Engis UK (
www.engis.com) has added a new FL15V FastLap System to its demonstration and test facility at Henley on Thames. This machine — designed to process a wide range of advanced materials — will be used to test and prove complete lapping and polishing processes on customers’ sample parts.
It has been fitted with Engis’s Plate Facing Device; this maintains lapping-plate flatness by using a single-point turning tool instead of the traditional conditioning rings, which require considerable operator skill. When plate reconditioning becomes necessary, the device uses the diamond tool bit to remove the top layer of the plate and then machines in a groove pattern in a second pass. When not in use, the device retracts to a position outside the work zone.
Used in conjunction with the pneumatic pressure heads of the FastLap machine, this technology consistently achieves accurate plate conditioning, controlled surface geometry and texture, as well as fast and predictable stock removal. It results in a lapping process that is easier to manage, with more-repeatable results.
The installation of the FastLap System at Henley demonstrates Engis’s commitment to offering a ‘total systems strategy’ for even the most challenging lapping and polishing applications.
The company’s holistic approach includes the design and manufacture of not only the lapping and polishing machines, plus the ancillary technologies, but also a large selection of polishes and polishing media. The FL-15V is available with lapping-plate diameters up to 60in.