Okamoto Develops Nano Technology Programmable Rotary Table Grinding Machine

Able to grind to a flatness and parallelism tolerance of less than one micron, the latest Okamoto UPR-3NC rotary table grinding machine combines variable hydrostatic slideway and air bearing technologies and is able to be programmed to grind for instance, the faces of inner and outer bearing races as a pair maintaining sub-micron tolerances to different width sizes in the same cycle.

Available through 600 Centre of Shepshed, Loughborough, the UPR-3NC has hydrostatic slideways on the cross-feed X-axis and vertical Z-axis and a high precision air bearing on the rotary table. This table configuration eliminates any tendency for the table to lift due to thermal expansion.

Controlled through Fanuc 30i Model MA CNC unit giving simultaneous X and Z-axis movement, the machine has a minimum increment of 0.01 micron achieved through linear glass scale positioning on the vertical axis. The longitudinal Z-axis has a minimum increment of 0.1 micron.

The machine has a 300 mm micro-pitch electro-permanent chuck with up to 230 mm clearance with the 250 mm by 25 mm by 76.2 mm grinding wheel. The magnetic chuck is able to accommodate loads up to 180 kg and is programmable for rotational speed between 10 and 300 revs/min though a 0.75 kW drive.

The machine is available with temperature controlled coolant, automatic wheel balancing and two-point, in-process gauge control. It is totally guarded in a futuristic stainless steel enclosure giving easy access for setting.

Source: 600 Centre