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IMT TACCHELLA “Tailor-made” solutions for the Automotive industry

Tacchella Macchine. High precision external and universal grinding solutions

Tacchella Macchine. High precision external and universal grinding solutions

IMT TACCHELLA has recently supplied two TACCHELLA Proflex and four TACCHELLA Multitech grinding machines to the Canadian based company LINAMAR for the complete grinding of Input and Output Shafts. An investment highlighting the productivity and versatility of the machines and the first-class processing results. A further reinforcement of IMT TACCHELLA’s specialization in the automotive industry.

IMT Tacchella’s prestigious customer list now includes an internationally renowned company, Linamar, one of the world leaders for the manufacturing of complete transmission modules for the automotive industry. Thanks to the operational flexibility of IMT Tacchella grinding machines, the company has been fulfilling the needs of the automotive sector –where reliability and technology evolution are crucial success factors.

TACHELLA Proflex

TACHELLA Proflex

With TACCHELLA Proflex and TACCHELLA Multitech, IMT Tacchella is at the cutting edge of CNC cylindrical grinding; for this reason, the use of their grinders for gear-box shafts is wide-spread by well-known automotive companies and the supply sector.

The TACCHELLA Proflex is a CNC cylindrical grinding centre for external

and internal diameters – it embodies the core concept of flexible production and it’s the appropriate reply to the market where the current trend is towards reconfigurable installations, with several grinding operations on one machine.

TACHELLA Multitech

TACHELLA Multitech

With TACCHELLA Multi-Tech, IMT Tacchella provides the combination of cylindrical grinding with other swarf removal technologies; in practice, this system can be configured also for finish turning surfaces exempt from thermal

treatment, for “hard” turning, for milling revolution bodies, for boring and for fine finishing.

Linamar: Customer profile and background

Founded in the late sixties in Canada, Ontario, as a small company of mechanical manufacturing, LINAMAR has evolved into an organisation with 12,000 employees and 37 production facilities based in America, Europe and Asia for the design and manufacturing of transmission systems supplied to the major automotive companies, for passenger and Heady Duty vehicles. The high target of its products prompts the Canadian company to keep its manufacturing technology constantly up to date. An instance of this is demonstrated by the New Laredo facility where components of the new dual clutch gear-box are manufactured. To select the supplier, some specific requirements had been set by LINAMAR: the grinding of all the diameters and grooves on Input and Output Shaft in one single workpiece set-up between centres – in order to eliminate all geometric faults of repositioning and the application of the CBN high speed technology combining high levels in finishing and output. These very stringent requirements drastically reduced the group of manufactures being invited to bid: LINAMAR management was convinced to adopt IMT Tacchella solution because of its technological  prominence.

IMT Tacchella solution

The high-speed CBN grinding of three shafts of the dual-clutch gear-box was a LINAMAR challenge that IMT Tacchella has faced up, with the design and manufacturing of six grinders: two Proflex 3 for the machining of Inner Input Shaft, two TACCHELLA Multitech for the Output Shaft 1 and two TACCHELLA Multitech for the Output Shaft 2.

The need to guarantee increased production rates has pushed the manufacturer to conceive a line of machines, each of them devoted to the complete grinding, in one single set-up, of one work-piece type. Choosing specific CBN wheels has drastically decreased cycle times.

TACCHELLA Proflex Close-up

TACCHELLA Proflex Close-up

The TACCHELLA Proflex 3model resorts to ceramic CBN wheels laid out in “R/L/I” configuration, namely the turret on step-less B Axis is fitted with 1 special internal motor-spindle and 2 coaxial spindles, each one with 1 wheel for external grinding, on the right and on the left respectively. Both spindles for external grinding generate a power of 37 kW, the internal motor-spindle a power of 37 kW with a speed of max 12.000 RpM.

The set of tools is made up of 1 right-hand wheel pack diameter 450mm, total width 115mm, 1 left-hand wheel pack diameter 450mm, total width 85mm and 1 wheel diameter 200mm and 15mm thick.

TACCHELLA Multitech Close-up

TACCHELLA Multitech Close-up

On the TACCHELLA Multi-tech both ceramic and galvanic CBN tools are applied in “LS & R/R” configuration, that is on 2 wheel-head units for external grinding: on the first unit there’s 1 single left-hand wheel in fixed straight position, the second wheel-head is a turret on a step-less B Axis with 2 spindles, each bearing a wheel on  the right-hand. Each wheel spindle generates a power of 37 kW.

The set of tools is made up of 1 galvanic CBN wheel, diameter 450mm and max width 190mm, mounted on the first wheel-head unit and of 2 ceramic CBN wheel packs, diameter 450mm and max width 130mm, mounted on the second wheel-head. On both machine models  the Work-head  – specially devised for CBN applications – features a speed ranging from 10 to 5.500 RpM,  with 38 Nm available spindle Torque. The rotation of work-pieces  is started by the friction produced between the special sintered carbide point centres and the  work-piece centres. There’s no need of any additional driving system. Thanks to these configurations the complete grinding of Input and the Output Shaft is carried out in a sequence of just three plunges, within highly performing cycle times.

For further information please contact Norman Loughton, UK Sales Agent:

NL Machine Tool Consulting

T:  +44 (0)1908 675434

M: +44 (0)7944 401177

E:  info@nlmtc.co.uk

W:  www.tacchella.it and www.morara.it

NL MTC helps to create interest and opportunity for their principles.

NL Machine Tool Consulting attended and accompanied a number of world leading machine tool manufacturers, that they have exclusive UK sales agency representation with, at the recent EMO Hannover, held during 19 to 24 September in Hannover, Germany.

EMO Hannover 2011

EMO Hannover is the leading trade fair for the machine tool industry and whilst economies are still tough, this years EMO was a huge success outlining the general rise and increase within the machine tool industry.

The event is truly the flagship fair for this industry and this was certainly demonstrated by some 2,037 exhibitors from 41 different countries. This coupled with attendee figures of 140,000 individuals from more than 100 countries gave the event a real international feel.

Norman Loughton of NL Machine Tool Consulting commented EMO Hannover certainly was buzzing with activity, with visitors talking confidently about the future. Many more visitors from the UK visited NL MTC Principles Booths than had been expected – with several new project enquiries being realized.”

As a result of attending EMO Hannover an order was conceptually discussed, scoped and placed for a Tacchella Elektra 1518 UA – High Precision Universal Grinding Machine, all within the timescale of the event. A further demonstration of the enhanced expertise and technical capabilities that NL MTC can provide clients and opportunities created for their Principles.

Huge interest and attention was focused on some of the leading, innovative manufacturers within the machine tool industry during the six day event. Some of the highlights came from the following exhibitors, who NL Machine Tool Consulting is proud to be the UK Sales Agent for and worked closely with during EMO Hannover:

IMT  S.p.A – TACCHELLA / MORARA / Meccanodora who jointly provide high precision external, universal & internal grinding solutions, exhibited the following products:

  • TACCHELLA Elektra Plus Universal Grinding machine, 2 x Ø 508mm external grinding wheels, high frequency internal grinding spindle, B-Axis wheel-head swivel, C-Axis. Max. Workpiece length 1000mm. Max. Workpiece dia. 350mm.
  • TACCHELLA MULTI-TECH Production Grinding Machine, with 2 independent wheel carriages. Workpiece length 600mm. Max. Workpiece diameter 350mm.
  • MORARA MT 500 Multimatic Simultaneous External / Internal Grinding Machine, max. Workpiece length 350mm. Max. Workpiece diameter 360mm.
  • MORARA Easy Quick “I”, Internal Grinding Machine, max. Workpiece length 700mm. Max. Workpiece diameter 350mm.
  • MECCANODORA VERTICAL ZERO, Grinding & Hard Turning Machine for transmission parts. Max. Workpiece Ø 200mm. Max. Thickness 350mm. 3 working stations for turning + 2 for grinding. Internal grinding spindle 30,000 rpm / 11.5kW. External grinding spindle 4,000 rpm / 18 kW

MOORE TOOL COMPANY Inc. is a leader in precision machine tool design and manufacture and complete line of Jig Grinding Machines and accessories. MOORE did not exhibit a machine, but demonstrated and displayed typical component sample parts and technical personnel were on hand to discuss jig grinding applications.

MONNIER + ZAHNER AG is a medical machinery specialist – honing / polishing machines. Bone screw & dental burr machinery. Gear hobbing & worm milling machines. During the 6 day event they exhibited:

  • M 663 Worm Grinding Machine
  • W 1000 Micro Gear Hobbing Machine
  • Koepfer MZ 130 Gear Hobbing Machine
  • M 647 Grinding Machine for Dental Burs

ROSA ERMANDO manufacture horizontal spindle surface grinding machines and displayed a STEEL Linear 11.7 CNC horizontal spindle surface grinding machine, with a grinding area 1.200 x 750 mm, linear motor driven table. This machine satisfies the growing  requests to reduce production time for work pieces where: profile grinding, interpolation of concave/convex and creep feed are the “daily bread”. The control unit CNC Rosa System 7,  Siemens® Sinumerik 840 DiE SL based.

Also on display a ROTOR 800 CN, rotary table grinding machine. A convenient solution to grind small parts for large quantity or cylindrical workpieces with big dimensions. The  ROTOR range can be supplied with rotary table diameters from 400 mm up to 1.500  mm. The ROTOR 800 CN control unit Siemens® Sinumerik 840 DiE SL and programming  surface ROSA SYSTEM 6 developed with user-friendly interface for both, manual and automatic grinding cycles.

SAET GROUP are a leader in heat treatment solutions, induction heating equipment / quench press machines. Saet did not exhibit a specific machine, however, their team were on hand to provide technical expertise throughout the fair.

STaHLI Lapping Technology Ltd manufacture lapping, polishing, flathoning and fine grinding machines and exhibited a brand new 2 wheel flathoning machine in “new dimensions”.

Curtis Machine Tools provides high precision grinding machines for “small parts” medium to large volume production and during EMO Hannover, exhibited a vector mk3 twin spindle, complete with auto load/unload – grinding turbo vane profiles.

Not only did the above exhibitors demonstrate innovation when it came to implementing solutions for their clients, but a key focus has been on sustainability and energy efficiency in production and this has been a high priority.  The EMO Hannover 2011 provided a hugely successful stage for NL Machine Tool Consulting and the manufacturers that they represent in the UK.

For further information, please contact Norman Loughton, UK Sales Agent:

NL Machine Tool Consulting

T:  +44 (0)1908 675434

M: +44 (0)7944 401177

E:  info@nlmtc.co.uk