Designing a Solution for Thrufeeding Metal Tubes

When a customer recently asked Glebar Co. (Ramsey, NJ) to help solve a tricky problem, the resolution empowered the manufacturer to reduce lead times and costs by vertically integrating.

The customer needed a machine that could do two operations: thrufeed 1½-in diameter, 15-ft aluminum tubes, removing 0.003 in to 0.006 in per pass, and grind 8-ft steel tubes without touching a 1-in-diameter bearing surface in the middle. The tubes had a thin wall that needed to be structurally maintained due to strict surface finish requirements.

Glebar based its solution on the GT-610 infeed/thrufeed centerless grinding system because of its rigid granite base, multiaxis controller, fully configurable controls, and 8⅝-in wheel width. The granite base stabilizes the machine by absorbing vibration. The multiaxis controller can position both grinding wheel slides to a 0.1- micron resolution. Operator-friendly touchscreen controls are fully configurable, reducing training requirements. Using 8⅝-in wheels increased efficiency without increasing maintenance requirements.

The company, which develops its own software, then programmed a grinding sequence where the regulating wheel infeeds the part at a controlled rate and initiates the thrufeed process. Wheel selection was critical to provide efficient cutting action and reduce heat buildup. Its wide range of wheels and grinding experience enabled Glebar to select the proper wheel for the process.

Glebar Co., 565 East Crescent Ave., Ramsey, NJ 07446, 201-337‐1500, fax: 201-337‐6848, [email protected], www.glebar.com.