan Urban
optimize the internal and external logistics processes
Motion  01.2019

5

UNITED GRINDING GROUP

EXPERIENCE INNOVATIONS

ver 250 engineers, technicians andsoftware developers work at the
UNITED GRINDING Group on new machine,
process and manufacturing solutions for thecustomers’ success. The Group places special emphasis on the long-term developmentof its leading-edge products and processes. “We seek to ensure a healthy mix ofradical new technologies, pioneering new
machine concepts and classic product optimizations”, explains CTO Christoph Plüss. In
the FutureLAB at the Grinding Symposium
customers are invited to experience preliminary and new technological developments
and discuss them with the Group’s experts.

DIGITAL SOLUTIONS
All machines exhibited at the Symposium
are connected live and online in the digital
control room of UNITED GRINDING Digital
Solutions™. Current machine states can bechecked on the PRODUCTION MONITOR,
and upcoming maintenance tasks on the
SERVICE MONITOR. At the press of a button a direct and secure data tunnel can beestablished to the Customer Care team via a
SERVICE REQUEST. For service issues direct
digital assistance can be provided with the
REMOTE SERVICE and the new CONFERENCE CENTER.
The connection of third-party machines
to the UNITED GRINDING Digital Solutions™ products can also be experienced
in FutureLAB for the first time. In the areaof “Condition Monitoring” and “Predictive

6

it will be possible to produce micro components in all possible materials.

INNOVATIVE CONTROL CONCEPTS

Maintenance” initial approaches to a digital
fingerprint of the main axes will be presented, enabling a quick condition comparisonof the machine.

Controlling machines through gestures,speech or looks – this is the vision of the
UNITED GRINDING Group. “Our groundbreaking aim is to simplify and standardize
the operation of our high-end machines
across the Group in future”, explains Plüss.
The HMI (Human Machine Interface) will
be adapted to the capabilities, needs and keytasks of the operators. Thus a shift worker
will only have access to the functionalities
that he needs for component production;
an experienced service technician will haveaccess to relevant process and diagnostic
functionalities.

NEW TECHNOLOGIESADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

Technological developments of high-performance materials constantly present new
challenges for grinding and machining processes. New, complementary technologies
such as EDM (Electrical Discharge Machining) or contactless measuring technology
have long been among the Group’s corecompetencies.
Cutting-edge laser technology is used
for machining super-hard materials. Current
research is focused on the new femtosecond laser for “cold” micromaterial machining. With special laser processing optics, theGroup is already able to generate focal diameters of less than a micrometer. In future

Industrial 3D printing is a future topic which
also occupies the UNITED GRINDING Group.
Together with IRPD AG the Group provides
3D printing services in plastic and metal forboth internal and external customers. “SLM
technology (Selective Laser Melting) could
become relevant in the future as an important forming process for the production ofcomplex metal components”, says Plüss.
In combination with its expertise in precision machining and the digital networkingof production processes and machines, theGroup is developing the value chain frommetal powder through to ready to use component – calling it “Powder to Part® / P2P®”.

900

550

10

Over 900 years of experience
are represented by the Group’s brands.
JUNG and WALTER will celebrate their
100-year anniversary in 2019

Around 550 employees in Customer Caresupport the Group’s customers around theworld and ensure maximum machine availability
with a wide range of services and support

One in ten employeesof the UNITED GRINDING
Group works in the field of
research & development

Motion  01.2019

Fotos: Lorem issum di dolores sit amet aures funai

O

In the FutureLAB, which
will also be part of theGrinding Symposium forthe first time, visitors
are invited to experienceand discuss the latest
technologiesMÄGERLE

BLOHM

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STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTER

EWAG

1.

2.

3.

Photos: Thomas Eugster, David Schweizer, Meinrad Schade4.

Future technologies:
1. With the tools provided by UNITED GRINDING Digital Solutions™ the Group is working on networked production
2. Subsidiary IRPD in St. Gallen, Switzerland carries out pioneering work in Selective Laser Melting
3. The Group already uses virtual reality applications for visualization at trade fairs, and plans to use them in machine maintenanceand repair in the future 4. Ewag AG is world technology leader in the laser micromachining of spiral diamond tools
Motion  01.2019

7

UNITED GRINDING GROUP

FOUR WAYS
TO INCREASE EFFICIENCY
W

hether a special production techniquelike that for corrugated board or a revolutionary dressing process: The Group’s
experts are constantly developing ways tomaximize efficiency. Four examples:

1. WIREDRESS®
Sintered metal bonded grinding wheels are
ideal. They can grind steel, carbide, ceramics and special alloys very efficiently. They
are precise, wear-resistant, geometricallyextremely stable and dissipate heat well.
But: They are a niche product, because
they are very difficult to dress with conventional mechanical technologies. This became
the focus of several years of development
work by STUDER engineers. Together withresearchers from ETH Zurich they developed
the WireDress® dressing process, which enables easy dressing of sintered metal grinding wheels.
With the principle of wire-electro-erosion
the grinding wheel is dressed contactlesslyin the grinding machine. This results in a
maximum proportion of grain space and optimum cutting ability. “Using sintered metal
grinding wheels and WireDress®, one of ourcustomers works in the µm range 70 percent
more effectively and grinds five times fasterthan with ceramic bonded wheels”, says Development Project Manager Michael Klotz.
The dressing process is currently available
for several STUDER machines, and will soon
also be offered as an option for machinesfrom other brands.

2. MANUFACTURE OF
CORRUGATING ROLLS
Every delivery of products ordered online
has them: corrugated cardboard boxes. The
manufacture of corrugated board is howev-

Process integration,
minimization of downtimes, optimization ofmaterials: The UNITED
GRINDING Group
explores four different
possibilities forincreasing efficiency inproduction

3. TWO MACHINING STATIONSWorking efficiently means working more
quickly, could be the simple calculation. But
at some point machining times simply cannot
be reduced any further. “We therefore looked
at auxiliary times”, explains Head of Process
Engineering at SCHAUDT and MIKROSA,
Wadim Karassik. The result: Two workheads
in one machine. The SCHAUDT CamGrind S
and L with integrated robot offer this option.
“I thus have two machines in one and a 50
percent higher productivity”, says Karassik.
This highly efficient production method
is suitable in robotics, for instance, for machining eccentric shafts for robot joints or in
the automotive sector for machining modern
cam units, which are used in engines withcylinder shut-off.

4. INTEGRATED MEASURING SYSTEM

er not so simple. Paper webs run throughmeshed corrugated rolls, are shaped andthen glued. Traditionally, corrugating rolls
are pre-machined first of all, transferred tothe hardening shop and then reground using
reciprocating grinding. And bear in mind: therolls are up to 4.5 meters long and 4 tons
in weight.
Thanks to the robust design of theMÄGERLE MGC, corrugating rolls can beground directly in the hardened state without the need for pre-machining. The grinding wheels are continually sharpened withan overhead dresser. “This means that the
production time for corrugating rolls can be
reduced by a factor of 3 to 4”, explains Viktor
Ruh, Product Manager at MÄGERLE.

How can I increase the efficiency of the machine with the existing machine features.
This was the starting point for the development of IMS (Internal Measuring System) by WALTER. Based on the 3D probe
fitted in all WALTER machines, a software
program was developed for the integrated
measuring system.
The 3D probe measures the tools after
the grinding process using adjustable parameters. These are diameter, core diameterand rake angle. On the basis of the preset
tolerance range, the measuring system
checks the quality of the tools and stops
production if the specified tolerance range
is deviated from.
IMS allows automated, unmanned production with integrated quality control. “Anincrease in efficiency of ten percent can beachieved”, emphasizes Head of ProductManagement Martin Hämmerle.

12,500

2500

1600

30

Around 12,500 challenges
were taken on and solved by theservice technicians in
Customer Care in 2018

Around 2500 employees
work for the UNITED
GRINDING Group
worldwide

Over 1600 individually configured
machines were sold by thebrands in 2018 – that’s 1600 solutions
for customers’ specific machining
requirements

People from over
30 countries work for the
UNITED GRINDING Grouparound the world

8

Motion  01.2019MÄGERLE

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STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTER

EWAG

1.

3.

2.
4.

More efficient production:
1. Project Manager Michael Klotz and his team developed WireDress® to market readiness2. MÄGERLE Product Manager Viktor Ruh shows the clamping of the four ton corrugating rolls
3. Two machines in one is the solution offered by Wadim Karassik and Process Technology at SCHAUDT and MIKROSA
4. ”Three parameters are enough to control the process”, says WALTER Product Manager Martin Hämmerle
Motion  01.2019

9

Stephan Nell has been CEO of the
UNITED GRINDING Group since 201210

Motion  01.2019

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UNITED GRINDING GROUP

MÄGERLE

BLOHM

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTEREWAG“INVESTMENT IN A
RELATIONSHIP”
How digitalization increases productivity, what the
UNITED GRINDING Group promises from the Grinding
Symposium and what he himself is most looking
forward to during the event – CEO Stephan Nell
explains in the interview
Text: Michael Hopp

Photographs: Natalie Bothur

What does the UNITED
GRINDING Group expect from theGrinding Symposium?
Stephan Nell: Our mission is basically tomake our customers more successful. The
Grinding Symposium is a key element forthis. We want to present our customers withthe latest news from our industry and informthem about existing and new technologies
which will help them work more efficiently right now. We also want to provide themwith relevant information about issues of tomorrow. These don’t have to just be directly
about grinding. In our lectures we include
topics that illuminate general trends andchallenges of the future, which also affectour customers outside the world of grinding.
Last but not least, we want to enter into an
exchange with our customers and find out
their views on relevant topics, so that we cancontinue to offer the right solutions in futureand help our customers become even more
successful. If we succeed in doing this, wehave achieved our goal.
But the Symposium isn’t a sales event?
Definitely not. Most visitors are existing customers, and the Symposium is also a wayof saying thank you to them. We endeavor
to offer added value and give our customers something back for the trust they haveplaced in us over the years.
This Symposium will include the
FutureLAB for the first time. What canvisitors expect there?
We separate this deliberately: The technologies on the technology stations canbe ordered and used right now. In the FutureLAB our aim is to provide an insight into
topics that will not necessarily be brought
to market tomorrow. This is comparable to
Motion  01.201911

UNITED GRINDING GROUP

an automotive manufacturer who presents
a prototype at a trade fair. We show whatdevelopments we have coming up in thenext few years and hope to get feedback
from our customers.
Studies indicate that the expected
increase in productivity due to digitalization has not yet happened in machine
manufacturing. How do you perceive
this development?
We can only speak for ourselves here. Naturally productivity is always an important
issue for us too. Let me give you an example. We operate a smart factory and the aim
here is to increase the Overall Equipment
Effectiveness (OEE). Our solution was a visualization tool for our employees, in order
to explain the issues at stake. This resulted
in a customer solution which will also help
our customers increase their productivity by visualizing relevant parameters. I’m
talking about the products of our UNITED
GRINDING Digital Solutions™.
In this case this means, moreproductivity thanks to digitalization.
For us it is very important that everything
we do in the area of digitalization always has
added value for the customer. I see manytechnological solutions at trade fairs andwonder, ‘Why are they doing that?’ And
often I have the feeling that the answer is:‘Because they can, not because customers
need it’. We always ask ourselves: ‘Are we
only doing this because we can, or does itbring real added value?’ Do you really wantto know the exact temperature of the front
left wheel hub of your connected car? Hardly. But you do want to know if it breaks. So
the task is to consider how I can achieve an
increase in safety or a rise in productivity
with the collected data. And if I know I haveto do something at a certain point, then I’mon the way to Predictive Maintenance. And
12

Motion  01.2019“FOR US IT IS VERY IMPORTANT
THAT EVERYTHING WE DO IN THE
AREA OF DIGITALIZATIONALWAYS HAS ADDED VALUEFOR THE CUSTOMERS.”

if we evaluate and use digitalization and theacquired data intelligently in this way, thendigitalization can absolutely contribute toincreasing productivity.
To what extent do new business models
emerge as a result of digitalization?
In principle I can say: We are, and will remain, machine manufacturers. We won’t
become a software business, others cando that better. I also don’t know if you canseparate digital and analog quite so easily.
We develop intelligent components for machines, that’s a combination of digitalizationand machine tools. The great thing aboutmachine tools is that without them there
would be nothing here in this room – notables, no chairs and not even a camera. If,
however, as already mentioned, we are able
to collect relevant data and evaluate it intelligently and beneficially for the customer,
then I could very well imagine new businessmodels emerging from this.
Does the focus on digitalization sometimes obscure other optimization
potential?
At UNITED GRINDING we separate this. We
have employees who focus on digitalization,and entire departments that are occupied
with mechanical development. There arealways aspects in the grinding process that
contribute to increasing our customers’ efficiency. The WireDress® dressing technology,MÄGERLE

BLOHM

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTEREWAG“WE HELP OUR CUSTOMERS FIND THE BESTSOLUTION FOR THE SPECIFIC REQUIREMENT IN THE
RESPECTIVE COUNTRY.”

IN CONVERSATIONSTEPHAN NELL

joined STUDER as Head of Sales in 2003.
He was a member of the Management
Board from 2005 to 2011.
Since 2012 he has been CEO of the
UNITED GRINDING Group.

for instance, has nothing to do with digitalization and achieves significant efficiency
gains. We work intensively on such aspects.
Automation is viewed differently in a
global comparison – in Germany it isassociated with the fear of losing jobs,
while in China it is seen as a driver of development. How does a global company
position itself for this?
I don’t think it’s so difficult. Automation interms of technical solution is the same everywhere. The motivation for buying it is different. In our industry it’s always about precision, and automation solutions can make animportant contribution here. Of course, themotivation can also be to remedy shortagesof skilled labor. This is an issue in the USA,
where there is a shortage of thousands ofskilled workers in the manufacturing industry, or in Europe, where we have aged societies. The question is, whether automation
will ultimately destroy jobs. But there havealready been many changes in industrial
evolution – and society has always adapted.
Therefore I’m not so pessimistic.

“WE WANT TO GIVE
SOMETHING BACKIN RETURN FOR THE TRUSTTHAT OUR CUSTOMERSHAVE PLACED INUS OVER THE YEARS.”

Motion  01.201913

UNITED GRINDING GROUP“I THINK THE GOOD THING IS
THAT WE CAN NOW THINK AND
ACT EVEN MORE
ENTREPRENEURIALLY.”

financial year 2018 and which developments do you expect for 2019?
2018 was an absolutely record year. We
achieved a turnover of around 800 million
Swiss francs, that’s 700 millions Euros, andhad a double-digit return on sales. Also helped by the flourishing world economy, ofcourse. The outlook for 2019 is more difficult, there are many problems all over theworld, you only need to read the newspaper:
What will happen with Brexit? Which tradebarriers will there be in future? And manyother questions. These are issues that are
difficult to predict and they will lead to uncertainties and thus to a slowdown in demand.
We are prepared for this development.

The UNITED GRINDING Group configures its technology specifically for theindividual markets. What does this mean
for automation?
For us it’s always about offering customers
what they need. And that’s not the same theworld over. Our mission is: To be international, to be customer-focused, to understandthe customer. This doesn’t just mean language, but production philosophy. We havecustomers who manufacture the same parts
in different regions of the world – and they
do it differently everywhere. We help ourcustomers find the best solution for the specific requirement in the respective country.
14

Motion  01.2019

But automation also has the dimensionof labor costs. Robots don’t get sick,
don’t take holidays and don’t receive apension. What does automation mean inthis respect?
As we’ve said, there have already been many changes in industrial evolution. None ofthese have ever meant that people were nolonger needed as workers. These changes
have always given rise to new challenges
and opportunities.
At the beginning of 2019 the Grouppublished its business figures for the
first time. How would you assess the

Since the middle of 2018 the UNITED
GRINDING Group has no longer beenpart of the Körber Group. What impact
does this have on customers?
The change of ownership has no direct influence on the individual company brands
or the customers. You can also see thatthe change was uneventful. There was nochange in strategy, the management is thesame, the companies are the same. I think
the good thing is that we can now think andact even more entrepreneurially.

Back to the Grinding Symposium. You
will be there the whole time. What are
you most looking forward to?
I’m looking forward to the customers mostof all. That’s what I always enjoy, at trade
fairs too: Talking to the customers and hearing what interests them. And also hearing
about what we could do better. ºThe latest machines and solutions from the
UNITED GRINDING Group. At station 11
visitors can see a world innovation with theMÄGERLE MFP 30

EXPERIENCE NEW TECHNOLOGIES,
STATION BY STATION

Illustration: Nils Kasiske 
CUSTOMER CARE
From digital machine monitoring through to retrofit: theCustomer Care services offered by the Group16

01

FOR HIGH-PRECISION TOOLS 

18

02

PRODUCTION OF MODERN PCD TOOLS 

19

03

VERSATILE FOR INDEXABLE INSERTS 

2004

LASER IN TOOL MACHINING 

21

05

FROM ONE PART TO ANOTHER 

22

06

PRODUCTIVE GRINDING OF ECCENTRIC SHAFTS 

23

07  
HIGHLY FLEXIBLE PRODUCTION MACHINES 

24

08

INTERNAL CYLINDRICAL GRINDING TO PERFECTION  25

09

FROM SIMPLE TO COMPLEX 

26

10  
TWO MACHINES, EACH WITH FOUR DISTANCESBETWEEN CENTERS 

27

11

COMPACT SOLUTION FOR AIRCRAFT TURBINES 

28

12SELECTION OF THE IDEAL PROCESS 

29

13  
HIGH-PRECISION GRINDING OF STANDARDCOMPONENTS 

30

UNITED GRINDING GROUPSTATIONS

MORE THAN JUSTCUSTOMER SERVICE
With Customer Care the UNITED GRINDING Group
offers its customers support throughout the entire lifetimeof the machine

THE ADVANTAGES AT A GLANCE
	Increased machine availability	Increased productivity
Production monitoring	Minimization of process times
	Reduction of non-productive times

CUSTOMER CARE – this is more than the supply of spare parts and the deployment ofover 550 qualified employees worldwide.
The individual brands of the Group alsooffer numerous additional services, which
ensure machine availability as continuously
as possible and increase system availability.
In addition to machine overhauls, these services also include retrofittable modules andsoftware tools.

DIGITAL PROCESS MONITORING
Customer Care international:
Service technician Charles Yang from
Shanghai and his over 550 colleagues
support customers in all markets

16

Motion  01.2019

Within the scope of UNITED GRINDING
Digital Solutions™ the Group develops Industry 4.0 technologies for the digital acquisition,

visualization and analysis of all machine andprocess data: The Production Monitor visualizes the machine’s productivity and provides
basic data for optimizing it, while the Service
Monitor ensures that the necessary maintenance measures are performed professionally and on time. Remote Service enables the
UNITED GRINDING specialists to access themachine in an emergency, after the user has
invited them via a Service Request.
Monitoring of the machine axes andgrinding spindles within the interpolation
cycle of the control will in future allow indirect monitoring of the machine condition.
This enables the swift detection of signifi-MÄGERLE

BLOHM

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STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTER

EWAG

Handover of the machine
to the customer is an
important milestone in thecustomer journey

and polygons. StuderWIN programming
software enables efficient offline programming. StuderTechnology also supports theoperator during setup and programming of
the machine. The customer achieves goodquality at first attempt and a quick, stableprocess – independently of the operator.

PERFORMANCE PACKAGES

cant machine damage and gradual processchanges through comparison with historicreference values.
The objective, transparent monitoring of
the machine condition also records key performance indicators – including error messages, switching operations and operational
performances of axes. Last but not least, therecording of coolant pressure, flow rate andtemperature allows final control of the process. The result is reduced grinding times
and tool costs as well as fewer component
rejects, together with higher component
quality and higher productivity.

OPTIONAL SOFTWARE MODULESSTUDER enables an extensive functional
expansion of its machines with retrofittable modules for its grinding software
programs, StuderWIN and StuderTechnology. In addition to StuderDress for efficient (re)profiling of grinding wheels andStuderContour for peel, convex and contour
grinding, the optional extension packages
include StuderThread thread grinding software and StuderForm noncircular grinding
software for simple applications, as well as
the highly efficient StuderFormHSM noncircular grinding software for machining curves

With the “FANUC Performance Package”
WALTER enables users of the HELITRONIC
POWER with an older Fanuc control to easily
increase the performance of the control. Machining in HELITRONIC TOOL STUDIO canbe accelerated up to fourfold, and non-productive times can be significantly reduced.

MACHINE AVAILABILITY
To ensure machine availability, Schaudt
Mikrosa GmbH offers an upgrade of mechanical hard disks to the latest compatible
hard disk type SSD Sata. Not only are data
loss and unplanned machine downtimes prevented by the update, but the PCU and IPC
performance is also significantly increased.

Photos: Thomas Eugster, David Schweizer

RETROFIT FOR SPINDLE DRIVESWith UNITED GRINDING
Remote Service the company
also offers its customers theopportunity for exchange withservice experts

To increase flexibility and productivity,
EWAG has developed a RETROFIT KIT forusers of its WS 11 and WS 11-SP grinding
machines. The upgrade kit enables modernization of the control and simplified operation of the machines. The KIT includes
a control unit for adapting direction of rotation and speed of the workpiece or grinding spindle to the respective grinding task
and a freestanding control cabinet, which
includes cutting-edge electronics and temperature monitoring.
With the combination of comprehensive, qualified customer service, machine
overhauls and retrofittable options, UNITED
GRINDING maximizes the machine availability and system productivity of its customers. º
Motion  01.201917

UNITED GRINDING GROUPSTATIONS

FOR HIGH-PRECISION01
TOOLSThe new HELITRONIC POWER 400 and the HELICHECK 3D
from WALTER are the ideal combination for thehigh-end production of tools for the aviation industry

The WALTERHELICHECK 3D measures
tools with a lengthof up to 420 millimeters

The WALTER HELITRONIC
POWER 400 with wheel changerand “Robot Loader” option

THE ADVANTAGES AT A GLANCE
	Maximum precision andsurface accuracy
	Saving of resources with“First time right”
	Maximum process stability
through continuous checking
and compensation

THE PRODUCTION OF MODERN ENGINES for theaviation industry requires highly precise
tools, such as fir tree cutters, for example.
For the production of these tools not only
are state-of-the-art technologies required
but also high-precision measuring methods, to control and qualify the process at
18

Motion  01.2019

all times. WALTER achieves the necessary
precision using a process-optimized production strategy in the HELITRONIC POWER
400 tool grinding machine and process control by the HELICHECK 3D fully automated measuring machine. The HELITRONIC
POWER 400 has a wheel changer as well as
extended traverse paths, which enable themachining of workpieces with lengths up to
380 millimeters in one clamping. The newmachine also has a completely reworked
base, which further improves the damping
behavior and consequently the precisionand surface accuracy.

OWN SOFTWARE
With the HELICHECK 3D CNC measuringmachine the fir tree cutter is first digitized
and a virtual image is created, which canthen be saved, further processed, analyzed
and measured. With the 3D Tool Analyzer,a software program specially developed by
WALTER for this purpose, horizontal, verticaland freely selectable sectional planes canthen be taken through the 3D model at any
position. These are analyzed and evaluated fully automatically. The digitized imageis also compared or “matched” with theideal model of the tool. WALTER has also
developed its own software for this, called
3D Matcher. This instantly provides the operator with a statement about the quality ofthe product and deviations from the target
value. The operator can then regulate theprocess on this basis if required.
At the Grinding Symposium WALTER
will demonstrate the combination of highend grinding process and quality control ina self-contained system.
CONTACT:
christoph.ehrler@walter-machines.com

MÄGERLE

BLOHM

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTER

EWAG

Depending on the robot
loader version, loading on
up to seven pallet levels is
possible with the HELTRONIC
POWER 400 and
HELTRONIC POWERDIAMOND 400

02
PRODUCTION OF MODERNPCD TOOLSIn order to produce PCD tools efficiently, several process steps arenecessary. With the HELITRONIC POWER DIAMOND 400 WALTER offers ahybrid process combining grinding and eroding for this purpose

THE ADVANTAGES AT A GLANCE
	Eroding and grinding on
one machine	State-of-the-art technologies
	Easy programming of complex
geometries with HELITRONICTOOL STUDIO Eroding	Highest degree of flexibility andautomation	Multi-use robot cell undertakes
important functions during nonproductive time	High-quality laser marking

THE USE OF COMPLEX, MODERN full-head PCD
tools is steadily increasing. The demand for
combined grinding and eroding is in turn also increasing. This development is alreadyapparent today in the new types of PCD tools
which are required for machining fiber reinforced plastics (FRP) in the aerospace industry, for example.
Combination machining, where the carbide is ground first of all and then the PCD
cutting edge is eroded, is the only method
for producing such PCD tools efficiently.
WALTER offers such combination machining with the “two-in-one concept” ofthe HELITRONIC POWER DIAMOND 400.
Advantage: Users of the grinding and eroding machine can perform all necessary machining steps on the tool using the samemachine. Time-consuming reclamping of thetool is eliminated.
This method of machining modern PCD
tools, in which the carbide blank is alreadyprovided with the soldered PCD head, is especially cost-effective.

NEW OPERATING CONCEPT
After machining, the quality of the PCD tool ischecked and confirmed on the HELICHECK
PLUS measuring machine – this is done fully automatically by a robot. The measuringmachine’s new robot cell first of all cleans
the finished tools fully automatically, before
loading them into the HELICHECK PLUS formeasurement of all key parameters.
The new “Metrology Center” operating
concept of the measuring machine ensureseasy operation. After measurement the tools
can be individually labeled with the integrated laser marking system. This provides a particularly high quality annealing marking, inwhich color change and not engraving forms
the distinctive feature.
CONTACT:
christoph.ehrler@walter-machines.com

Motion  01.2019

19

UNITED GRINDING GROUPSTATIONS

VERSATILE FOR
03
INDEXABLE INSERTS
The COMPACT LINE and PROFILE LINE from EWAG are two innovative
grinding machines for high-precision machining of cutting inserts as wellas highly complex interchangeable grinding inserts

THE ADVANTAGES AT A GLANCE
	Grinding of highly complex
geometries
	Gain in precision and productivity	Maximum reliability, availability
and ease of use
	Minimized non-productive times

THE HIGH-PRECISION, FLEXIBLE 6-axis COMPACT
LINE machining center is specially designed
for grinding a variety of cutting inserts madefrom carbide, Cermet, ceramic, PCB and
PCD. The machine combines high-performance technology in the smallest space. The
optional sixth axis enables efficient peripheral grinding. The optimized kinematics of themachine and the newly developed peripheral
C-axis allows the application of protective
chamfers on the main cutting edges of theindexable inserts. Short traverse paths andthe integration of a Fanuc robot minimize
non-productive times.
The agile 6-axis robot offers an extremely
high level of flexibility for the autonomous
loading of complex cutting inserts. Perfectconcentricity of the grinding wheel and ahigh process repeatability precision are
guaranteed by the “three-in-one” dressing
unit for dressing, regeneration and crush
dressing of the grinding wheels. The Fanuc control unit and user-oriented ProGrind
grinding software also complement eachother perfectly. All grinding programs canbe programmed quickly and easily with theuser-friendly touch screen panel.

INTEGRATED WHEEL CHANGERThe EWAG COMPACT LINE
with integrated 6-axis robot

The new PROFILE LINE is designed for
efficient and flexible machining of exchangeable carbide cutting inserts. Manufactured in cooperation with sister company
WALTER and finished with the tooling andsoftware expertise of EWAG, this union
has produced a highly efficient grinding
center for grinding highly complex geometries including the interface, setting a new
benchmark. An integrated 6-position wheelchanger with integrated coolant supply ensures optimal tool selection and thus guarantees the best possible metal removal rate
for the sintered blanks.
The integrated 6-axis Fanuc robot allows
autonomous multiple-shift operation and theacceptance of customer-specific pallets.
Cleaning, reclamping and centering stations
are optionally available and are adapted tothe customer-specific product portfolio.
Both machines can be equipped with theinnovative CCD-HD vision system for autonomous part detection on request.
CONTACT:
thomas.fischer@ewag.com

20

Motion  01.2019MÄGERLE

BLOHM

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STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTEREWAG

THE ADVANTAGES AT A GLANCE
	5 CNC and 3 optical axes for
maximum flexibility	Efficient machining using
picosecond technology
	Modern programming from
DXF in 2D and 3D

The EWAG LASER LINE ULTRA uses
ultra-short pulse laser technology for gentle
machining of all cutting materials

LASER IN TOOL
04
MACHINING
With the LASER LINE ULTRA from EWAG, the smallest spiraland ultra-hard tools can now also be produced

THE LASER LINE ULTRA is the high-end laser
machine tool for the manufacture of rotary tools and indexable inserts. In the all-inone machining concept the complete tool
is now manufactured from the blank – including chip breaker and all other optional geometries. All possible materials canbe machined. However, the LASER LINEULTRA is especially suitable for the production of tools made from ultra-hard materials
such as CBN, PCD, CVD-D and MCD/ND.
Tools with diameters up to 200 andlengths up to 250 millimeters, with a maximum weight of five kilograms, can be machined. More recently it has also become
possible to machine the smallest drillingand milling tools from full-head PCD andcarbide with diameters between 0.5 and3 millimeters.

The control software used is LaserSoft
from the EWAG ProGrind software family.
A new feature of this software is the programming of center insert geometries directly from DXF in the profile editor – in 2D.
Extensive modeling options – for the chipbreaker, for example – are also optionallyavailable in 3D.
The Laser Pro3D software program also includes a plugin for the ANSYS Space
Claim software for modeling, visualization,
simulation and CAM path calculation of thegeometry to be lasered.
The software is so easy to use that nolaser knowledge is required. The machine
operator simply enters the geometries via an
input mask and the machine does everythingelse. For the automation of the LASER LINEULTRA EWAG offers standard solutions for

HSK63 as well as a triple gripper for bothhydraulic chucks and indexable inserts.

CONFIGURE IT YOURSELFAt the Grinding Symposium EWAG together with Dutch company Van Frankenhuyzen
B.V. will present a study on fully autonomous
production, in which the LASER LINE ULTRA
can demonstrate all its strengths. The highlight: Visitors can configure the tool themselves at Station 4, have it autonomously
produced by the machine and take it home
as a souvenir.
CONTACT:
dr.claus.dold@ewag.com

Motion  01.2019

21

UNITED GRINDING GROUPSTATIONSFROM ONE PART05
TO ANOTHER
Visitors to the Grinding Symposium can experience changeover processes live on the MIKROSA KRONOS S 250

THE ADVANTAGES AT A GLANCE
Highest precision
Highly productive
Technologically flexible
Quick change-overEasily automatedIntuitive operation

tion components are replaced so quickly
that change-over from one batch to another requires only little time. This is ensured
partly by a newly developed quick change
gripper system for mechanical and vacuum
grippers as well as quickly exchangeable
and easily adjusted shuttle V-blocks. In addition, many of the necessary settings are
made electronically. Short set-up times, highprocess reliability and repeatable results arethus guaranteed.

FOR A WIDE RANGE OF PARTS
THE KRONOS S 250 CENTERLESS GRINDING MACHINE
combines best grinding qualities with highgrinding speeds. But this compact and versatile machine also has a great deal to be proudof in terms of change-over times. Grinding
and regulating wheels, dressing tools, workrests and workpiece-dependent automa-

The KRONOS S 250 is not only
suitable for mass production, butalso for companies with small lot
sizes and a wide range of parts
22

Motion  01.2019

Thanks to these characteristics, the KRONOSS 250 is suitable for grinding large series aswell as smaller batch sizes – ideal for companies with a very wide range of parts. The
unique machine concept with two crossslide systems on the grinding and regulating
wheel side is perfect for through and plunge

grinding, but also allows several work operations to be combined on one machine. In addition, the KRONOS S 250 can be equippedwith a loading gantry and shuttle or charge
and discharge storage belts for cost-effective machining of a large range of parts anddifferent quantities.
At the Grinding Symposium MIKROSA
will demonstrate the high flexibility and easychange-over of the KRONOS S 250 using apractical example: Visitors can experiencea change-over process live. This comprises
the rapid changing of grippers, work rest andshuttle V-blocks, enabling change-over fromthe individual machining of a large control
spool to the quadruple production of small
pump pistons.
CONTACT:
karsten.otto@schaudtmikrosa.com

MÄGERLE

BLOHM

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTEREWAG

The growing robot market
is boosting demand for the
SCHAUDT ShaftGrind S

06
PRODUCTIVE GRINDING
OF ECCENTRIC SHAFTS
At the Grinding Symposium SCHAUDT will
present its compact and versatile ShaftGrind S
cross-slide machine with integrated robot

THE ADVANTAGES AT A GLANCE
High machining flexibility	Low auxiliary process time	Compact cross-slide machine(installation dimensions:
3000 x 3351 mm)
	Direct-drive workhead for highdynamics and excellent runout
characteristics
	Can be automated for highly
productive grinding

AUTOMATED WITH A ROBOT, this small cylindrical grinding machine is equipped for highly
productive grinding of shaft-type workpieces
with a length of up to 650 millimeters. The
robot is controlled with the Sinumerik 840D
sl machine control, via a specially developed
interface. The robot automatically loads andunloads the machine in different center lines
during the machining process, ensuring very
short non-productive times. The transfer interface is located in the machine, on the sideof the shuttle.
But the robot is not just in the machine.
With the ShaftGrind S, SCHAUDT also presents grinding of eccentric shafts for robot
joints. The shafts, with drilled-through, internal splines, are placed on the clamping
mandrel of the ShaftGrind S by the robot.
The mandrel’s external teeth mesh with theinternal teeth of the workpiece and securely clamp the workpiece in the pitch circle
diameter of the spline. A tailstock, as is normally used for grinding between centers, isno longer required. Highly precise grinding
results are guaranteed.

ROBOT MARKET IS GROWINGThis accuracy is also ensured by the direct-drive workhead, an optional barrel
tailstock mounted on plain bearings andin-process gauging, as well as the thermallystable Granitan® machine bed with its optimal damping characteristics. The machine’s
productivity can also be further increased
with a second grinding position.
“With increasing automation, the market for robots is continually growing. As
each robot contains a large number ofjoints and eccentric shafts, we are seeing
a growing demand for grinding machines
like our ShaftGrind S”, explains Wadim
Karassik, Head of Process Engineering at
Schaudt Mikrosa GmbH.
CONTACT:
wadim.karassik@schaudtmikrosa.com
Motion  01.201923

UNITED GRINDING GROUPSTATIONSHIGHLY FLEXIBLE
07
PRODUCTION MACHINES
With the compact S11 and the proven S22, STUDER has two
high-performance machines for the cylindrical grinding of large
and small series

The S11 is STUDER’s
smallest production cylindrical
grinding machine

The S22 issuitable for themass productionof medium-sizedworkpieces

THE ADVANTAGES AT A GLANCE	S11 – extremely compact design,high productivity, superior ergonomics,
simple automation
	S22 – diverse grinding options
	STUDER-WireDress® – revolutionary
dressing technology for CBN/diamond
grinding wheels

THANKS TO A LARGE NUMBER OF CONFIGURATIONPOSSIBILITIES the S22 has a broad range ofmachining options for the high-capacity production of medium-sized workpieces. Configured appropriately, it is the perfect production machine for cylindrical, form and thread
grinding as well as for high speed grinding
with peripheral speeds up to 140 m/s andfor heavy-duty applications with 160 millimeters wide grinding wheels. The revolutionary
STUDER WireDress® dressing technology
ensures a further boost in performance on
the S22. With this unique patented process
for dressing metal-bonded diamond grinding
wheels, the wheels can actually be profiled
rather than simply conditioned, as was previously the case.
24

Motion  01.2019

The compact S11 is specially designed
for high-production machining of small
workpieces with a workpiece weight of maximum three kilograms. On a footprint ofless than 1.8 square meters, it has a distance
between centers of 200 and a center heightof 125 millimeters. Optimal access to theefficient and reliable machine is guaranteed.
A grinding wheel with a diameter of 500 millimeters enables exceptional power density.
Equipped with appropriate technology options, the S11 can be used for high speed
grinding as well as, for example, grinding
nozzle bodies on a mandrel.

Wheelhead on the S22 for highspeed grinding

Both machines can be easily automatedusing an integrated loading/unloading device
or loading cells.
At the Grinding Symposium STUDER will
demonstrate a peel grinding operation witha following steady rest on the S11, in whicha blank will be ground down. The S22 (withWireDress®) will show off its abilities with athreaded spindle, which will be ground fromsolid exceptionally quickly in one pass.
The center pressure on the rigid tailstock of theS11 can be set easily and sensitively

CONTACT:
martin.hofmann@studer.com

MÄGERLE

BLOHM

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTER

EWAG

INTERNAL CYLINDRICAL
08
GRINDING TO PERFECTION
With its entry-level, universal, production and radius grinding
machines, STUDER offers the world’s largest portfolio of internal
cylindrical grinding machines

THE ADVANTAGES AT A GLANCESTUDER S141
	Positionable swiveling table (-91° – +61°)
	Turret with direct drive and fourinternal spindles
	Up to 2 external spindles ( Ø 250 mm)
Measuring probe for lengths and diameters	Software for machining die plates andradius profiles

STUDER S151
	Two machine lengths (700, 1300 mm)
	Positionable swiveling table (-10° – +15°)

THE PRODUCT RANGE INCLUDES the S110 and
S121 entry-level machines for internal cylindrical grinding of small to medium-sizedworkpieces, as well as the S122 production
machine with numerous applications in thehydraulics and automotive sector. Four machines are available for universal internal
cylindrical grinding: S121, S131, S141 (table
lengths: 300, 700 and 1300 millimeters) andthe S151 (table lengths: 700 and 1300 millimeters). They are ideally suited for internal,
face and external grinding of chuck components for the sectors of machine tool, drive element, aerospace and toolmaking industries.

	Turret with direct drive and fourinternal spindles
	Up to 2 external spindles (Ø 300 mm)
	Up to 2 swivelling dressers with diamond or
dressing turbines
	Steady rests for clamping long parts

The S141 radius grinding machinefor the highest precision in
drawing die machining

FOR HARD MATERIALSAppropriately equipped as radius machines,
the S121, S131 and S141 are ideal for grinding complex workpieces made from very
hard materials such as carbide, ceramic, titanium and sapphire, but are also suitable forgeneral grinding tasks. Typical products arecan dies, hydraulic components and workpieces with several tapers for the watch or
medical industries.

At the Grinding Symposium STUDER
will present the S151 universal internal cylindrical grinding machine, with a workpiecetable length of 700 millimeters, and the S141
radius grinding machine.
The S151 is a typical machine for machining spindles. Faces, external diameters
and tapers on the front of the shaft and theinner bore, as well as tapers and polygons,
are ground in a single clamping. A measuring probe and the Quick-Set software ensure
rapid set-up on the machine and automatic
detection of the lengthwise position of thespindles.
On the S141 radius grinding machine
STUDER will demonstrate machining of a
carbide drawing die. The direct-drive B-axis
under the work spindle ensures the highest
precision when grinding tapers and radii. It
has angular adjustment with X- and Z-axis
interpolation, direct measuring system andhydraulic brake as well as a fixed dresser.
CONTACT:
michel.rottet@studer.com

The S151 is used for machining
large spindle and rotor shafts

Motion  01.2019

25

UNITED GRINDING GROUPSTATIONSFROM SIMPLE TO
09
COMPLEX
From the favorit to the S41, STUDER offers reliable andhigh-quality grinding technology for every application

THE ADVANTAGES AT A GLANCE	Distances between centers of 400,
650, 1000 and 1600 mm possible	Machine base with integrated
coolant tank and temperature

FROM ENTRY-LEVEL TO HIGH-END MACHINE, STUDER’S
cylindrical grinding machine portfolio is consistently designed for value, reliability and excellent grinding quality. This applies just as
much to the favorit entry-level model as tothe high-end S41.

automatically positioned every 3°, can takeone belt-driven external and internal grinding
spindle respectively. This makes the favorit
the right machine for easy grinding of theexternal diameter of a drive or pinion shaft,for example.

STUDER FAVORITSTUDER S41

As with all STUDER cylindrical grinding machines, the proven Granitan® machine bed also ensures the legendary STUDER precisionin the favorit. The wheelhead, which can be

The S41 comes with the revolutionary
StuderGuide® guideway system as well as
high-precision axis drives with linear motors, extremely fast direct drive of the B-axis
and a huge selection of wheelhead variants.
In addition, TouchControl, WireDress® andspecial customer-specific configurations
are also optionally available for the S41.
STUDER offers automation solutions froma single source.
However different the machines may
be in respect of their capabilities, they also
have much in common. Both machines areequipped with a touch screen and StuderWIN grinding software, as well as StuderPictogramming and StuderTechnology. Thismeans that as soon as a machine operator isfamiliar with one STUDER machine, he caneasily operate any other STUDER machine.
And last but not least, one and the same
Customer Care team supports all STUDER
cylindrical grinding machines.
STUDER will present both machines
in action at the Grinding Symposium
to demonstrate the broad scope of the
STUDER portfolio, which offers the rightgrinding machine for every application. The
favorit entry-level machine will be shown
grinding a diameter and a taper, as well as
form grinding. The S41 will demonstrate its
capabilities with multi-stage machining ina single clamping – from grinding several
diameters and tapers through to thread machining and HSG grinding.

control	Wheelhead swivels automaticallyon all machines	High-performance drive spindle

The STUDER
favorit offers an
exceptional priceperformance ratio

CONTACT:
philippe.schmider@studer.com
High-end machine
and highly complex grinding
system: STUDER S41

26

Motion  01.2019MÄGERLEThe STUDER S33 is designed for grinding
short to long workpieces in individual partand series production

10

BLOHM

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTEREWAG

The STUDER S31 is suitable
for toolmaking and aerospace
applications

TWO MACHINES, EACH
WITH FOUR DISTANCESBETWEEN CENTERSSTUDER will present the two new universal external cylindrical
grinding machines S33 and S31 in Europe for the first time

THE ADVANTAGES AT A GLANCE	Distances between centers:
400/650/1000/1600mm
	StuderGuide® guideway systems (S31)	Thermal stability thanks to innovative
base temperature control (CD 650mm
to 1600 mm)
	Double T-slot for dressing units	Numerous wheelhead variants	StuderWIN programming softwarewith StuderTechnology
Automatable

BOTH MACHINES are based on the STUDER
T-slide concept. They have an extended X-axis
stroke, now 370 millimeters, enabling additional wheelhead head variants. The series
have been extended by an additional twocenter distances. Altogether four distances
between centers of 400, 650, 1000 and 1600
millimeters are now available.

The newly designed machine base geometry has been supplemented byan innovative base temperature control,
further improving the dynamic and thermal stability of the machines. Thanks to
the fixing of the dressing device on the
double T-slot of the longitudinal slide,the complexity of setup and resetting inparticular , is significantly reduced. The
standard control is a Fanuc 0i-TF with theefficient and user-friendly StuderWIN programming software.
StuderTechnology also supports theoperator during setup and programmingof the machine. The customer receives immediately good quality and a fast, stableprocess - independent of the operator. The
machines can be easily automated for series production thanks to the standardized
loader interface.

external grinding and an internal grinding attachment, in different configurations. Threegrinding wheels ensure that the workpiececan be machined even more individually andquickly - complete machining in a class of
its own! The machine has a B-axis with anautomatic 1° Hirth coupling. The maximum
workpiece weight is 150 kilograms.

S31: PRECISE AND VERSATILE
The machine boasts StuderGuide® guideways
and a B-axis with optional direct drive with aresolution of 0.00005°. The wheelhead cantake up to three grinding wheels – a combination of external/internal, up to a maximumof two external or internal grinding spindles.
For high-precision form grinding with the
Fanuc 31i-B control system, the STUDER S31
features a workhead with direct measuringsystem and the StuderFormHSM software
program.

S33: AFFORDABLE AND PRODUCTIVE
The STUDER S33 has a new wheelhead which
can be equipped with two motor spindles for

CONTACT:
dalibor.dordic@studer.com
Motion  01.201927

UNITED GRINDING GROUPSTATIONSCOMPACT SOLUTION FOR
11
AIRCRAFT TURBINES
MÄGERLE will introduce the MFP 30 as a world premier at the
Symposium. Grinding and milling operations will be presented on an
aircraft engine blade

THE ADVANTAGES AT A GLANCE	Small space requirement and optimal
production flow thanks to it’s compact
design	High flexibility and efficient machining	Precision and long working life thanks to thehydrostatic guideway system

In addition, its compact design benefits ergonomic work area loading – either
manually or automatically. The integrated
tool changer can be equipped with different grinding wheels and tools for millingand drilling operations, as well as a measuring probe for quality or workpiece position
checks. This guarantees a high degree of
flexibility in workpiece machining.

HIGH REMOVAL RATESFOR GRINDING COMPLEX GEOMETRIES, particularly those of vanes and blades orheat shields of aircraft turbines, the new,compact 5-axis grinding center MFP 30
from MÄGERLE is ideal. Its compact andspace-saving design allows optimal use of
the available production area and enables
an effective production flow.

Top performance in a compact
space is offered by the world
innovation MÄGERLE MFP 30

28

Motion  01.2019

The MFP 30’s powerful spindle drive allows the combination of different grinding
processes – such as creep feed grinding
with corundum and CBN. In addition, thehigh-performance spindle with speeds up to
12,000 rpm offers optimal machining conditions for carrying out demanding grinding
and milling operations in a single clamping.

Full power and high torque are available evenat low spindle speeds. Robust tool holders
guarantee wide machining contours withhigh material removal rates. Either emulsion
or oil are available as coolant.
Thanks to the integrated grinding wheel
cleaning, the grinding wheel remains cleanand sharp for longer during the grinding
process. This significantly increases removal
rates and at the same time reduces grinding
wheel wear. The large table dressing unit
enables the mounting of a wide variety of
diamond roll profiles and helps significantly minimize changeover times. The modern
drive technology enables reliable dressing
across the entire speed range.
CONTACT:
viktor.ruh@maegerle.com

MÄGERLE

BLOHM

JUNG

STUDERSCHAUDTMIKROSAWALTER

EWAG

SELECTION OF THE
12
IDEAL PROCESSThe new PROFIMAT XT combines four grinding technologies.
BLOHM reworked many machine components and improved thestiffness and dynamics of the new machine

THE ADVANTAGES AT A GLANCE
	Gentle processing of temperaturesensitive materials thanks to small
infeeds and high feed rates
	No peripheral zone damage
	Positive residual compressive stresses	Lower tool costs due to reduced
grinding wheel wear	Shorter productive and nonproductive times

THE BIGGEST INNOVATION and the prerequisite
for speed stroke grinding is the linear drivein the X-axis which, with up to 200 percent
more dynamic axis acceleration and up to
160 percent higher axis speed, ensures a significant increase in the dynamics. The better
running behavior of the linear direct drive incomparison to classic drive trains comprising motor and recirculating ball screw drive
also lead to improved surface finish values
on the workpiece.

	
CD grinding achieves high productivi-

SELECTION OF THE OPTIMAL STRATEGY

Which process is the right one depends on
many different factors: In addition to workpiece material and size, it is also necessary
to take account of the lot size and the required work result – for example the qualityof the machined workpiece in respect ofroughness and flatness.

BLOHM has also integrated well-provencomponents into the machine, such as
an overhead dressing attachment for CD
grinding and a table dresser. The automatic coolant nozzle trace system and a large
sheet metal enclosure for coolant quantities
up to 500 l/min were an essential addition
for creep feed grinding. The customer canchoose the optimal machining strategy forhis purposes:

ty through continuous grinding wheel
dressing.
	
Reciprocating grinding enables high accuracies for flatness and surface quality.
	
Creep feed grinding enhances productivity by increasing the individual infeed.
	
In speed stroke grinding high dynamics
and high feed rates lead to high productivity combined with gentle workpiece
processing.

The BLOHM PROFIMAT XT
features a multi-touch screen forsimple operation

CONTACT:
arne.hoffmann@blohmjung.com

Motion  01.2019

29

UNITED GRINDING GROUPSTATIONSThe J600 enables
measurement anddressing within thegrinding process

13

HIGH-PRECISION GRINDING
OF STANDARD COMPONENTS
In the second generation of the JUNG J600 a comprehensive
technology package ensures constant production conditions andimproves precision, especially with long machining times

THE ADVANTAGES AT A GLANCE
	“Cloning” of master part onto
series parts
	No unclamping of parts thanks toin-process gauging
	Maximum process reliability
and quality	Improved productivity

HIGH-PRECISION GRINDING of standard components for die and mold applications requires
form and position tolerances of +/- 2 µm.
The grinding machine must fulfil special requirements in respect of positioning accuracy, form accuracy and geometric accuracy.
The second-generation J600 not only
provides the requisite basic mechanical accuracy. Through active temperature control
30

Motion  01.2019of crucial machine elements, it also guarantees the necessary temperature stability.
In addition it is completely enclosed, in order to eliminate environmental influences,increase operational safety and minimize
coolant emissions. As the encapsulation
prevents visual and acoustic contact withworkpiece and grinding wheel, JUNG has
integrated an acoustic sensor including
software. The sensor detects contact between workpiece and grinding wheel, andthe software visualizes it on the machine
control. A further advantage: The software
also enables monitoring and optimization of
the dressing process.

MASTER AND CLONE
At the Grinding Symposium JUNG will
demonstrate the strengths of the J600 using “clone” grinding of the lateral surfacesof fine centerings, which are clamped as aset. As during the dual-sided face grinding
process only the wheel edges cut and are

therefore subject to higher wear, in-process gauging and dressing are especially
important.
The integrated measuring probe of
the J600 records the position and widthof the fine centerings during the process
and compares the values with those of a“master”. This “cloning” of the master onto
the prepared series workpieces significantly
reduces environmental influences and position inaccuracies of the clamped workpiece.
In addition, unclamping of the parts is not
required. The dressing process uses relief
dressing with PK-130 in conjunction withacoustic dressing.
Process reliability, component quality
and productivity increase as a result. Automated grinding of high-precision standard
components under production conditions
therefore presents no problem for the J600.
CONTACT:

arne.hoffmann@blohmjung.com

Experts from science and practicetalk about trends and efficientmanufacturing methods

ALL LECTURES
AT A GLANCE
Illustration: Nils Kasiske

DR. DAVID BOSSHART
Human and machine – how can webest complement each other?

32

PROF. DR. KONRAD WEGENER 
Vision and developments
in grinding machine technology

48

REINER SCHMOHL 
MEMS-based sensor technology formachine and process monitoring34

DR. MARKUS WEISS 
Process-adapted grinding tools
and innovative wheel bodies

50

CHRISTOPH PLÜSS 
36
UNITED GRINDING Digital Solutions™
The customer benefit

PROF. DR. CARSTEN HEINZEL 
Coolant supply conditions as the
key to process capability

52

DR. SEBASTIAN RISIArtificial Intelligence – Towards
machines that can continually adapt

38

MARC BLASER 
Improve your profitability withthe liquid tool54

PROF. DR. THOMAS BERGS 
Assistance system-based processmonitoring in grinding technology

40

PROF. DR. WILFRIED SAXLER 
56
Avoidance of grinding burn and clogging
through targeted coolant supply

ROMAN RUDOLF, 
THOMAS SCHENK 
WireDress® in practice42

WOLFGANG VÖTSCH 
Trends in tool development
and their implementation

DR. STEFAN BOHR 
High-performance grinding… rapid
development of various technologies

44

DR. CLAUS DOLD, 
60
JAN VAN FRANKENHUYZEN 
Think Laser! on tools and 3D geometries

DIPL.-ING. ECKHARD HOHWIELER  46
Potential and applications for machinelearning in the manufacturing industryACHIM KOPP 
Key to successful change

58

62

GRINDING SYMPOSIUM

Wednesday, 8th May 2019, 2:00 pm

Illustration: Uli Knörzer

DR. DAVID BOSSHART
Dr. David Bosshart is CEO of the Gottlieb
Duttweiler Institute for Economic and Social Studies.
Holding a PhD in philosophy, his areas of expertise
are the future of consumption, social change,
digitalization and especially the relationship between
humans and machines

Human and machine –how can we bestcomplement each other?
Short SummaryThinking in ecosystems should replace
thinking in industries. Digitalization and
AI, Cloud and IoT create continuous
patterns of change, which affect everyone
Human beings are still one step aheadin the competition with machines. This
relates to cognitive and fine motor skills.
There is even talk about the comebackof craft
Whether new or established companies
take the lead in this process of changeremains to be seen. However, the humanelement is crucial: Good or bad management makes the difference
We are all reliant on how human,
artificial and emotional intelligencequotients interact

32

Motion  01.2019

WE ARE AT THE BEGINNING of a learning process,in which the context is constantly changing. Automation processes are a constantpattern in production, because they makeus more efficient and quicker. Digitalization
opens up new possibilities thanks to Artificial
Intelligence (AI), Cloud, IoT and Blockchain.
If we look at the history of robots, from the
beginnings, Kuka, Baxter and Pepper to thecurrent hype about voice computers like Alexa, we can see that machines are becoming
more and more like humans.
It’s true: In many areas machines havealready overtaken us in unimaginable ways.
Last summer I attended a concert in Colorado, which was performed by AI robots.
So instead of just creating standardization
and better quality industrial products, we
can now progress to art: An artwork created by artificial intelligence was sold at
Sotheby’s last year for 432,500 dollars.
Who is the author here? Who should receive the selling price? Who is the legal
subject behind the artwork? For every answer we get, there are ten new questions.

MORAL CHALLENGE
In the last thirty years, with the shift in theindustrial world, the pressure on productionand even more on productivity has constantly increased. We have tried to makepeople into machines – high-performancemachines. This works up to a certain extent,
and can be a very inspiring vision. But weare reaching the limits: People are involved
in relationships, have headaches and get ill,they become physically weaker and forgetappointments as they age. Machines don’t
have these problems. It is no coincidence
that we are starting to make machines into
people. If people become machines and machines become people or at least similar topeople, distinguishing between them will become a legal, political and moral challenge.
But we shouldn’t be afraid of this development. Fear is never a good thing. We shouldhave a lot of respect, because we have noexperience in dealing with such increasingly
intelligent beings. In many skills, humans still
have a head start. Machines are not goodwith context. Machines give immediate“MACHINES GIVEIMMEDIATE ANSWERS,
BUT THEY DON’T ASKQUESTIONS THAT COULD
HELP ME PROGRESS.”David Bosshart

TECHNICAL COLLOQUIUM I: INTELLIGENT PRODUCTION

answers, but they don’t ask questions that
could help me progress. It is not just a question of cognitive skills; fine motor skills also
play an important role, for example. Why dorobots have such difficulty developing dexterity? The human hand has always played an
important role in innovation and production.
The hand is intelligence, and we have notrecognized this enough. We talk about thevirtuosity of the pianist, by which we mean
his or her incredible dexterity. And we areeven talking about the “comeback of craft”.
Robots are a long way from doing this. I see
much more of a complementary relationshipbetween humans and machines.
There is a lot of talk about the special
threat to jobs in certain industries. I believethat we need to move away from the narrowindustry perspective – and learn to think andact in terms of ecosystems. Digitalization
and AI, Cloud and IoT create continuous patterns of change, which affect all industries.
I also wouldn’t talk about a threat. Change
generally comes not from inside, but fromoutside. In the automotive industry a single
mad visionary was enough to make an arrogant industry change. The longer you holdback change, the worse it is for the employees concerned.

REINVENTING JOBS
The dramatization of the huge job losses is amedia issue, in reality we haven’t seen thisyet. Especially not in countries with high-“CHANGE COMES FROMOUTSIDE, NOTFROM INSIDE. IN THE
AUTOMOTIVEINDUSTRY A SINGLE
MAD VISIONARY WAS
ENOUGH TO MAKE AN
ENTIRE INDUSTRYCHANGE.”David Bosshart

chine manufacturing any more. The potentialof Blockchain and IoT in particular will set theframework within which the change takes
place. Drivers will be physical and virtualinfrastructure issues centered around energy and mobility as well as information andcommunication technology. Whether thesechanges are led by companies that are still
unknown today, or well-known companies,
remains to be seen. Once again, however,
the human element is crucial: Good or bad
management makes the difference.

THREEFOLD INTELLIGENCE
ly trained employees, like Switzerland. The
USA only dominates in the top technology
segment, where the focus is on software.
Its problem is that it invests far too little intraining and further education.
I suspect that many top jobs will become
even more coveted and diverse, and that many mid-level and simple jobs will be reinvented, not because they are endangered, but
because in all these jobs there are activities
that can be performed more quickly and efficiently with automation. This applies just as
much for the lawyer as for the health-care
professional or truck driver.
The human-machine interaction will be
the result of successful software and hardware innovation. Software will become increasingly important, and probably in ten
years’ time we won’t be talking about ma-

In 2019 for the first time my Institute willaward the Gottlieb Duttweiler Prize not toa person, but to IBM’s artificial intelligenceplatform, Watson. With this we want to send
the message that a good manager or a good
specialist is no longer the sole deciding factor, nor even a well integrated team. We are
all reliant on how “IQ + KIQ + EQ” interact
in the human-machine team, in other words
how human intelligence quotient plus artificial intelligence quotient plus emotional
intelligence quotient develop constructively
together to solve problems, which we canno longer solve alone, or working as specialists in silos.

Motion  01.2019

33

GRINDING SYMPOSIUM

Wednesday, 8th May 2019, 2:45 pm

REINER SCHMOHL
Reiner Schmohl is a Certified Engineer in Industrial
Electronics and Product Manager at Bosch Connected
Devices and Solutions GmbHMEMS-based sensor
technology for machineand process monitoring –application possibilities
and limits
Short Summary
MEMS sensors, as used in the auto­
motive sector and consumer electronics,
offer new possibilities in production
monitoring
They enable cost-optimized andPredictive Maintenance
MEMS sensors measure machine vibra­
tions and noises and thus react not only
to the machine operating states, but also
to additional parameters, for instance thequality of raw materials
Processing of the collected data resultsin new business models and service
offerings for machine manufacturers

34

Motion  01.2019

BOSCH CONNECTED DEVICES and Solutions GmbH develops and distributes networked sensor technology and supports its customers
in the digitalization of their production processes and services. Under the direction ofBosch and with the active participation of the
UNITED GRINDING Group, seven partners
have been developing the sensor systemof the future for machine monitoring in theframework of a research project known as
AMELI 4.0. The system is based on the newly developed so-called Intelligent Vibration
Analysis Sensor (IVAS).

component of the ESP anti-skid system, forexample, and they ensure that smartphone
screen displays adapt when rotated.
In comparison to current industrial sensors, MEMS sensors are tiny, intelligent,energy-saving and low-priced. However,in the past they were often not robust or
powerful enough for demanding industrial
environments. For this reason the potentialof condition monitoring in production systems remains partially unused. The AMELI
4.0 research team has now further developed MEMS sensors, so that they are also
suitable for industrial applications.

HIGH DEMANDS ON SENSORS
Sensors play a key role in Industry 4.0.
They are the artificial “sensory organs” ofmachines and workpieces and record theircondition and characteristics. For intelligent
control and networking of production, thesensors must collect and process large
amounts of data in real time. At the sametime they should be as energy efficient as
possible and capable of easy integration
into complex production systems. Current
industrial sensors have their limitations as
regards Industry 4.0. They are generally not
intelligent or flexible enough, consume toomuch energy and are too expensive for many applications.
For the AMELI 4.0 research project the
researchers use a key technology from the
networked world: MEMS sensors (MEMS
stands for Micro-Electromechanical System).
MEMS sensors are already an indispensable
element in the automotive industry andconsumer electronics. They are the central

MARKET EXPECTATIONSThe starting point was the increased expectation of machine manufacturers and theircustomers for better monitoring of machines
and processes. Grinding machine users willin future make two key demands on themaintenance of their installations:	Cost optimization: Only carry out
maintenance when actually necessary	Performance optimization: Carry out
maintenance before production downtime occurs (Predictive Maintenance)
The actual machine monitoring process
must take place in parallel with the production process and should not interfere with
it. The times required for scheduled maintenance of production machines mean a high,but still calculable cost factor for companies.
Times for unplanned downtimes represent asignificant and far more difficult to measure

TECHNICAL COLLOQUIUM I: INTELLIGENT PRODUCTION

risk. Both, the costs of machine maintenanceand the risk of a machine downtime, can besignificantly reduced with the help of IVAS.

ADDITIONAL BENEFIT
Through the online monitoring of production processes – in parallel with production,
we can also reach conclusions about otherfactors which are critical for the success ofcompanies. Abnormal measured values forvibration or temperature often have their origin not in the production system itself, but
in the raw materials used. Users of sensor
technology for machine monitoring therefore have the opportunity to control many
more processes than just production. The
detection of issues such as reduced qualityof raw materials from suppliers is just oneof many examples.
In order to monitor the machine, the
IVAS measures 3 different physical variables: Vibrations in three axes up to a signal
frequency of 3KHz, in one axis also up to asignal frequency of 20 KHz, and the exact
temperature. If an installation is not working
as planned, it will vibrate and sound different to its normal operating state. The systemcompares the measured signals with saved
profiles. The system is also self-learning andonly reacts to changes that indicate a defector wear. The sensor system can thus detectat an early stage when a machine needs
to be repaired or maintained. With more
complex systems, the gateway (or router)to which the sensors send their data, or the
production computer network can undertake this intelligent evaluation.
Additional business models and service
offerings result for machine manufacturers
from using such systems. Their customers
collect the data themselves and of course also own the data that comes from production.

“FOR INTELLIGENTCONTROL AND NETWORKING OF PRODUCTION THE
SENSORS MUST
COLLECT AND PROCESSLARGE AMOUNTS OF DATAIN REAL TIME.”
Reiner Schmohl

MEMS stands for Micro-Electromechanical
System. These sensors can process
mechanical and electrical information

PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE
In order to effectively use Predictive Maintenance, the collected data must be comparedwith known profiles, such as vibration profiles, from other production systems. And
this results in a business model for the manufacturers: Digital 24/7 maintenance of theircustomers’ production system. The manufacturers can thus develop from machine
suppliers into strong production partners.
Clearly such a business model is not limited to production machines manufactured
in-house.

The machine control is aself-learning system and only
reacts to changes inparameters that indicate adefect or wear
Motion  01.201935

GRINDING SYMPOSIUM

Wednesday, 8th May 2019, 3:30 pm

CHRISTOPH PLÜSS
Christoph Plüss is Chief Technology Officer of the
UNITED GRINDING Group. He has worked
for the Group since 2009 and was previously Head of
R&D and CTO of EWAG

UNITED GRINDING
Digital Solutions™ –The customer benefit
Short SummaryDigitalization in the machine tool
sector is more a generational issue than atechnological issue
Key distinguishing features of modern
machine tools will increasingly be foundin the area of intuitive operation andhandling in future

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IS OMNIPRESENT andis shaping society, environment and theeconomy in a rapid and unprecedented way.
The increasing networking of people, Internet and things is increasingly becoming the
focus of industrial production, where it allows us to revolutionize business models
and offer our customers new services andsolutions. But how does one develop anddesign successful digital services? Successful “digitalizers” clearly focus on thecustomer benefit and User Experience (UX)
– the goal being to quite simply make thecustomer’s life simpler! This is ultimately
the recipe for success.

A GENERATIONAL ISSUE
The supreme discipline of digitalization is
to automatically perform optimizations on
the basis of acquired data and to identify
connections and patterns using smart
data analysis
The success of our customers is thedriving force of the UNITED GRINDING
Group – and will remain so in thedigital age

Realistically, the increasing digitalizationin the machine tool sector has little to dowith the fourth industrial revolution. Developments in the private social environment
as regards interaction with modern devices and systems (smartphone generation)
are a clear expectation today. Therefore
the topic of digitalization is more a generational issue than a technological issue. The next generation take for granted
much of what is still being debated today.

CUSTOMER JOURNEY
As a technology and market leader, theUNITED GRINDING Group wants to decisively contribute to shaping digital developmentin the modern manufacturing industry, sothat it can remain a reliable partner for its
customers and maintain its leading positionin the future.
36

Motion  01.2019

We have brought the “touchpoints”
together in a “Customer Journey” with ourcustomers throughout the useful life of themachine – from evaluation and procurement
through to decommissioning. This “customer experience chain” explains which customer interactions can be simplified by digitalization to make the customer’s life easier.

DIGITAL ECOSYSTEM
In order to provide customers in a digital ecosystem with a positive “User Experience”(UX), we consider three digital touchpoints
to be essential:
1. ”Machine panel”: Key distinguishingfeatures of modern machine tools will increasingly be found in the area of intuitive
operation and handling in future. We wantto establish a milestone in operation andsimplify and digitally support work on themachine for all.
2. ”Web portal“: A new UNITED GRINDING
web portal will act as a hub for specific business and customer information, market andproduct news.
3. ”Customer portal“: In future every registered UNITED GRINDING Digital Solutions™ customer will be able to obtainproducts and services on the customer
portal quickly and easily.

KEY AREAS OF DIGITALIZATIONWith UNITED GRINDING Digital Solutions™
our intention is to offer our customers a well

TECHNICAL COLLOQUIUM I: INTELLIGENT PRODUCTION

designed and expandable portfolio architecture, for increased productivity, reliability andquality. We have identified four essential key
areas of digitalization in day-to-day digitalproduction:
	Digital Connectivity: The networking ofpeople, machines and systems is thebasic prerequisite for digitalization. To
this end, we are working on integrated
software and hardware concepts. Standardized data exchange is essential. Together with leading control and machine
tool manufacturers the “umati” interface(universal machine tool interface) has
been developed and launched, under
the direction of VDW.
	Digital Usability: Ideally even complex
machines will be easy to operate, without requiring specialists. The operator
must be digitally supported in his activities and we are therefore working intensively on new interaction concepts. A
consistent UNITED GRINDING operating
philosophy will make life much easier for
operators as well as our application andservice technicians.
	Digital Monitoring: The first step in any
optimization, following the collection ofdata, is to create transparency, identify
patterns and derive optimization potential. We have two initial products

here, the UNITED GRINDING Digital
Solutions™ SERVICE MONITOR and
the PRODUCTION MONITOR. The latterenables us to create a digital image of
production and to record capacity utilization and efficiency in production. With
the SERVICE MONITOR we support theservice personnel in the planning andperformance of maintenance activities.
	Digital Productivity: The supreme discipline of digitalization is to automatically
perform optimizations on the basis of
the acquired data and to identify connections and patterns using smart data
analysis. This will enable us in future in to“THE GOAL IS CLEAR:NO UNPLANNED MACHINEDOWNTIMES AND A
CONSISTENTLY HIGHMANUFACTURINGQUALITY WITH MAXIMUMPRODUCTIVITY.”
Christoph Plüss

accurately predict the service life of key
components (Predictive Maintenance) or
to dynamically adapt machine parameters for a required production quality.

OUTLOOK
The portfolio architecture of UNITED
GRINDING Digital Solutions™, as presented
here, lays a successful foundation for the digi­tal machine tool industry of tomorrow. Our
focus is on the customer benefit and scalable
solution concepts. In all four quadrants of
UNITED GRINDING Digital Solutions ™ wewill launch further production innovationsin the coming years, which we are alreadyworking on intensively.
Real and digital world will merge closer
together, and “Augmented Reality” will be
increasingly adopted in industrial applications. In the area of data analysis and optimization artificial intelligence will increasingly
support us in making the right decisions.
We will increasingly use intelligent sensor
technology to regulate the current production process even more precisely and safely
and to plan activities and measures ahead.
The goal is clear: no unplanned machine downtimes and a consistently highmanufacturing quality with maximum productivity. The success of our customers is
our driving force - and will remain so in thedigital age.

The three essential touchpointsof the User Experience:
Machine panel, web portal
and customer portal

Motion  01.201937

GRINDING SYMPOSIUM

Wednesday, 8th May 2019, 4:15 pm

DR. SEBASTIAN RISI
Dr. Sebastian Risi is Associate Professor at the
IT University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Artificial Intelligence –Towards machines thatcan continually adapt
Short Summary
Based on insights from artificial intelligence, robotics, and biology, new generations of machines can be created whosebodies and artificial brains are not limited
to performing one specific task, but caninstead evolve to handle a variety of tasks
in changing real-world settings
Lifelong learning agents, for example
for autonomous driving, will continually
improve its performance and update its
knowledge unsupervised, rapidly adapt
to unforeseen context, and learn andconsolidate new tasks without forgetting
old ones
Artificial intelligence has the potential tosignificantly disrupt many different industries by replacing the traditional designand deploy approach with an iterative
evolutionary approach of design, deploy
and adapt38

Motion  01.2019

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) METHODS and autonomous machines are becoming part ofour daily lives, in face recognition, speech
recognition in mobile phones, automatictranslation or autonomous driving. Machines can now outperform humans inmany domains such as Chess, Go, or evenpoker. However, these systems still pale incomparison to even simple biological intelligence, which can learn, evolve and adapt
to unforeseen experiences. Current machinelearning systems can only deal with situations they have been trained for in advance;
they are unable to adapt during execution to
unexpected situations, that were not anticipated by the designer which greatly limits
their autonomy. Additionally, while livingorganisms adapt and evolve in order to survive, current machines are static, orders ofmagnitudes less autonomous, specialized toonly perform a very limited and fixed set offunctions, and still laboriously planned anddesigned by teams of engineers.

TO HANDLE A VARIETY OF TASKSThis brittleness contrasts starkly with thecapabilities of animals that can adapt to a
specific habit through adaptation by natural
selection on an evolutionary time-scale andthrough behavioural flexibility on a daily-lifetime-scale. Because they live in dynamic andchanging environments, biological systems
had to develop robust, yet flexible, solutions
that allow them to survive.
Based on insights from artificial intelligence, robotics, and biology, my researchgroup aims to create the foundations for a
new generation of machines whose bodies

and artificial brains are not limited to performing one specific task, but can instead
evolve to handle a variety of tasks in chan­ging r­eal-world settings, go on unmanned­explorations of unknown environments,
or can facilitate the development of new
medical technology such as shape adap­
ting prosthesis for children. Some of theresearch projects we have been working on
are detailed below.

RIBOSOMAL ROBOTS
We have developed a novel 1D printing system that uses an approach inspired by theribosome to fabricate a variety of specialized
robotic morphologies from a single string ofsource material. This proof-of-concept system involves both a novel manufacturing
platform that configures the source material using folding and an optimization tool
based on artificial evolution that allows designs to be produced from the specificationof high-level goals. The system can produce
distinct robots from the same source material, each of which is capable of accomplishing a specialized task.
Additionally, the printer is able to use
recycled material to produce new designs,
enabling an autonomous manufacturing
ecosystem capable of repurposing previous iterations to accomplish new tasks. We
are currently extending this manufacturing
platform to create a novel generation ofrobots, called EvoMorphs, shape-shifting
robots that will be able to climb over the
rubble of a collapsed building, morph to fit
through narrow passages, and reform after
being damaged.

A hallmark ability of humans is to continually learn from experience. However, crea­ting ­artificial agents that can continuously
adapt to novel situations and learn new skills
within their lifetime without catastrophic forgetting of previous learned skills remains an
unsolved challenge in machine learning. In
contrast to current AI approaches, biologicalsystems are able to adapt quickly to changes
in their particular surroundings.
Together with a diverse group of researchers we are aiming to create lifelong
learning agents for autonomous driving.
The system will power a self-driving agent
that continually improves its performanceand updates its knowledge unsupervised,
rapidly adapts to unforeseen contexts, andlearns and consolidates new tasks without
forgetting old ones. For example, the novel
algorithm should allow a machine to recoverfrom sensor failure during execution where
current machine learning algorithms fail.

DEMOCRATIZING AI
Our society increasingly depends upon moreadvanced and pervasive forms of AI. Ensuring that these systems are useful for thecommunity is a critical challenge. To address
this challenge an ideal machine would notneed to be programmed to perform a certain
task but could instead be taught to do so ininteraction with us, similarly to how we teach

Illustrations: © 2018 HRL Laboratories

COLOQUIUM I: INTELLIGENT PRODUCTION

The machine-learning architecture
will emulate interactions of the hippocampus
to consolidate lifelong learning

children. An important part of our researchtakes a step towards the democratization of
AI techniques by allowing casual users without any knowledge about AI or robotics todesign robot behaviours through a processof interactive artificial evolution.
Similarly to how we breed dogs, ­users
can interactively select robot behaviors
they prefer from a set of candidates, andthe next generation of behaviors is producedby slightly changing (mutating) and combining (crossover) the genetic material of therobot’s artificial neural networks. Because
humans have intuitions about how animals
should behave, they are able to selectively
breed simple robot behaviors in a simulator
without having to understand robotics ordesign principles of neural networks.

LEARNING AND EVOLVING MACHINES“ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
HAS THE POTENTIAL
TO SIGNIFICANTLYDISRUPT MANYDIFFERENT INDUSTRIES.”
Sebastian Risi

Artificial intelligence has the potential to significantly disrupt many different industries
by replacing the traditional design and deploy approach with an iterative evolutionary
approach of design, deploy and adapt. This
could limit the need for human designers
or even human-operated facilities. The longterm vision of our lab is to create artificialorganisms that can continuously adapt andevolve to fit their particular environments,
thereby overcoming the limitations of systems designed directly by humans.

Recycle1D PrinterFold

A 1D printing system uses anapproach inspired by the ribosome to fabricate
a variety of specialized robotic morphologies
from a single string of source material
Motion  01.2019

39

GRINDING SYMPOSIUM

Thursday, 9th May 2019, 9:30 am

PROF. DR.
THOMAS BERGS
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Bergs holds the Chair of
Manufacturing Technology at the Laboratory for Machine
Tools WZL of RWTH Aachen University

Assistance sytem-based
process monitoring in
grinding technology
Short SummaryCurrent developments such as customizing or new drive concepts in the automotive sector require agile process control
using assistance systems in production
The prerequisite for this is sound,physically-based process knowledge.
Digital twins are necessary to obtain
this knowledge
Digital twins are data-based images ofreal components, tools and machines,
which exist throughout the lifetime of thereal object
They generate large data volumes, which
can be analyzed for previously unknown
trends and patterns using artificial
intelligence methods, and help facilitate
quality control

THE PROGRESSIVE DEVELOPMENT of alternative
drive concepts in the automotive sector iscausing a major shift in machining technology. Lightweight concepts and the processing of materials with previously unknown
machining characteristics pose additional
challenges for the machining process. In
addition, new manufacturing methods anda change in the drive components required
result in a significant reduction in primarymachining times in the automotive production chain.
However, machining processes are relevant for the manufacture of components
with high demands in respect of form andposition tolerances. Customer requirements
also result in a shift away from mass production to the production of components
in small batches. Cost-effective productionof these components makes efficient andagile process control more necessary thanever before.
Within the “Internet of Production” Cluster of Excellence at RWTH Aachen University, the Laboratory for Machine Tools WZLof RWTH Aachen has set itself the goal ofraising the inter-technology interaction ofmachining processes to a new level, by
providing and using context-dependent data from production in real time and with asufficient degree of detail.

INTERNET OF PRODUCTION
Agile production is one of the pillars of the
networked, adaptive production of the Internet of Production, the Aachen interpretation of the Industrial Internet of Things. The
40

Motion  01.2019

key element of the Internet of Production is
the systematic digitalization and networkingof development, production and productthroughout the entire value chain. Assistance systems in production technology
form the link between human experienceand the capabilities of IT systems for improving data handling, analysis, modelingand planning. The assistance system initially
supports decision, control and regulation
processes, with an increasing level of maturity. It subsequently controls the production
line as an autonomous system.
The basic requirement for the development of such an assistance system is sound,physically based knowledge about the process. The implementation of an assistance“TODAY, MORE THAN
EVER, COST-EFFECTIVEPRODUCTION REQUIRESEFFICIENT AND AGILEPROCESS CONTROL.”
Thomas Bergs

system in grinding technology is particularly
difficult, because a large number of influencing variables are difficult to measure due tothe limited accessibility of the contact zone
between abrasive grain and workpiece, as
well as the geometrically undefined cutting

TECHNICAL COLLOQUIUM II: CYLINDRICAL GRINDING

With increasing maturity the assistance system
is capable of progressing from pure condition
measurement to autonomous process control
based on historic and projected data

Stage 1: Signaling

Go

StatusStage 2: Observationedge. It is therefore necessary to make valuable process variables measurable online using virtual sensors and models.
The method of data analysis and projection is enabled by a digital twin. This represents a sufficiently precise, data-based image of real components, tools and machines
and exists throughout the lifetime of the real
object. The use of high-performance sensor
technology and multi-sensor platforms in thesmallest of spaces enables precise creationof the digital twin.
The sensor data and metadata flow into
a data lake as an integrated whole. These
are then made available for big data analytics using artificial intelligence, to discoverunknown relationships, trends and patterns.
Data-driven modeling using artificial intelligence methods identifies unknown relationships between process control, disturbanceand output variables. To create the digitaltwin the data of workpiece, tool and otherproduction equipment, as well as the direct
and indirect process signals, must flow into
a common database. This provides the basis
for understanding and preventing scatteringand trends.

Historical data

WarningStage 3: Prognosis

Prediction

Indication
Stage 4: Support

Specification

economically efficient design of the cutting
tool used in the milling process thus becomes possible with a lot size of one.

STATISTICAL PROCESS CONTROL
Based on these findings in the research context the customer can then draw conclusions about the component peripheral zone
characteristics as well as surface parametersand form tolerances through the acquisition of indirect process signals by modern
machine controls. A costly and time-consuming one hundred percent inspection of
all quality characteristics, as required forsafety-critical components, can thus be reduced to a statistical process control (SPC),
or even completely omitted. Finally, the process knowledge generated by data-driven
models enables the design of technology
meta-models, so that disturbance and influencing variables of the processes can betaken into account right from the planningstage in future.

DEMONSTRATION IN PRODUCTION
The benefit of the digital twin in modern
production technology is mapped out at theLaboratory for Machine Tools WZL of RWTH
Aachen on demonstration systems in a production line, using the example of a solid
carbide shank cutter. The sintered carbide
blank represents a hard-to-machine material
with both ductile and brittle machining characteristics. Due to the difficult machinability
and the high demands on form tolerance andsurface finish, the blank is ground in several
roughing and finishing processes, in which
flute spaces, main and secondary cuttingedges as well as flanks are produced.
If knowledge about the workpiece interms of material, geometry and peripheral
zone is also available for previous machining
steps, these twins can be linked together
in a virtual process. The technologically andVolume flow

Pressure

Temperature

Force

Coolant monitoringand process force

Digital twin

Process temperature

Grinding wheel
topography

The creation of the digital twin requires
precise acquisition and processing ofprocess data, tool and workpiece data as
well as the ambient conditions
Motion  01.201941

GRINDING SYMPOSIUM

Thursday, 9th May 2019, 10:15 am

ROMAN RUDOLF
THOMAS SCHENK
Roman Rudolf is Head of Sales and Support, andThomas Schenk is Head of Production of FISCHER AG.
The company based in Herzogenbuchsee, Switzerland,
produces rotation systems such as precision spindles,
electro-compressors and milling heads

WireDress® in practice(practical examples andexperiences)
Short Summary
Difficult-to-machine hard materials andrising quality standards place enormous
demands on a reliable production process
Using a bond with a high dimensional
stability, almost any profile can be
precision-contoured in the μm range
Other important factors that contributeto reproducibility in the absolute range ofless than 1 µm are a fully air-conditioned
hall, automatic loading and unloading,adapted tooling, cutting-edge measuring
technology, an efficient cooling concept
and, of course, highly trained andmotivated personnel

42

Motion  01.2019

THE AERODYNAMIC AIR BEARING from FISCHER
requires very precise machining of the
shafts in the µm range. The bearing geometry is precisely defined and the quality ofthe monoblock precision components is
systematically documented. Materials suchas carbide present new challenges for production. To increase the removal volume,
special abrasives such as metallurgicallybonded diamond wheels are used – andthese require technological improvements
of production systems. WireDress® is an
example of a small but important elementof technological development to increase
productivity by increasing part throughput
and improving process stability.
The challenge was: As well as our goal of increasing productivity, we were alsoreaching our limits when grinding difficult-to-machine hard materials with increasingly stringent quality requirements. We
had to admit that we couldn’t solve this issue
with a conventional grinding machine. So
we began searching for a possible solution.
Over the years our technology partner
STUDER has supported us in completing
numerous successful projects. At our request STUDER suggested the WireDress®
technology in combination with High Speed
Grinding (HSG), which provided a perfectsolution to the problem. Here, the dressing
is done at full wheel speed. In contrast toconventional mechanical or external EDM
dressing, WireDress® dressing occurs

through modified wire erosion in the grinding machine, where the grinding oil serves
as a dielectric.
The dressing process is contactless andwear-free, with no mechanical contact. The
grit itself is not dressed, but the metallic bondaround the grit is removed. Depending on
how deep the grit is embedded in the bond,it either falls out or remains with original“WIREDRESS®
CONTRIBUTES TOWARDSINCREASINGPRODUCTIVITY BY
INCREASING PARTTHROUGHPUT AND
IMPROVING
PROCESS STABILITY.”
Thomas Schenk

TECHNICAL COLLOQUIUM II: CYLINDRICAL GRINDING

sharpness in the bond. The grinding wheel
receives a high grain clearance for maximum
cutting capability, lower grinding forces andlow burning risk. You can now harness the capabilities of metal bond with WireDress®. Using a bond with a high dimensional stability,
almost any profile can be precision-contouredin the μm range. Long dressing intervals canalso be achieved.

Radial pressure profile

REPRODUCIBLE PRODUCTION
If you have the right technology, the process
is peanuts. In the past, you had to feel yourway, today everything is process-stable.
This has the advantage that the costs can
be clearly calculated. We also know thatthe right technology is not just about themachine.
Other factors that contribute to reproducibility in the absolute range of less than
1 µm are:a fully air-conditioned hallautomatic loading and unloading
adapted toolingcutting-edge measuring technology	an efficient cooling concept
highly trained and motivated personnel
For FISCHER AG, the investment in the
STUDER S41 with WireDress® technology
has paid off. In order to develop the full potential of the technology machine we willcontinue to invest in grinding technology
development.

Axial pressure profile

An aerodynamic bearing specially
optimized by FISCHER

The electric turbocompressor
developed by FISCHER allows small massflows to be efficiently compressed
Motion  01.201943

GRINDING SYMPOSIUM

Thursday, 9th May 2019, 11:00 am

DR. STEFAN BOHR
Dr. Stefan Bohr is Director of Application
Engineering & OEM Management at Saint-Gobain
Abrasives, a global manufacturer of abrasives

High-performance
grinding… rapid
development of various
technologies
Short SummaryThe efficiency of grinding processes
mainly depends on parameters such as
cutting speed and grain size of thegrinding wheel
With a suitable grinding wheel specification, a higher cutting speed leads toan improved grinding performance – but
also to increased heat generation
The grinding direction (synchronous orcounter-rotation) is also an importantfactor for the chip formation process
A suitable design of the grinding process
results from analysis of the chip formation process taking account of the graincharacteristics

44

Motion  01.2019

THE EFFICIENCY OF GRINDING PROCESSES is constantly being improved in terms of material
removal, grinding times, surface qualities
and complexity of the process flows. Thisis necessary for machining new materials
and also reduces grinding costs. But how isthis achieved? With new grinding machines,on the one hand, which enable quicker operations and optimized processes. And on
the other hand through the development ofinnovative grinding tools, which make optimal process parameters possible in the firstplace. The individual combination of the rightabrasive grain and a suitable bond leads toa specification which ensures the highest
performance for the respective application.

But: The higher removal rate generates
more heat. To dissipate this heat the cooling system must be adapted in respect offlow rate, pressure and output speed; otherwise thermal damage to the workpiece
would result. There is also a second “But”:
It must be ensured that the abrasive grains
and the entire tool can withstand this additional loading.

EFFECT OF THE ABRASIVE GRAIN

CUTTING SPEED

Figure 1 shows the relationship between spindle power and removal rate for the abrasive
grains white aluminum oxide and Altos TGX;
this relationship can be represented as a linear
function in time-independent processes. Twoessential characteristics of abrasive grains
can be determined from this:Does a higher cutting or grinding wheel peripheral speed lead to an increased grinding
performance and thus a higher removal rate?
The simple answer is: “Yes... but!” Foran explanation let us look at the equivalentcutting depth. This is defined as the quotientof removal rate and cutting speed (see Figure2). Experience and theoretical considerations
show that in normal grinding processes theequivalent cutting depth is always within asimilar range, between 0.1 and 0.7 µm.
So if we increase the cutting speed, we
can increase the removal rate accordingly, tokeep the cutting depth the same. Therefore:
Higher cutting speeds actually allow a better
grinding performance in this respect!

1.	The specific grinding energy, i.e. the energy required to cut 1 mm³ material (linegradient). A small slope, i.e. a flat straight
line, means that a high removal rate canbe achieved with low spindle power. The
diagram shows that Altos TGX has a significantly lower specific grinding energy
and is therefore better suited for a highremoval rate than white aluminum oxide.
2.	The “threshold power”, i.e. the power
required to stimulate the chip formation(y-axis section). From this threshold theabrasive grain is able to penetrate thematerial and generate a first chip. Below this threshold only processes such

TECHNICAL COLLOQUIUM II: CYLINDRICAL GRINDING

P‘ [kW/ mm)]

1.0
0.8

EKw

ALTOS TGXP limit

0.6

Burn-freesurfacePth0.4

as friction, temperature increase and possibly deformation of the workpiece result.
The figure shows that white aluminumoxide has an advantage here, i.e. it is already “easy-cutting” at a lower power.
High removal rates thus require grains with alower specific grinding energy, which enablea high material removal to be achieved witha low spindle load. It is therefore often advisable to use Altos TGX, so that the higher
cutting speeds make sense.
If, however, high-performance grinding
is understood to mean precise working on
sensitive components (thin-walled, hollow,
unstable…), abrasive grains with a low threshold power are the right choice. Thesegrains penetrate the material easily andproduce a “soft” chip formation. White aluminum oxide would therefore preferably be
used here.
Another key parameter is the choice
between synchronous or counter-rotation(Figure 2). During counter-rotation grinding the grain penetrates the workpiece at aflat angle; the initial chip formation process
is therefore of crucial importance. A toolwith a low threshold power should be used
here; otherwise thermal damage or chattermarks would result due to the high friction
component.
During synchronous rotation grinding,on the other hand, the grain penetrates theworkpiece spontaneously. Here the chipP‘= Ec *Q‘w + P‘th

0.2

Pth
0
0

5

10

15

20

25

30

3

Q‘w [mm / (s*mm)]

Figure 1:
The specific grinding energy, i.e. the relationshipbetween spindle power P’ and removal
rate Q‘ for the abrasive grains white aluminumoxide (EKw) and Altos TGX

Figure 2:
Representation of thedifferent mechanisms
during up and down
grinding”THE INDIVIDUALCOMBINATION OF THE
RIGHT ABRASIVE GRAIN
AND A SUITABLE BOND
ENSURES THE HIGHEST
PERFORMANCEFOR THE RESPECTIVE
APPLICATION.”
Stefan Bohr

formation is forced, but the grain must be
capable of withstanding this load. Abrasive
grains with higher strength and lower specific grinding energy therefore have significant
advantages here.

PERFORMANCE AND SURFACE
High-performance grinding with higher metal removal rates on the one hand and bettersurfaces on the other – both are possible,
if all boundary conditions in terms of workpiece and requirements are known. The appropriate combination of grinding tool, grain,
process and machine concept must be individually tailored, based on an understandingof the microscopic processes.
Analysis of the chip formation process
taking account of grain characteristics suchas threshold power and specific grinding
energy leads directly to a suitable process
design. High cutting speeds are a correct
strategy in many cases, if the machine equipment in respect of cooling and stability iscorrectly adapted to the changed situation.

Parameters of the grinding process
Threshold power Pth
Cutting speed vc
Cutting depth hec
Specific grinding energy Ec
Spindle power P‘
Workpiece speed vw
Removal rate Q‘w

hcc = Q‘w
Vc
	 Counter-rotation

Synchronous rotation
Motion  01.2019

45

GRINDING SYMPOSIUM

Thursday, 9th May 2019, 11:45 am

DIPL.-ING.
ECKHARD HOHWIELER
Dipl.-Ing. Eckhard Hohwieler is Head of Department
at the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems andDesign Technology (IPK) in Berlin

Potential and applications
for machine learningin the manufacturingindustry
Short SummaryThrough condition monitoring of criticalcomponents and adapted maintenancemeasures, unforeseen machine failures
can be avoided and system availability
can be increased
Artificial intelligence provides the algorithms and methods necessary to processdata efficiently and interpret it profitably
Digital twins make all data from the product development process available andenable it to be experienced by means ofvirtual reality technologies
In order to ensure efficient production,
production systems must monitor thestate of wear of functionally relevant
components and adapt their behavior
according to the situation

46

Motion  01.2019

THE AVAILABILITY OF production machines andsystems is an essential requirement for ensuring efficient and stable production. For
production and service planning, it is crucial to know the condition of production
systems and how this is likely to develop
in future. Through condition monitoring of
critical components and adapted maintenance measures, unforeseen machine failures can be avoided and system availability
can be increased.
Predictive maintenance helps to identify the optimal time for maintenance, avoid
production failures and optimize processes.
Condition monitoring detects and monitors
the state of wear, while predictive maintenance entails predicting probable developments of the future machine condition andplanning maintenance measures on thisbasis. Effective predictive maintenancereduces the number of maintenance activities and increases the machine availability.
It also enables system use to be planned
more efficiently, since unplanned repairs are
virtually eliminated.

LIFECYCLE MONITORING
During the operation of production systems
by customers a large volume of informationis generated in the course of the life cycle,
which provides information about load andwear development. Life cycle monitoring enables the machine manufacturer to collectthis information and prepare it for the user.
Users can evaluate and use this information
themselves, both fleet-specifically and on a
general level, in order to optimize their products and services.
In cooperation with grinding machine
manufacturer Schaudt Mikrosa GmbH,
Fraunhofer IPK developed a concept whichenables the dynamic behavior of components to be detected on the basis of selftests. For the self-test the respective feed
axis or main spindle moves at a constant
infeed speed or rotational speed. During
this traversing movement the drive data
are acquired and further processed using asoftware application on the operating computer. Statistical moments were chosen as
characteristic values for the evaluation, as
they are easy to calculate and interpret andhave a high informative value.

DATA ANALYTICS AND AI
With data analytics insights can be gained
from raw data about cause and effect relationships in industrial production. Data analytics is used to clean, transform, organize
and model the data, in order to draw conclusions and identify significant patterns. Data
analytics is therefore not a new technology,
but is gaining in importance with the rapidly increasing availability of data enabled
by low-cost MEMS sensors and IoT communication. A huge challenge is posed by

TECHNICAL COLLOQUIUM II: CYLINDRICAL GRINDING

CMMS

Connection of themachine tool to data
analysis in the cloudGateway

Production
Environment

PLC*) Source of the Machine Tool:
Schaudt Mikrosa GmbH
CMMS: Computerized Maintenance Management Systems

the generation of meaningful characteristic
values, which form the basis for the use ofmachine learning processes and AI.
Artificial intelligence provides the algorithms and methods necessary to efficiently
process and interpret data from industrial
processes for the benefit of companies andtheir customers. AI is thus a key component
and an important driver for the intelligent
monitoring, control and regulation of theseprocesses.

PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE
The key focus is on clustering, the classification and regression of features which are
obtained from data from industrial processes. Tasks with multi-dimensional non-linear
dependencies can be supported by teaching and refining initial models. Predictive
maintenance is improved through patternrecognition and on the basis of classificators
taught with case data. Cognitive machineswith intelligent assistance systems will in future undertake the end-to-end optimizationof processes, and agent systems will undertake the autonomous control of processes in
production and logistics.
The digital twin, as a virtual image of a
production system, makes all data from theproduct development process available andenables it to be experienced by means ofvirtual reality technologies. In a showcase atFraunhofer IPK, a machine equipped with a“COGNITIVE MACHINESWITH INTELLIGENTASSISTANCE SYSTEMSWILL IN FUTURE
UNDERTAKE THE
OPTIMIZATION OF
PROCESSES INPRODUCTION.”
Eckhard Hohwieler

MEMS sensor-based condition monitoring
system was connected to its digital twin via
M2M communication and an IoT platform
and thus expanded into a cyber-physicalsystem. The condition monitoring triggers
service visits when required, the service
technician is supported on site by thecloud platform and the activities performed
are documented automatically in thedigital twin.

END-TO-END OPTIMIZATION
In order to ensure efficient production, production systems must in future have thecapability to monitor the state of wear offunctionally relevant components and adapt
their behavior according to the situation.
Cyber-physical systems and the digital
networking of systems and processes inIndustry 4.0 offer access to a wide rangeof data, and their intelligent evaluation not
only creates new transparency but can also
be used to optimize processes and systems.
The efficiency of machine learning cancomplement human capabilities in specific areas. AI will change previous value
added processes and open up new value
added potential in production and production technology. Cognitive machines withintelligent assistance systems will in future
undertake the end-to-end optimization ofprocesses and the control of processes
in production.
Motion  01.2019

47

GRINDING SYMPOSIUM

Thursday, 9th May 2019, 2:00 pm

PROF. DR.
KONRAD WEGENER
Prof. Dr. Konrad Wegener is Head of the Institute for
Machine Tools and Production (IWF) at ETH Zurich

Vision and developments
in grinding machinetechnology
Short SummaryWithout grinding technology, future technologies such as optics and electronics
as well as classic machine manufacturing
are inconceivable
Major lines of development in production
technology today are Industry 4.0,
artificial intelligence and biologicaltransformation. This generally involves afurther intensification of automation
An important application of artificial
intelligence will in future also be theservice sector in the sense of predictive
or assessment-based maintenance, andaccuracy improvement via self-learningcompensation algorithms
The future will see a more intensive
collaboration between machine manu­
facturer and machine user, with the needto protect reciprocal security and confidentiality interests

48

Motion  01.2019

GRINDING AND ULTRA-FINE MACHINING are more
important than ever today. Without grinding technology, future technologies suchas optics and electronics as well as classic
machine manufacturing are inconceivable.
Competing with grinding technology areinnovative laser-manufactured carbide tools
made from solid PCD, CBN and nanocrystalline or monocrystalline diamonds for specificapplications, and in some cases even newlasers from the development of ultrashortpulse technology.

ENVIRONMENTALLY INTERESTING
However, the combination of cost-effectiveness, efficiency or throughput and machining quality does not provide a manufacturing process that can outdo grinding whenit comes to surface, surface-near zone andmaterial portfolio.
The fact that cutting with a geometrically defined cutting edge depletes the earth’s
tungsten reserves, while grinding tools use
corundum, SiC, artificial diamonds and
CBN, whose source products are available
in abundance in the world, makes grinding highly interesting for the future froman environmental point of view. “Grindingis necessary” will continue to apply in future and will call for grinding machines thatare efficient in every regard. In the figure
the most important lines of development
for grinding machines are analyzed andsummarized as a future perspective basedon the development of grinding process
technology, market requirements and thetechnology environment.

Major lines of development in production
technology today are Industry 4.0, artificial
intelligence and biological transformation.
This generally involves a further intensification of automation. This development is not
short-term hype, but is here to stay. Grinding
technology is still largely experience-based.
The reason for this is the multitude of parameters that need to be and are not actually
managed, which is generally termed “complexity”. Tools now exist for making suchcomplex processes manageable, in the formof self-learning systems. Computing power,
low-cost sensors, Internet and sophisticated modeling techniques make it possible toimplement these ideas.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
For the paradigm of the learning, intelligent
machine, process technology and path
preparation must both be accessible by
the control on the machine, so that their
two-way interaction can be utilized. As
the training of a complex process technology requires a large number of trainingcases, model-based learning methods areclearly an advantage. These include computing models with adaptable parameters
for known interrelationships and trainable
qualitative guidelines.
The processability of uncertain information will be increasingly implemented infuture, and biological intelligence is a modelfor this. This means the availability of information can be distributed over time. Models
are necessary for the creation of master data,
the protection and validation of information

TECHNICAL COLLOQUIUM III: SURFACE AND PROFILE GRINDING

as well as the transfer of knowledge fromother machines. They shorten the learning
process considerably.

then be used by the machine control or tool
presetting to provide the coolant precisely
and in the correct dosage.

UNCERTAIN INFORMATIONPRECISION ON THE WORKPIECE

An important application of artificial intelligence in future will also be the service
sector in the sense of predictive or assessment-based maintenance, and accuracy improvement via self-learning compensation
algorithms. In the case of predictive maintenance the remaining life of the grinding
machine is determined from currently measured condition data of the machine and its
elements, for instance the grinding wheel,
and wear or failure models. Determining thecondition of the machine and its elements
is often not directly possible, so that an indirect determination of the wear condition
with a variety of sensors and broadband
sensors (microphones, cameras) is increasingly pursued.
Cheaper and more efficient sensor technology as well as redundant sensor networks,
which carry out self-checks based on plausibility, enable this development. In particular,
remaining service life prediction via durability
modeling will not succeed without the collection of field data, including failures and damage, i.e. from real working machines. This requires a large number of individual incidents,
which is the only way to give the machinebuilder the data feedback from the field.

“IN THECOMBINATION OF
COST-EFFECTIVENESS,EFFICIENCY AND
MACHINING QUALITY,
GRINDING TECHNOLOGYIS SUPERIOR TO ALL
OTHER MANUFACTURING
PROCESSES.“
Konrad Wegener

Development trends and theirimplementation

TRANSFER LEARNING NECESSARY
Due to the relatively small series in the machine tool industry, the transfer of information from one type to another with the aidof transfer models and transfer learning is
also necessary. The future will see a more
intensive collaboration between machine
manufacturer and machine user, with theneed to protect reciprocal security and confidentiality interests.
The various system components will be
integrated more intensively into the grinding
machine. This particularly applies to balancing and dressing systems as well as coolant
supply. Reproducibility, also one of the basic
prerequisites for expert systems, demands
nozzles that can be positioned in relation to
the grinding process, with an adjustable outlet velocity and volume flow. Meta-models
are generated via flow simulations, and can

Grinding technology as a finishing process
is steadily advancing towards higher precisions on the workpiece. Error budgeting islikely to become established in the future asa systematic procedure for design for accuracy. Generally, precision requirements gobeyond what can be achieved with design,
so that algorithms have to be used for thecompensation of kinematic errors, thermal
movements, dynamic errors and even gravitation errors and wear, which in turn places
demands on the reproducibility of the machine in particular.
Tougher requirements will be made on
the machine in future due to the relaxation
desired by the customer in terms of air-conditioning requirements. Here too there is apossible field of application for artificial intelligence, in adapting these compensation
models to the varying conditions.

Precision
Chatter suppression

Energy efficiency

CAM

High speed

Dressing technology

Tool automation

Fluid supply

Workpiece automation

Operator assistanceCompensations
Monitoring

Adaptivity

Motion  01.201949

GRINDING SYMPOSIUM

Thursday, 9th May 2019, 2:45 pm

DR. MARKUS WEISS
Dr.-Ing. Markus Weiß is Head of Grinding Technology at
TYROLIT Schleifmittelwerke Swarovski KG

Process-adapted
grinding tools and innovative wheel bodies
Short SummaryOnly through the optimal interaction ofmachine tool, coolant, conditioning process, process settings and grinding tool
can high removal rates, high productivity
and high-quality workpieces be achieved
The geometrical and mechanical characteristics of the abrasive grain materials
decisively define the chip formation
mechanisms, the grinding force generated and the wear behavior
Shape, material as well as mechanicaland dynamic characteristics of thegrinding wheel body influence thevibration and damping behavior of thegrinding wheel

50

Motion  01.2019

AS A MANUFACTURER OF HIGH-QUALITY grinding
tools, TYROLIT Schleifmittelwerke Swarovski KG has been continually optimizing anddeveloping tool technologies for 100 years,
in order to meet the demands of industrial
applications on efficiency and productivity. The grinding tool plays a central role inthe complex grinding production process,in which all system components involved
such as machine tool, coolant, conditioning process, process settings and grinding
tool must be adapted to the machining task.
Only through the optimal interaction of allthese components can high removal rates,
high productivity and high-quality workpieces be achieved.

GRINDING WHEEL CHARACTERISTICS
Grinding wheels are high-performancetools, whose characteristic profiles are
adapted to the respective grinding processdepending on their design and specification. Figure 1 shows a modern grinding toolwith a multi-layer, ceramic-bonded abrasive
coating on a steel wheel body. The abrasive
coating comprises the components grain,bond and pores.
The grain material performs the cutting
function. Its geometrical and mechanicalcharacteristics decisively define the chip
formation mechanisms, the grinding force
generated and the wear behavior. The grinding and wear behavior are also determinedby the type of bond system used. The bondsystem also defines the resilience in thecontact zone and therefore forms part of agrinding wheel’s damping capability. Pores
produce the chip space needed to ensure
the removal of chips and enable the supply
of coolant to the contact zone.

CBN AND DIAMOND TOOLSIn high-performance grinding processes
with CBN and diamond tools, in addition
to the abrasive coating specification thegrinding wheel body decisively defines thegrinding process behavior. Therefore, thewheel body is not just a carrier material
which is required to connect the grinding
machine to the abrasive coating, but it isalso an important component of the grinding
system. The vibration and damping behavior
in particular is influenced by shape, material and dynamic characteristics. The wheel
body also largely determines the weight, themaximum peripheral speed of the grinding
wheel and the grinding tool costs. Classic
representatives of wheel body materials
used are steel, various aluminium alloys,
ceramics and resin. Glass (GFRP) or carbon
fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) are also usedfor various applications.
Which wheel bodies are best suited
for a grinding operation is generally determined in complex tests based on the “trial
and error” principle. However, modern sim-

TECHNICAL COLLOQUIUM III: SURFACE AND PROFILE GRINDING

the wheel body design. Often a vibrational response or self-excited chatteroccurs in specific speed ranges during
the process. In this case too simulation
can help design grinding wheels withdifferent dynamic behavior, in order toguarantee process stability and component quality.

ulation methods make it possible to reducesome of this effort and implement a knowledge-based design of wheel bodies.

SIMULATION-SUPPORTED DESIGNFor knowledge-based and simulation-supported design of grinding tools, it is first necessary to define the boundary conditions.
Which geometrical boundary conditions
must be observed for clamping? Whichdimensional and shape accuracies are required of the component? Is there a maximum weight which the grinding tool must
not exceed?
Optimization variables include theweight or dynamic behavior of the tool, forexample.
Weight optimization
	An electroplated grinding tool for plungecut grinding of gear shafts, for instance,
at 30 kilograms is 47 percent lighter thana solid body version made from the samematerial. This means reduced loading of
the drive spindle, less effort when changing the grinding wheel and shorter toolchange times.
	Optimization of the vibration
behavior
	The vibration behavior of the machine
tool can be influenced by changing“GRINDING WHEELSARE HIGH-PERFORMANCETOOLS, WHOSE
CHARACTERISTICPROFILES ARE ADAPTEDTO THE RESPECTIVE
GRINDING PROCESSDEPENDING ON
THEIR DESIGNAND SPECIFICATION.”DESIGN STUDY
Design studies are performed in order toachieve different goals when optimizing
grinding wheel bodies. Combining parameters results in a vast number of design
variants, which can be evaluated in respectof maximum expansion at speed, characteristic frequency and wheel body mass.
Additional design scenarios result frommodifying the number of sprockets, and theparameter constellations can quickly go into
thousands here.
For use in a grinding process it is thenpossible to select the variants that present
a suitable or sufficiently different vibration
behavior, so that negative process influences
can be excluded. Simulation methods supplement empirical knowledge, continuous
further development and experimental studies. The TYROLIT company is thus able tooffer optimal grinding tools for a wide rangeof grinding applications.

Markus Weiß

Wheel bodyAbrasive coating  WeightVibration and damping

Profile

behavior Profile and dimensional
accuracyLightweight
design:Dimensions
Abrasive grains:

Chip formation characteristics

Grinding forces
Wear behavior
Bond system:
Contact resilienceGrain retention forces
Wear behavior

Design variants:
Pores:

Chip space

Coolant supply Clogging behavior

Figure 1:
Design of high-performance
grinding tools andwheel body variants

Motion  01.2019

51

GRINDING SYMPOSIUM

Thursday, 9th May 2019, 3:30 pm

PROF. DR.
CARSTEN HEINZEL
Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Carsten Heinzel is Deputy
Head of the Main Production Technology Department at
Leibniz Institute for Materials Engineering (IWT) and
Honorary Professor at Bremen University

Coolant supply conditions
as the key to processcapability, energy
efficiency and peripheral
zone influencing during
grinding
Short Summary
Significantly improved machining conditions can be achieved through effective
coolant supply to the grinding gap
The thermomechanical loading of theworkpiece can be reduced and theprocess performance increased, without
negatively affecting the peripheral zoneof the workpieceThanks to flow-optimized coolant nozzles
and smaller coolant quantities energy
consumption decreases, and coolant
systems can have smaller dimensions
The cost-effectiveness of the grinding
process can be significantly increased
as a result. Practical examples show apotential of 20 to 30 percent

52

Motion  01.2019

THE SYSTEMATIC DEVELOPMENT of grinding inrespect of fulfilling increasing quality requirements and increased process reliability while
also increasing productivity, contributes tomaintaining the competitiveness of industrial
users of this technology. The use of coolants
should be seen as an essential element ofgrinding process design.
During grinding the large contact area
between tool and workpiece impedes theeffective supply of coolant to the grinding
gap. Thermal overload of the peripheral zoneof the material, increased tool wear andpoor machining results are possible consequences of an inadequate coolant supply.
A wide range of influencing variables must
be considered in the design of an effective
coolant supply:
Selected nozzle position
Nozzle design	Jet characteristics and velocity
Coolant volume flow
An analysis of the relevant factors showsthat in this area there is considerable potential to increase process reliability, process
performance and cost effectiveness during
grinding. The aspect of energy efficiency isalso increasingly becoming a focal point ofresearch and development.
As well as coolant type, compositionand coolant cleaning, the effective supply
of coolant to the contact zone is extremely important. Essential aspects of coolant
supply are the coolant jet velocity, effective

design of the supply nozzle, its jet characteristics and its exact positioning in relation
to the grinding wheel and workpiece to bemachined.
Generally changes in the coolant supply
can only be identified through complex analytics. A special test setup enables changed
coolant supply parameters to be traced
back directly to the temperature reached in
the contact zone between grinding wheel
and workpiece. If we systematically workthrough the possible setting parameters
for orientation of the coolant nozzle, themeasured temperatures clearly show how
important correct positioning of the coolant
supply nozzle is (Figure 1).

“THE OPTIMIZED SUPPLYOF COOLANTS
HAS CONSIDERABLE
POTENTIAL FOR
INCREASING COSTEFFECTIVENESS DURING
GRINDING.”
Carsten Heinzel

The parameters of jet velocity and volume
flow are inextricably linked together. If thevolume flow is varied, the coolant pressurein the supply line and the jet velocity also

TECHNICAL COLLOQUIUM III: SURFACE AND PROFILE GRINDING

pjet

F
Variable gap height hsp jet
vjet

QCLNT
Coolant nozzle based on
Rouse as flexure hinge

It can be deduced that although an increasein the coolant volume flow enables an increase in the material removal rate, it also
causes increased power consumption by
the coolant feed pump. By contrast, the useof a separate coolant nozzle for tool cleaning enables an increase in the achievablematerial removal rate with a reduction in
spindle power.
Once again, the nozzle position andflow characteristics of the cleaning nozzles
used determine the cleaning effect thatcan be achieved, with the impact energyof the coolant jet representing a key variable. This finding also reflects the resultsof grinding tests, in which a maximum
cleaning effect was achieved with relatively moderate coolant supply conditions:

Jet velocity vjet

30
20

24mm2
30mm2
45mm2

10
0

0

4

2

bar

8

Pressure at nozzle pjet
40ms

EFFICIENCY AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS

20

24mm2

A reduction in the coolant volume flow
also causes reduced energy consumptionof the coolant pumps, and the coolant
systems can have smaller dimensions. A
significant increase in the energy efficiency
and cost-effectiveness of the complete process can thus be achieved.The approaches
described indicate considerable potential
for increasing process performance andcost-effectiveness during grinding and canoften be implemented directly in practiceat relatively low cost.

30mm2
45mm2

10
0
0

20

40

60

l/min

100

Coolant volume flow QCLNT

Figure 2:
Relationship between coolant pressureand volume flow for different nozzle outlet
cross-sections

Figure 1:
Influence of nozzle positionon the cooling performance of thecoolant supply

36
°C
32
30
28
26
24

34-36
32-34
30-32
28-30
26-28
24-26

Coolant pressure = 20 bar
Coolant volume flow = 14 - 17 l/min
Coolant pump capacity = 2 - 3 kW
In addition, with the use of tool cleaning a
reduction in the process forces and tool wearof up to 30 percent was determined. This
results in an increase in the process perfor-

mance of around 20 percent without affecting the workpiece peripheral zone.
From the studies presented and discussed here, we can conclude that flow-optimized nozzle concepts enable efficient lubrication, cooling and tool cleaning – alsowith a reduced coolant volume flow. Moreproductive cutting conditions can thus beachieved with smaller process forces. The
resulting reduction in thermomechanicalloading of tool and workpiece opens up
potential for a further increase in process
performance and reliability.

m
s

mm

Temperature TPowell

TOOL CLEANING50

Jet velocity vjetchange. To set the jet velocity for a given volume flow it is therefore necessary to adapt
the outlet cross-section of the coolant nozzle
accordingly (Figure 2).
The design of the coolant nozzle also has
an influence on the process performance andcost effectiveness. Depending on the nozzle
used, the coolant jet expansion and drop size
distribution, as well as the efficiency, or theenergy required for coolant acceleration, varyconsiderably. The coolant nozzle design also
influences the jet velocity, volume flow andjet expansion as well as the jet homogeneity,drop distribution and jet force.
With the help of performance measurements on the components of machine tooland coolant system during roughing whensurface grinding, it is possible to show how
different process conditions affect the energy consumption of the grinding operation.

F

125

85

2.5

2

° 5
.
12 7.5

65
45

2.5 5

Nozzle height hjet

25

Nozzle angle α jet

Motion  01.2019

53

GRINDING SYMPOSIUM

Thursday, 9th May 2019, 4:15 pm

MARC BLASER
Marc Blaser is CEO of Blaser Swisslube AG, aninternational coolant manufacturer, which has been infamily ownership for three generations

Effectively anddemonstrably improve theprofitability of yourcompany with theliquid tool
Short SummaryInfluence of coolant on manufacturingcosts is often ignored in reality
The savings in the form of higher productivity and increased machining quality
correspond to a multiple of the capitalused for coolants and grinding oils
To verify this, all relevant key points ofmachines, process, workpiece and materials are recorded in a situation analysis
The savings are higher if a highperformance, stable and well maintainedmachine is used

54

Motion  01.2019

THE FACT IS: Coolant and grinding oil are often
underestimated. Labeled an auxiliary material, the indisputable influence of coolant on
manufacturing costs is often ignored in reality. Thousands of productivity studies show,
however: It is well worth paying special attention to coolant and turning it into a liquid
tool. The savings in the form of increased
cost-effectiveness, higher productivity andincreased machining quality correspond toa multiple of the capital used for coolants
and grinding oils. Applications have resulted
in potential savings of four to five times thecoolant costs

SITUATION ANALYSIS
With the right application expertise, a combination of process and product knowledge
and supporting services, we use the coolant
as a lever for achieving substantial improvements together with the customer. To thisend, all relevant key points of machines, process, workpiece, materials, grinding wheels,
coolant system, coolant and the essential
soft factors are recorded in a situation analysis. It is important to understand what amachine costs per hour, so that every minuteof downtime or every reject can be evaluated correctly. Prices and hourly rates can
simply be stored in our Liquid Tool Analyzer,
multiplied by the minutes, the rejects, theseconds of cycle time and other parameters,
resulting in a calculation of the actual costs.

We invite you to change perspective andtap previously unknown potential in terms of
productivity and cost effectiveness. Whenmachine, grinding strategy, grinding wheels
and coolant are matched to one another,
extraordinary results are achieved. We will
gladly help you bring your company into thenext generation with the liquid tool. How will
you select your next coolant, as an auxiliarymaterial or a liquid tool?

“IT IS WELL WORTHPAYING SPECIAL
ATTENTION TO COOLANT
AND TURNING IT INTO A
LIQUID TOOL.”
Marc Blaser

PRECONDITION: A
HIGH-PERFORMANCE MACHINE
A central finding from studies is that thesavings are higher if a high-performance,
stable and well maintained machine isavailable. Only then can elements such as
grinding wheels and coolant help you get
the most from the machine. Grinding proj-

TECHNICAL COLLOQUIUM III: SURFACE AND PROFILE GRINDING

ects in particular impressively demonstrate
the advantages that can be achieved with ahigh-quality machine and how price differentials can be quickly offset. The gains in
productivity are higher and the processes
run much more stably.
We decided to perform grinding trials
in our Tech Center on a BLOHM machine,which we installed a year ago. With this machine we are able to discover all limitations
and experience our coolants under both
realistic and extreme conditions. The machine must be able to meet the challenges
of constantly discovering and realizing new
productivity potential.

OVER 45 YEARS OF EXPERIENCEFor over 45 years we have provided training
in conscious handling of coolants. The use of
coolant as a liquid tool requires that the consistency of the medium is stable over time.
We need to consider two different types of
coolant here:	Grinding oils(are used unmixed)	Water-soluble coolants(emulsion or solution)“APPLICATIONS HAVERESULTED IN POTENTIALSAVINGS OF
FOUR TO FIVE TIMES THE
COOLANT COSTS.”
Marc Blaser

with coating or re-working. The operating
conditions can be checked with a targeted
formulation and prompt laboratory analysis.
Any malfunctions of the filter systems canthus be detected and eliminated.
Enormous potential can be tapped especially in relation to water-soluble coolants.
However, any grinder who has worked withwater-soluble coolants knows how arduous
it is dealing with a contaminated machineor emulsion. The machine must be stopped,
cleaned, flushed and freshly filled. If this is tobe done correctly, several hours or a whole
day are quickly lost. To make sure the investment in cleaning pays off in the formof long-term stability, it is worth doing thiscorrectly and taking the necessary time.

LIQUID TOOL
Several thousand studies worldwide
demonstrate the intrinsic value of the liquid tool. Our customers have recognizedthat the small cost factor of coolant has
a huge influence on the cost-efficiency of
their production.

In the case of grinding oils, special attention
must be paid to contamination. Micro debris
with a large surface can lead to the accumulation of particles, which can endanger
the health of the operator or cause problems
Motion  01.2019

55

GRINDING SYMPOSIUM

Friday, 10th May 2019, 9:30 am

PROF. DR.
WILFRIED SAXLER
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wilfried Saxler is Head of the Institute for
Machine Tools and Manufacturing Technologies at the
University of Applied Sciences in Cologne

Avoidance of grinding
burn and clogging
through targeted coolant
supplyShort Summary
A targeted coolant supply is necessaryfor efficient process control during
grinding
Coolants fulfil different functions, forinstance cooling and lubrication of thegrinding slot and the contact zone
The right amount of coolant is crucial: toomuch will virtually cause aquaplaning in
the contact area, and too little will cause
thermal damage to the peripheral zone

56

Motion  01.2019

DURING EFFICIENT PROCESS CONTROL when
grinding steels there is a risk of thermal peripheral zone damage. With soft steels thesmall chip spaces of the grinding wheels canbecome clogged or weld-ons can result. A
targeted supply of coolant alone is generally
not sufficient to prevent these effects.
The coolant can be used in different
ways during grinding. These can be differentiated as follows:

as well as high material removal rates, especially due to the development of synthetic,
high-hardness cutting materials. Compared to
cutting with a geometrically defined cuttingedge, significantly higher specific energies
must be used during grinding. As a result,due to mechanical and thermal stress duringmachining, undesired changes in the microstructure properties in the surface zone occur.

LUBRICATION AND COOLING
1.	Separation of the air cushion rotatingaround the grinding wheel
2. Flushing of possible clogged regions
on the grinding wheel
3. Impregnation of the grinding wheel
4.	Cooling and lubrication of the grinding
slot and contact zone
The right combination of these four possible applications leads to an improvement ingrinding performance. The process reliability
can also be increased. This issue is the focusof the research project “GrIntCool – Grinding
with intelligent coolant supply” (Figure 1) at
iWFT, the Institute for Machine Tools andManufacturing Technologies at the University of Applied Sciences in Cologne. This is
aimed at developing a multifunctional coolant nozzle with a special control strategy, inorder to avoid grinding burn and grinding
wheel clogging.
A special feature of grinding is the removal of material by multiple cutting edges
at high cutting speeds. As a result, high formand dimensional accuracy can be achieved

Adequate lubrication and cooling are essential, especially with high material removal
rates, to prevent damage to ground components. Cooling of the contact point becomes
more difficult due to the large contact area
between grinding wheel and workpiece, as
well as the high cutting speed. In addition,
the speeds lead to the formation of an air
cushion around the grinding wheel, which
deflects the jet of coolant.
Another problem during grinding is clogging of the grinding wheel. There is a risk of
clogging particularly when machining ductile
steel materials or nickel-based alloys. Due tothe clogging and/or an excessively high machining volume, the transport of the coolingmedium to the contact zone is impeded andthe grip of the wheel is reduced. The process
forces and temperatures increase, surface
roughness and the risk of grinding burn increase and dimensional accuracy is lost.

1. ROTATING AIR CUSHION
The air cushion surrounds the grinding wheel
on both the front and circumferential surface

TECHNICAL COLLOQUIUM IV: TOOL MACHINING

GrIntCool

Grinding machine with multifunctional coolant nozzle

Nozzle positioning
Nozzle selection
Pressure supply
Quantity supply

and acts as a barrier to the penetration of
coolant. The rotating air only has around half
as much peripheral speed as flow velocity after only a few tenths of a millimeter distancefrom the grinding wheel surface (Figure 2).

… with AS sensor,
force plate andactive power
moduleIn-process
gauging …

Selection

PositionFt
Q´w

Grinding
parameters

Qclnt

Optimization Algorithm

2. FLUSHING OF CLOGGED AREAS
Clogging of a grinding wheel basically means
obstruction of the chip spaces with grinding
chips. There are various phenomena that leadto clogging:

pclnt

Fn

vc

P

AE signal

CLNTIn-process
Parameters	Chip nest: Chips can deposit or getcaught between the grains in thenear-surface pores	Obstruction: If a chip space is successively filled with chip material, chipcompression results	Weld-on: Workpiece material gets stuckon the grain tips through abrasive effectFigure 1:
Overview of the project “GrintCool – Grinding with intelligent coolant supply”

18

Grinding wheel SU33A60
Noble corundum
Ceramic-bonded
ø 400mm x 20mm

16
14
12

Flow velocity vL [m/s]Due to the high operating speeds of thegrinding wheel these points constantly rub
across the workpiece, so that the temperature in the grinding area increases on the one
hand, and on the other the surface roughness
deteriorates. This can be remedied with flushing the wheel by blasting the coolant underhigh pressure vertically onto the surface ofthe grinding wheel.

10
8
6

vC

4

vL

2
0
0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Radial distance y [mm]3. IMPREGNATION OF THE
GRINDING WHEEL
Impregnation of the grinding wheel means
filling the pore spaces in deeper grinding
wheel regions with coolant. This only works
with grinding wheels which have open poresconnected with each other (pore network).
Grinding wheels with closed metal or resinbonds, which only form bubble-type cavities,
cannot be impregnated.

4. COOLING AND LUBRICATION
OF THE GRINDING SLOT AND THE
CONTACT ZONE
If too much coolant is pressed into thecontact zone, hydrodynamic effects result
which will virtually cause aquaplaning in thecontact area.This can lead to dynamic effects which cause vibrations in the grinding
wheel and the entire machine, resulting inundesirable surface marks and a deterioration in the surface quality.

Vc = 20 m/s

Vc = 25 m/s

Vc = 30 m/s

110yVc = 35 m/s

Figure 2:
Measurement of the air flow velocity withgrinding wheel rotating in radial direction“THE RIGHTCOMBINATION OF
POSSIBLE APPLICATIONSFOR COOLANTS LEADS TO
AN INCREASE INPERFORMANCE AND
PROCESS RELIABILITY.”
Wilfried Saxler

Tool grinding machines must therefore
have higher rigidities than surface grinding
machines. This is generally a special challenge, due to the 5-axis capability of tool
grinding machines. A further issue is thatduring flute grinding of carbide or HSS – i.e.
the classic cutting materials – very dense,
non-porous bonds are used.
There is therefore a risk of “aquaplaning” if the coolant quantity is dosed incorrectly. Too little coolant can result in overheating of the grinding zone and leads toundesirable thermal damage of the peripheral zone. Therefore, only the appropriate
amount of coolant for the chip space size
should be supplied.
Motion  01.2019

57

GRINDING SYMPOSIUM

Friday, 10th May 2019, 10:15 am

WOLFGANG VÖTSCH
Wolfgang Vötsch is Senior Milling ProductManager at Walter AG

Trends in tool
development and theirimplementation
Short SummaryThe requirements of climate protection
have an impact on the development ofmachining tools. Design changes andnew machining strategies are required
For the machining of lightweight components made from aluminium lithium
alloys special milling cutters with very
high cutting speeds are required
Material groups such as ISO M, which
are difficult to machine, can be machined
efficiently and reliably with Dynamic
Cutting
Machine data analysis in real time helps
reduce the machining time per workpieceand increases process reliability andmachine service life

58

Motion  01.2019

THE REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS CO2 has become an important objective worldwide, inorder to fulfil the climate protection targetsof the Kyoto Protocol. Alternative drives;new, lighter materials, energy and resourcesaving concepts are more in demand thanever. This has a big impact on the development of machining tools. New fields of application emerge, and existing ones must be
adapted. The greatest potential lies in tools
and their application: in design changes andnew coatings, in new machining strategies– and in digital solutions, which respond inreal time.

must be machined using the “High Speed
Cutting” method (HSC), with cutting speeds
up to 3000 m/min.
The tool developers at WALTER had thisrequirement profile in mind when they developed the new M2131 ramping milling cutter.
They equipped the 90° milling cutter with a
new type of indexable insert, which is coatedusing a special physical process. Advantages: Friction, and therefore the tendency toform built-up edges, is significantly reduced.
At the same time the cutting edge stability
and resistance to flank wear are increased.

DYNAMIC CUTTINGMILLING CUTTERS FOR THE AIRCRAFTINDUSTRY
New aluminium lithium alloys are on therise. And conventional tools are quickly
overwhelmed by these materials. This leads
to an increasing demand for high-performance tools.
Aircraft industry example: Aircraft components made from aluminium alloys havemetal removal of up to 90 percent! Numerous chamfers or cavities must be milled
out of the metal, depending on the desired
component geometry. The goal is always thesame: to ensure stability and save weight.
In order to manufacture these components
economically and with high quality, they

Increased process reliability, faster machining – at ever lower costs! Suppliers in many industries are under this pressure. And,of course, there must be no decrease in
the product quality! Often the demands on
surface quality and dimensional stability increase to the same extent as requirements
on process reliability and cost effectiveness.
This is exacerbated by a growing requirement
for materials that are lightweight or heat-resistant, such as materials in material groups
ISO M and ISO S, which are often difficult tomachine due to these very characteristics.
Dynamic milling offers a solution here.
The main differences between conventional High Performance Cutting (HPC) andTECHNICAL COLLOQUIUM IV: TOOL MACHINING

High Dynamic Cutting (HDC) lie in the movement of the cutter – and in the forces generated. In HPC, the milling tool moves withrelatively shallow cutting depths. In HDC,
the CAD/CAM control unit adapts the paths
followed by the tool to the workpiece shape.
This prevents unnecessary unproductive
movements, or at least reduces them. The
cutting depth is significantly greater in HDC
than in HPC. This also saves travel distances(at different depths), because the complete
tool length can be used from the beginning.
Higher cutting parameters, fewer unproductive movements and increased process stability result in a substantially higher
removal rate with HDC cutting comparedto HPC. Overall, High Dynamic Cutting ischaracterized by higher process stability andlonger service life.

“WE ARE SEEING AN
INCREASING DEMAND
FOR HIGH-PERFORMANCETOOLS FOR MACHININGALUMINIUM, ESPECIALLY
IN AEROSPACETECHNOLOGY.”
Wolfgang Vötsch

Dynamic cutting has a high machining
rate Qmax , a small cutting width ae, a large
axial cutting depth ap and a constantaverage chip thickness hm

OPTIMIZATION WITH SOFTWARE TOOLS
Automation and digitalization have beencommonplace in many industries for a longtime. But they still hold a great deal of potential. Hardware and software solutions forthe acquisition and analysis of “live data”
have achieved significant advances in performance in recent times. How this creates
new possibilities for process optimization isdemonstrated by “Comara iCut”, a softwaretool from WALTER.
The iCut adaptive feed control analyzes
machine data in real time and adapts themachining process. This enables a significant reduction in the machining time per
workpiece. In addition to the positive effecton the machining time, this also increases
the process reliability. For example, moreconstant forces act on the spindle, increasing its working life.
How we can meet new challenges during
the tool development phase is demonstrated
by the new generation of WALTER milling
cutters, Xtra·tec® XT. The most striking design feature is the installation position of theindexable inserts: at a greater incline and witha larger contact surface. This reduces thesurface pressure in the seat while increasingstability. The larger screw hole cross-section
additionally stabilizes the indexable insert.

GREATER PROCESS RELIABILITY
Many factors increase process reliability.
The new installation position of the inserts
also allows for the addition of an extra tooth,thereby increasing productivity. The precise
90° shape of the shoulder milling cutters
also helps to reduce additional finishing operations. Another new feature is the smaller indexable inserts which can be fitted tothe milling cutters. They are continuing thecurrent trend towards reduced machining
allowances. This applies even more to theM5009 face milling cutter: it combines
shallow depths of cut with the advantages
offered by double-sided Walter Tiger·tec®
indexable inserts. These inserts have eightusable cutting edges instead of the usual
four – so cost effectiveness is also increased.
As part of Walter Green, the production
and supply chain of Xtra·tec® XT milling cutters is CO2-compensated. This means theymeet a requirement which will probably bemore important than any trends in future:sustainability.

LC (ap)

ap

ϕs
ae

DC

The ramping milling cutter is speciallydesigned for the requirements of HSC
machining of aluminium materials as well as
new aluminium lithium alloys
Motion  01.2019

59

GRINDING SYMPOSIUM

Friday, 10th May 2019, 11:00 am

DR. CLAUS DOLDJAN VANFRANKENHUYZEN
Dr. Claus Dold is Head of Process Innovation at Ewag AG
and responsible for the development of new machining
processes and applications
Jan van Frankenhuyzen owns the van Frankenhuyzen B.V.
company in Lexmond, Netherlands, which manufactureshigh-quality tools in small series

Think Laser! on tools and
3D geometries
Short SummaryThe production of spiral tools in solidmaterial on a laser machine tool enablesautonomous production of individual toolgeometries
A customer application was developed
for the van Frankenhuyzen B.V. company
in a joint study
The machine has a storage area withblanks of different diameters in the automation cell. The customer can configureand order any tool via the webshop
This enables automated production insmall series, including a lot size of one

60

Motion  01.2019

THE MANUFACTURE OF TOOLS using laser technology for high-precision production with
optimal surface qualities has become established as an integral part of tool manufacture
at EWAG over the past few years. Today, standard applications are in the area of solderedinserts, rotary tools and indexable and profile
inserts. In order to expand the present portfolio, a key focus of current development isin the area of small spiral tools. Autonomous
production processes and the networking ofmachines are also an increasing focus.
Together with a longstanding customer, van Frankenhuyzen B.V., a new type ofprocess chain configuration has been developed. The entire chain – from orderingof the tool by the end customer through todelivery of the finished component – wastaken into account in this process. The digital front and back end was created by JDI
smart web applications B.V. in Spankeren,
Netherlands. This consists of a web application, which enables online connection of
the customer as well as logic programmingof all processes, including data flows fromthe online portal, the cloud service throughto the machine tool. EWAG implemented
all interfaces on the machine software forprocessing incoming data.
Huge progress has been achieved in
the production of spiral tools – for example
drill and milling cutter geometries in solidmaterial. Today, drilling and milling geometries can already be produced as standard
in PCD and carbide, and in other materials
such as CBN, CVD-D in some cases. Layeredmaterials, such as full-head PCD on carbide
applications, can also be produced without
measurable transitions in the flute. The diameters currently available are in the range of
0.5 to 3 millimeters. Only drilling tools wereconsidered within the study; milling tools will
be integrated in a further step.

PROGRAMMING BY CUSTOMERS
A key part of the study was to offer an interface that would be very easy for the customer to understand and highly efficient, inthe form of a web application. The customer can order a tool in just a few steps:
Visit the website
	Select the tool category	Select the material to be machined	The system suggests a tool	The customer confirms or canchange machining parameters
No details of machine parameter settings are
given. No laser knowledge is required.
An engraved tool identification is thenentered, as well as the quantities andrequired delivery time. The price for theselected order is displayed immediately,

TECHNICAL COLLOQUIUM IV: TOOL MACHINING

AUTONOMOUS MACHINE
The customer’s input data are forwarded toa central server of the van Frankenhuyzen
company or to a cloud service. The connected LASER LINE ULTRA machines from Ewag
AG are configured so that they search theserver for new orders at regular intervals.
When a suitable order is found, the machine
checks whether a suitable blank is available.
The automation cell has been equipped witha storage area integrated into the machinefor this purpose.
A pallet system with eight pallet spaces
in combination with a hydraulic chuck can
supply the machining cell very efficiently. Six
pallets hold cylindrical blanks in the diameter
range of 0.5 to 3 millimeters with a constantshaft diameter of six millimeters. Each palletcontains up to 300 blanks. The two remaining pallets are used for finished parts.
When the tool has been completely machined and is deposited in the storage areaon the finished parts pallet, the machine
starts searching for a suitable new order on
the cloud service. No operator is required
for this operation, except for loading andunloading the storage area and for regularservice operations.

Jan van Frankenhuyzen

ogy will be shaped by such control models.
Basically all tool geometries which can beproduced directly in solid material, can be
integrated into the new system. This works
particularly well, because in laser machining
only the laser beam is required, and no typical process-relevant elements like grinding
wheels and coolants.

With the automation solution developed
by EWAG and Frankenhuyzen
spiral tools with diameters of 0.5 to
3 milli­meters can be machined

Photo: Claus Dolddepending on the required delivery period.
As soon as all steps are complete, the customer confirms the entries made.

“AN AUTONOMOUSPRODUCTION CHAINENABLES EVEN MEDIUMSIZED COMPANIES TO
PRODUCE TOOLS IN
MULTIPLE-SHIFTOPERATION WITH HIGHEFFICIENCY, WITHOUTADDITIONAL PERSONNEL.”

PRODUCTION OF THE FUTURE
Both companies, Ewag AG and van Frankenhuyzen B.V., are convinced that the future oftool machining in the area of laser technolMotion  01.2019

61

GRINDING SYMPOSIUM

Friday, 10th May 2019, 11:45 am

ACHIM KOPP
Achim Kopp is Managing Director of Kopp
Schleiftechnik, a manufacturer of cutting tools formilling and drilling of metals and plastics

Key to successful change:
Fulfilling the highest tool
requirements in terms of
quality and service withhigh-tech and passion
Short SummaryHigh-tech and passion alone are notenough to cope with quickly changing
tool requirements
It is the interaction of the factors oftechnology and processes on the one
hand and people on the other, i.e. management, employees, customers andbusiness partners
The better these factors are interlinked,
the better the interaction between hightech and passion will work, and the more
successfully change can be managed

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IT WAS THE DESIRE FOR INDEPENDENCE that led
our company founder Helmut Kopp to makethe transition from employee to entrepreneurat the end of the 1960s. He saw his market
in the professional regrinding of milling anddrilling tools for metalworking. So he founded his start-up, as we would call it today.
The demands on cutting tools and thecustomers’ service requirements were relatively simple then. The milling or drilling tool
had to be cleanly reground, but in most cases it already was. And so the focus was purely on the technical side. From the hand-operated, conventional tool grinding machine tosemi-automatic, still mechanically controlledmachines, NC machines through to the present high-tech CNC tool grinding machine,
we at Kopp-Schleiftechnik have pursued andinfluenced tool grinding development overthe past almost 50 years.

FROM HANDICRAFT TO HIGH-TECH
New and high-performance materials constantly have to be processed in industry
today, machining processes must be optimized and work steps combined, highly
complex contours have to be machined,
and production tolerances are becoming
ever narrower. In addition, there are hugedemands on accompanying processes. For
example, the labeling of tools for traceabilityor an exact description and documentationof the production process for quality control
is becoming increasingly important.

And last but not least, the individual
service requirements of customers have to
be met: Shortest delivery times, stocking ofspecial tools, support of customers in thearea of tool logistics, application consulting
et cetera.

SOLUTIONS, NOT PRODUCTS
Modern machining facilities are essential
to produce or regrind high-precision millingand drilling tools. Which tools are to be machined, are they series or individual tools?
Which dimensions and tolerances are primarily involved? How complex are the toolgeometries?
This in turn involves the topic of tool design. There is a broad spectrum of starting
conditions. Today, the tool manufacturer isoften not provided with a perfect tool drawing by the customer. Instead, the customer
sends his machining request or machining
task to the tool manufacturer, for example acomponent to which a special circular contour must be applied. Often the tool manufacturer will then look for the ideal tool together with the customer. So not products,
but solutions are required.
When a tool manufacturer has an integrated system of design program, simulation software, machine tools, measuring and labeling technology available, thishugely simplifies and accelerates the manufacturing process and is at the same time
a quality factor that should not be under-

TECHNICAL COLLOQUIUM IV: TOOL MACHINING

estimated. Where previously a simulation
was performed directly on the first blankand on the machine, so by trial and error as
it were, today you have a continuous process chain from drawing through to finished
precision tool.
In addition to the machine there areother technical factors that are important intool production:“AN ACTIVE
CORPORATE CULTURESUPPORTED BY THE
VALUES OF EVERYONE
INVOLVED IN THE
COMPANY IS
WHAT DETERMINESOUR SUCCESS.“
Achim Kopp

are developing so rapidly, skilled personnel must be continually further educated,trained and qualified to meet the changing
requirements in grinding technology andaccompanying processes. This takes place
both inhouse at Kopp and with our strategic
partners, for example machine manufacturers such as WALTER.

ACTIVE CORPORATE CULTURE
	Ambient conditions in production,such as the central oil supply	Air-conditioned production facilities,
where room temperature and grinding
oil temperature in the machine arematched to each other	Cleverly controlled production
processes
	Digital support, to ensure that theinterconnected processes run assmoothly as possible

THE HUMAN FACTOR
Despite the finest technology, despite all theautomation and digitalization: If you don’t
have the right employees, nothing else reallymatters.
For us at Kopp-Schleiftechnik this means:
Everything starts with good training. But
the transfer of knowhow, abilities and skills
should not be limited to vocational training.
Further training is also essential for skilled
personnel. Particularly today, in our fastpaced world, where complexity and speed

At Kopp we go one step further. An active
corporate culture supported by the values ofeveryone involved in the company is what
determines our success. Involving employees in decision-making processes, assigning
responsibility, communicating openly and,above all, dealing with each other respectfully, these are things that generally determine
whether or not an employee has a strong
emotional tie to his or her employer.
And ultimately this is exactly what istransmitted from the employee to the customer or business partner. We have foundtime and again that, despite all the modern
and digital means of communication available, personal contact is still always bestwhen it comes to building and maintaining
long-term business relationships.

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