NEWS FROM OKAMOTO EUROPE Official Newsletter Okamoto Machine Tool Europe GmbH July 2015

Open House Success!

The Okamoto Open House and 80th year celebration proved a

resounding success with over 140 overseas visitors and many more

visitors from within Japan arriving throughout the 2 days.

Honoured guests were able to see 30 different Okamoto machines

on display with 8 live grinding demonstrations. Additional items of

interest were provided by several exclusive Okamoto suppliers

displaying an interesting range of innovative equipment for

grinding.

Our 80th Year celebration was also marked by 2 other machine tool

companies that share Okamoto’s pursuit of accuracy and

efficiency. Yasda were demonstrating a high precision machining

centre and Sodick were showing a Wire Cut EDM machine.

In addition to the grinding machines and semiconductor machine

displays, visitors to the Open House were also given a unique view

of the inner workings of the factory. The Okamoto mother

machine shown below grinding an Okamoto machine bed was just

one of the many attractions.

“Grinding

Revolution on view

for all to see”

UPZ-Li Series – High Speed, High Efficiency

The new UPZ-Li Series featured heavily at the Okamoto Open

House. Several completed machines were being demonstrated

prior to their despatch to customers around the World. This new

range of ultra precision high speed surface and profile grinding

machines has a linear motor table drive capable of 40m/min.

In-Process Measuring

Touch probes are becoming more common

on all machines now, and grinding has not

been forgotten. The ACC-104CA3 was

demonstrated during the Open House

measuring a tapered slot using a wheelhead

mounted probe.

The UPZ-Li Series is designed to accept the Okamoto CCD camera

measuring system. Measurements can be automatically taken

both during the process and after grinding with compensations

applied where required.

The optimal

configuration

between the UPZ-Li

Series column

moving axis and

table axis has been

designed for high

speed, strength and

stiffness. This design

ensures the highest

accuracy.

Grinding Revolution by Coolant Application

Customers are always looking to get ahead. Until now, in Europe the

best way to improve performance has been to increase the wheel

spindle motor power, coolant flow, and coolant pressure. Thereby using

ever more kilowatts. The Japanese seek high efficiency without using

more power in order to be kinder to the environment and to save money

at the same time.

Now, with the help of a specialist research partner, Okamoto has proven

that it is possible to grind more efficiently with larger, cuts using a

standard powered motor and coolant supply. This has been made

possible with the new Okamoto BIX high efficiency coolant delivery

system.

During the recent Okamoto Open House, we witnessed an Okamoto

ACC-208CHiQ double column surface grinder remove 0.1mm of material

per pass with a 100mm wide wheel and only a 15kW motor. This was

achieved by using a standard low pressure coolant unit together with the

Okamoto BIX high efficiency coolant delivery system. The size of cut here

was in the order of 4 times higher than would normally be possible and it

was done without using any more power.

Visitors to the Open House also witnessed an Okamoto IGM15NCIII

internal grinding machine, fitted with the new Okamoto BIX high

efficiency coolant delivery system, achieve an in-feed rate of 3mm/min

with a Ø40mm wheel using the standard low pressure coolant system.

This represents a 10 times increase in the normally expected feed-rate.

The Okamoto BIX

high efficiency

coolant delivery

system is now

available for

delivery with all

new Okamoto

grinding machines!

An ACC-208CHiQ removing 0.1mm per

pass, with almost no visible sparks. Made

possible by the use of the Okamoto BIX

high efficiency coolant delivery system.

ACC-104CA3 - 3 Axis Profile Grinder

The popular range of Okamoto ACC-CA and ACC-CAiQ Series column

moving surface grinding machines has now been extended to include an

even more sophisticated CNC with 3 or more controlled axes. The ACC-

CA3 Series features full 3 axis control of X, Y and Z axes with further

options for swing dressing devices and NC index devices.

This design features an extremely rigid, single piece, tee shaped,

main casting with fully supported slide ways to guarantee the

highest stability and accuracy. With an optimum table to floor

height, the moving column type design also gives easier access for

work loading and unloading.

The ACC-104CA3 when equipped

with an NC index device is capable of

carrying out extremely sophisticated

profile grinding operations like the

broach grinding example shown

here.

A 5-axis version of the

ACC-104CA3 was

demonstrated at the

Open House. A

tapered slot

component was

mounted in an NC

indexing attachment

at one end of the

machine table, and a

rotary swing dresser

was mounted at the

other end. A complex

grinding and dressing

cycle was

demonstrated which

included in-process

measurement using a

wheelhead mounted

measuring probe.

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