Grinding cycle times reduced

Leicester-based Central Grinding Services (CGS) has significantly improved its competitiveness since it installed a Jones & Shipman Suprema 650 Easy cylindrical grinder. Cycle times on ID/OD work have been reduced by up to 50% in some instances, and smaller batches can now be handled profitably because of the machine’s quick set-up times and Easy self-teach software.

CGS undertakes a wide range of sub-contract grinding work for high-tech and general industrial customers across the UK. Company director Carl Windram says: “We were looking for a machine that would take the high-end skills required out of some of the work we do, to reduce costs and solve a problem with recruiting highly skilled staff. We also had a parallel requirement to reduce cycle times on production work, to make us more competitive and improve our deliveries. “The Suprema 650 satisfies all these requirements — and more. We can now undertake a wider range of work than before, and this is reflected in our improved turnover. Before we bought this machine, internal grinding was always a problem, but now we run all our production internal work on the Suprema and achieve much-reduced cycle times — as much as 50% on some single-bore components, for example.

“The automatic dressing feature, combined with the general accuracy of the machine, means that we can run all day with minimal fuss and down-time. Moreover, we do not ever need to use gauging, as the machine is so precise and repeatable, even when working to tolerances as tight as 3µm.”