Two new automatic loading developments for the large-capacity Walter Helitronic Vision 400L grinder and the two-in-one Vision Diamond 400L grinding/eroding machines have been announced by Walter Ewag UK, a member of the United Grinding Group.
Both the Top-Loader and Robot Loader 25 add new levels of automation to the machines, permitting enhanced levels of unattended production.
Integrated into the machines’ existing construction and with no restriction to the working envelope, the Top-Loader features a pneumatic swivel arm with gripper to integrate with Walter’s standard robot pallet system for tools up to 32 mm diameter.
The two-pallet system, one each for blanks and finished tools, can each accommodate up to 500 tools (depending on size) and tool change takes just 27 seconds.
In addition, set-up times are minimised by a teaching function for automatic set-up of the pallets.
The Robot Loader 25, meanwhile, can accommodate 21 tools of up to 315 mm diameter and weighing 25 kgs (or 28 tools of up to 220 mm diameter; 70 tools up to 105 mm diameter).
Equipped with Fanuc robot and featuring new software that accommodates the ‘random’ loading and storage of tools and blanks in HSK holders on up to seven pallets, the efficiency and effectiveness of the Robot Loader 25 is enhanced by laser marking for tool set-up and optional ‘diameter determination’ functionality for automatic operation.
Both the Walter Helitronic Vision 400L tool grinder and two-in-one grinding/eroding Helitronic Vision Diamond 400L machines can accommodate tools up to 315 mm diameter and 420 mm long. The latter can process (grind/erode) rotationally symmetrical precision tools in PCD, carbide, HSS, ceramic, cermet and CBN in a single set-up.
