Okuma and German grinding expert Dr Kaiser Diamantwerkzeuge GmbH (www.drkaiser.com) have jointly developed a grinding system that offers ‘cutting-edge’ dressing functions, thanks to “an unprecedented symbiosis” of the CNC grinding machine, dressing hardware and control technology.

Okuma (www.okuma.com) is a single-source supplier that develops and manufactures machines, spindles, motors, controls and other equipment in-house; for the development of peripheral components, it co-operates with partners such as Dr Kaiser — a grinding and dressing specialist with products that include grinding wheels, dressing tools, wear-resistant parts and dressing spindle systems.

Dr Kaiser recently developed a vitrified CBN grinding wheel, a dressing spindle system and dressing tools for an Okuma GP25W x 65 CNC grinding machine.

When installed on this Okuma grinder, the Dr Kaiser dressing spindle (C72FCA2) is connected to the Okuma OSP-P300G control via Profinet.

With its output of 1.3kW, the dressing spindle achieves a steady circumferential spindle speed during synchronous dressing, as well as during counter-rotation dressing.

In practice, this dressing system reduces ‘air-grinding’ time, minimises wear on the diamond dressing tool and ensures a ‘defined abrasion of the grinding wheel’.

The Okuma CNC grinder equipped with the Dr Kaiser dressing system was first shown at EMO Hanover 2019. It will be on display at Dr Kaiser’s facility in Celle, until GrindTec 2020 (Messe Augsburg, 18-21 March).

In Celle, the grinder is currently being used for further testing and research, as well as for training.