On-Line System Gages Ground Shafts against Nominal Presets, Adjusts for Wheel Wear

Marposs will feature the Grindline laser measuring system for on-line gaging of parts produced by centerless grinding machines, such as pins, shock rods, steering racks or other parts needing a single diameter check. Grindline is said to prevent machining out-of-tolerance pieces, thereby reducing scrap, saving time and promoting zero-defect production.

The Grindline system is installed at the output of the grinders. After the machining process, parts are blown clean of water and oil and then passed through a laser beam that registers hundreds of measurements along the axis of the component. Signals from the gage are processed by the software, which is able to extract data that pertains only to ground lengths, ignoring grooves, threads or other shape irregularities. This information is then compared to the pre-set nominal value; and if the process drifts out of the pre-set limits, the software automatically adjusts the grinder to compensate for wheel wear to keep the product within the desired tolerance limits.

Measurements are stored and processed in real time. By connecting a printer to a Marposs CE-200 panel, statistical reports can be generated for each operator-selected batch. Additionally, by using an Ethernet or RS-232 serial line, a remote computer can be used to download the measured data or to program the system.

Key features of the Grindline system include through-feed measurement and display of the ground diameter; tolerance checking and alarms for part sorting; real-time grinder regulation; statistical reports; and NO-VAR technology ensuring there is no measuring drift due to changing room temperatures.