Kent-based RK International Machine Tools Ltd (www.rk-int.com) will be well represented at EMO 2019 via its long-term industry partners Robbi, Delta, Perfect, MCM, Lagun and Jainnher, with a wide selection of grinding and machining-centre technology on display.

Robbi (Hall 11, Stand A78) will showcase its universal grinding machine ranges with the Omicron 600 R and the Omicron 3606 CNC.

The former is a conventional universal grinder and the most compact of the five-machine R & E series, which is available with centre distances between 600 and 1,500mm.

Suitable for small-batch production that requires high levels of accuracy, this series delivers roundness of 0.8µm and cylindricity from 2 to 6µm.

Each machine in the series can be equipped with an internal grinding spindle with tilting support or with rotating support positioned at the rear of the wheel-head.

The machines also feature the latest version of Robbi’s PLC control and touch-screen display.

The Omicron 3606 now benefits from the availability of the Fanuc 0i-TF control as an alternative to the existing Siemens control option.

The Oi-TF has a customised graphic interface and grinding cycles, plus simple and intuitive software that further aids the grinding process, allowing non-specialist operators to program complex parts with relative ease.

Delta (Hall 11, Stand B81) will be displaying three grinding machines at EMO — the Mini 7 Diastep, the Rotax 7 Compact Plus, and the LC400 with L11E.

The Mini 7 Diastep is a tangential grinding machine with a travelling column and a table size of 800 x 550mm.

It will be shown using Delta’s Diastep PLC control, which manages all the machine functions, displays the axes, and allows users to set an automatic grinding cycle (through the guided menu).

Two further levels of automation are available; they are CN Plus Touchscreen and full CNC, based on the Siemens Sinumerik 840D SL control.

The Rotax 7 Compact Plus is a tangential rotary-table grinding machine with a travelling column and hydrostatic slideways.

Its 700mm-diameter rotary table is supported by a pair of pre-loaded high-precision ball bearings (with a 25deg contact angle) and driven by a brushless servo-motor; it can be equipped with an electro-magnetic chuck.

This is the smallest machine in the Rotax range; the other two have table sizes of 900 and 1,200mm.

The Delta LC400 is another rotary-table grinding machine (400mm diameter), which will be shown using the L11E automation system.

This electronic micron-level feeding device is applied to the vertical axis of the LC range.

Its display shows the height of the vertical axis, which can be controlled by the electronic hand-wheel.

Perfect (Hall 11, Stand A20) will present the European debut of the high-precision Perfect X CNC series of surface grinders — in the form of the PFG-X36H, which has a table size of 300 x 600mm and is equipped with a Siemens 828D control.

Its grinding functions include: surface, criss-cross, plunge, stair, side, profile and contour (including oblique grinding).

Wheel dressing has been upgraded for the X series to include profile dressing — such as side, arc, oblique plus forming dressing options — either on the table or the wheel-head.

Perfect will also display the PFG-DL3060AH saddle-type surface grinder, featuring automatic cross-feed and hydraulically controlled longitudinal movement.

This is a highly practical solution to small/medium-batch surface-grinding work; the machine on display at EMO will feature the option of a control panel that is positioned higher and rotates for improved operator/machine interaction.

MCM (Hall 13, Stand C14) will highlight its multi-tasking Tank G 1800 machining centre, which offers milling, turning and grinding on a single machine.

Central to this machine’s success is the MCM-designed tilting head, which is driven by two high-performance torque motors.

The company will also be demonstrating Flight Recorder — a recently developed system that works in conjunction with the machine’s jFMX software to enable predictive maintenance.

The on-board PC collates data in real time, allowing the tracking and analysis of a wide range of functions in order to forecast maintenance requirements and increase spindle up-time.

Lagun (Hall 13, Stand A60) will feature a BM 3 RT bed mill with integrated rotary C-axis table.

This combines with the machine’s universal milling head, which has encoder-controlled positioning of 1deg in both planes and a 4,000 ¥ 4,000rev/min spindle, to provide multi-face machining capabilities.

Control is provided by the popular Heidenhain TNC 640 with a 19in touch-screen.

Lagun will also highlight its latest milling-head developments — both heads on display will feature high-accuracy direct measuring encoders and high-pressure locking systems.

Jainnher (Hall 11, stand G35) will highlight the capabilities of its JHC12S centreless grinding machine at EMO.

This machine allows the through-feed and plunge grinding of components up to 40mm in diameter, while holding micron-level accuracies.

Further enhancements to the grinding performance come from the servo-motor-driven regulating wheel, which provides perfect control of linear speeds for optimum grinding results.

This kind of performance has made the JHC12S popular with a number of UK customers.