Glebar's CAM.3 Micro Grinder Offers Faster Medical Production

Glebar’s CAM.3 micro grinding machine is designed with a 16" wheel for faster production of parts such as medical guide wires with flats, multiple tapers and hex shapes. Other applications include needles, K wires, bone pins and other orthopedic and sports medicine components. The CAM.3 is capable of grinding parts ranging from 0.005" to 0.375" in diameter. In addition, the work head can also be tilted up to 5 degrees to grind sharp corners and true threads. Built on a 6,500-lb mineral cast base for vibration damping, the CAM.3 can produce parts to submicron accuracy, the company says.

The dual carriage linear motor feed system powers the collets, which can spin up to 250 rps for improved grinding performance. The 16" grinding wheel is mounted on a servo spindle with ABEC 7 spindle bearings, offering the capability of reaching over 20,944 surface feet.

The positioning of the work wheel, main spindle and collets can be programmed using the touchscreen HMI, which features a large, 16:9 aspect ratio. Sensors are built in to monitor temperature, pressure and vibration of key mechanical components. The grinder is MTConnect-compatible and OPC UA-compliant. The controller can be expanded to add peripherals such as loaders, inspection gages and other types of automation.