Pfauter
Kapp Gear Grinder Retrofit with SINUMERIK 840D At David Brown
Gear Industries - Woolongong Plant
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| Improved
Productivity and Usability While Having Better Accuracy... |
In early 2005 CNC Design performed a retrofit
on a Pfauter Kapp PE1000G gear grinder at David Brown Gear Industries’
Woolongong plant. The heat treatment process used to harden gears
and pinions distorts them slightly, so before being fitted to a
gearbox these workpieces must be ground to eliminate this distortion.
The Pfauter Kapp grinding machine, originally built in 1988 performs
this critical final step in the production process. However the
hardware and software used on the machine was becoming obsolete
and hard to maintain while the user interface was difficult to learn
and inflexible.
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Left:
Pfauter Kapp PE1000G after retrofit, Right: Internal view
of the machine.
(Click
the images for larger view)
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The retrofit involved the installation of Siemens
1FT6 digital servo motors to all feed axes. These motors are
controlled by SIMODRIVE
611D digital drives which allow the use of feedforward control.
This provides extremely stiff control and fast machine response
which is evident in the smooth surface finish on the gear teeth
being ground. The existing spindle motor was retained and connected
to a new 611U drive.
The drives are controlled by a Sinumerik
840D CNC. This is the only product on the market offering integrated
safety features. Sinumerik Safety Integrated® is now responsible
for monitoring the working space and ensuring the safety of the
operator during workpiece setup and while checking results. Safe
Standstill monitoring, Safe Speeds and Safe External Stops are implemented
to create maximum operator safety at all times.
A new user interface was developed in consultation
with the machine operators to allow flexible and intuitive control
of the grinding process. The interface runs on a PCU50 control panel
which allows grinding and setup data to be saved to the internal
hard disk. Not only did the upgrade provide an easy to understand
and intuitive interface it also allowed greater flexibility during
the grinding process. Any further machine upgrades or diagnosis
are also made easier by incorporating a modem which allows secure
remote access to the machine software.
The entire commissioning process, including the
rewiring of the entire machine, the refurbishment of all ancillary
systems, tuning of all axes and the testing of all grinding cycles,
was performed in a six week period of down time. Full production
was able to begin immediately after this commissioning period.
Reductions in grinding time of up to 40% have been
experienced on the refurbished machine. And importantly, operator
interaction has been reduced, increasing efficiency and allowing
the operators more time to perform other tasks.
Overall, both management and operators at the David
Brown plant are extremely happy with the result of the project.
Not only have productivity and usability been improved, but the
future viability of the Pfauter Kapp is assured at a fraction of
the price of a new machine. (BC 25/05/2005)
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| Customer
Comments |
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These are some comments from Mr.Greg Martin,
Program Manager of David Brown Gear Industries and TSS Black
Belt about this project:
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What was your impression of
CNC Design's performance during the retrofit process?
The team from CNC Design met our expectations through
all phases of the retrofit. I was particularly impressed
at the ease in which they grasped the intricacies of Gear
Grinding and were then able to incorporate them into the
user interface at the design stage. From the time negotiations
started to the time the retrofit was completed, CNC Design
personnel were very capable, approachable and professional.
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What are your feelings about
the results of the project?
The results so far have shown that we are getting
reductions in the areas we were seeking: Setup time has
typically reduced by up to 20%. Grinding time has reduced
by up to 40%. There have also been reductions in the programming
time (data entry), the time to change from one program
to another (increased processor speed) and other small
benefits that were not considered until incorporated through
the design stage.
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