Lean grinding machine
The GT-610 EZ from Glebar Co. is designed to provide slide motion control and other key ingredients to grinding success at a lower price point.
Billed as an entry-level version of a feature-rich centerless grinder, a new machine is designed to provide slide motion control and other key ingredients to grinding success at a lower price point.
Developed by Glebar Co. in Ramsey, New Jersey, the GT-610 EZ costs 15% less than the company’s GT-610 grinder.
“We wanted to incorporate elements from our more sophisticated automated machines in a more affordable package for the shop that just wants to do basic through-feed grinding,” said Chief Technology Officer John Bannayan.
The EZ has four axes of motion compared with at least five offered by its higher-end counterpart. Another difference is that the position of the EZ’s regulating wheel is controlled manually, which he said makes setup easier. With a footprint measuring just 1,041 mm × 1,270 mm (41″×50″), he said the EZ also takes up much less floor space than its competitors.
Glebar says the GT-610 EZ provides some of the key capabilities of higher-end centerless grinders but costs significantly less. Image courtesy of Glebar
Equipped with a 15-hp main spindle motor, which Bannayan said is unusual for such a small machine, the EZ is suitable for grinding components under 25 mm (1″) in diameter. He said people who need to take a lot of material off large-diameter components must opt for a much larger machine with a 20-hp motor.
Although grinding parts with complex geometries requires a GT-610, he said diameter reduction or producing simple geometries, such as chamfers on drill blanks, are ideal applications for the EZ. He said the new machine can reduce rods made of hard materials like steel, carbide, diamond, PCD and technical ceramics to small diameters while holding tight tolerances.
Despite being economical, the EZ features a wide 203 mm (8″) grinding wheel.
“In applications where you are grinding carbide,” Bannayan said, “the more wheel you have, the fewer passes you have to take.”
Other features that also are offered by the GT-610 include spindles held by two sets of bearings.
Review the print ads from this magazine to continue
This quick advertiser review unlocks the rest of the article and keeps the full-screen reader focused on the ads instead of the page chrome.
