Thrufeed processing of Carbide Cutting Blanks | Glebar GT-610
Challenge
Legacy machines process carbide cutting blanks with narrow grinding wheels that are disproportionately large for the small part diameter, consuming valuable floor space. The concentrated pressure of narrow wheels accelerates wear, requiring multiple thrufeed passes and keeping skilled operators tied to the process. Carbide compounds these challenges further: with hardness ranging from 65 to 85 Rc, they produce a rough surface finish after sintering and chip easily, making them among the most difficult materials to grind. The objective was to develop a compact, efficient process to grind carbide cutting blanks while maintaining a cylindricity of 2 microns over a 4-inch length.
Process
The Glebar GT-610 Thrufeed Centerless Grinder was designed specifically for this application, with a significantly smaller footprint than competing machines and exceptional thrufeed grinding performance on hard materials, including carbide, steel, PCD inserts, and technical ceramics. Its 8-5/8 inch resin-bonded grinding wheel spreads material removal over a longer surface area, extending wheel life and improving grinding efficiency. A variable-frequency drive on the work-wheel spindle is available for increased wheel surface speed when running super abrasives, and the machine produces G-ratios that can exceed those of machines twice its size.
In testing, a roughing pass removed 0.012 inches and a finish pass removed 0.003 inches on a 0.750-inch diameter carbide blank, achieving a surface finish better than industry standard. The customer’s cylindricity specification of 2 microns over a 4-inch length was met, with straightness and roundness both achieving sub-1.5-micron results.
Contact an EngineerGlebar GT-610 Infeed/Thrufeed Centerless Grinder
The Glebar GT-610 Infeed/Thrufeed Centerless Grinder is a compact, high-rigidity infeed/thrufeed precision centerless grinder that delivers high horsepower and superior slide positioning across a wide range of materials, including steel, carbide, titanium, PCD diamond, and composites. Customizable controls support full turnkey automation integration, including feeders, robots, pick-and-place gantry systems, automatic gauging, cleaning, and pass/fail sorting, making it adaptable to a wide range of production environments. Common applications include aerospace fasteners, arthroscopic shavers, transmission bushings, small hard metal components, and more.
