Taking Grinding to the next level

Courtesy of United Grinding

The Studer S40 CNC cylindrical grinder from United Grinding enables Damen Carbide to process shafts up to 63″ long and weighing 286 lbs.

Technology change has a universal impact on parts manufacturers—from the largest plant to the smallest shop. Most of the manufacturers who have taken the leap and invested in new technology have found they’ve made the right decision because of the productivity gains they’ve realized. What some might not have foreseen, however, is that once they’ve made the leap forward, they have to continue that process if they expect to keep up with changing technology.

Damen Carbide Tool Co. Inc. is one manufacturer that understands it has to keep leaping. “You have to keep up with the technology or the doors will be closed,” said John Bachmeier, company president. He added that the company has always done that.

The Wood Dale, Ill., job shop dates to 1948 and produces wear parts, dies, saws, knives, slitters, special tools and other components made of tool and alloy steels, carbide, ceramics, titanium and exotics via milling, turning, EDMing, and jig, flat, ID, OD and profile grinding. “You name the industry, and somewhere on a vendor list you’ll find Damen Carbide,” Bachmeier said.

He noted that the shop has long been able to hold tolerances of ±0.0001″ and tighter and impart surface finishes as fine as 2µm to 3µm rms.

Nonetheless, the shop needed to replace its reliable battery of grinders and take its grinding capabilities to the “next level” to reduce cycle times and expand the types of parts it could produce while maintaining a high level of precision.

Bachmeier called Integrated Machinery Systems, an Itasca, Ill., distributor of machine tools and automation products that Damen Carbide had worked with in the past. Together, they looked at several grinding machine builders and compared features, programming, part loading/ unloading, processing capability and wheel and dressing monitors. Based on their research, they were drawn to the various grinder brands from United Grinding Technologies Inc., Miamisburg, Ohio.