The VGrind 360 is the latest tool-grinding machine from Nottingham-based Vollmer UK Ltd (www.vollmer-group.com).

As the successor to the VGrind 160 model, this new-generation machine features enhanced travel distances, allowing it to machine tools up to a maximum diameter of 200mm.

Carbide drills and milling cutters can be machined from blanks made of either solid-carbide or carbide-tipped steel bodies.

With two vertical spindles, the VGrind 360 accommodates multi-level machining, while automated solutions such as pallet magazines and free-arm robots permit unmanned machining round the clock.

According to Vollmer, the vertical configuration achieves more-precise results, because a workpiece is only ever machined on the fixed bearing side of a grinding-wheel set.

In addition, the grinding-wheel set is always located at the C-axis pivot point, thereby ensuring an accurate sharpening process.

With five CNC axes, the VGrind 360 achieves axis interpolation with short travel distances for the linear axes and swivel ranges, thus enabling tool manufacturers to reduce processing times.

Moreover, non-productive times are reduced, because the two grinding spindles can be loaded with different tools, while the option of a tool magazine with eight grinding-wheel packages allows tools on the vertical spindles to be changed over automatically.

Tool shops can use the HP 160 pallet magazine to supply up to 272 workpieces for unsupervised machining. The HPR 250 free-arm robot can also be integrated; it is used to automatically manufacture carbide tools with various shaft diameters.