Capable of achieving a surface finish better than 0.2Ra with a run-out of less than 2µm, the four-axis CPX Linear grinder from Anca (www.anca.com) has a large working envelope and powerful grinding spindles, allowing it to achieve high levels of precision and productivity when undertaking blank preparation using the ‘pinch peel’ method of grinding.

The machine features a polymer concrete base for thermal stability and good damping characteristics, plus Anca’s LinX linear-motor technology for the X, Y and V axes, in conjunction with linear scales.

These drives are designed for a lifetime of operation in harsh grinding environments (they are sealed to IP67); having a cylindrical magnetic field means they exert no additional down force on the rails or machine base, while at the same time offering high levels of axis speed and acceleration.

The roughing spindle has a peak power of 43kW and uses a 250mm-diameter wheel, ensuring high-volume stock removal
in the shortest-possible cycle time (there is no need to remove material in multiple passes).

Meanwhile, the finishing spindle uses a 9.7kW drive and a 150mm-diameter wheel.

The large working envelope accommodates an overall blank length of 360mm and a maximum diameter of 25mm when manual loading, although an Anca Motions AR300 low-cost robot loader is an option for the automated loading of tool blanks.

Anca’s AMC5 CNC system and AMD5X servo drives provide sub-micron motion control, while BlankX software provides ease of use and programming flexibility.