Forest City Gear has expanded its capacity for high precision finish grinding of external, internal, straight and helical gears and special profiles with the addition of its second KAPP VUS 55P form grinding machine.
The new KAPP form grinder gives Forest City Gear the ability to rough and finish grind internal gears with an ID grinding diameter as small as 1.250” and external gears with an OD grinding diameter as large as 19.685”. Additionally, the new machine is equipped with a high speed, 35,000-rpm external grinding spindle, so it can use smaller diameter grinding wheels to more productively grind gears positioned close to shoulders where an interference condition might exist for larger wheels.
In addition, the new machine is equipped with a specific wheel dressing unit, enabling Forest City Gear to run dressable ceramic and vitrified CBN grinding wheels for both internal and external gears to meet all types of profile requirements. The combination of on-board dressing and optional on-board measuring systems both speeds and automates the entire grinding process.
“While our first KAPP VUS 55P continues to be a dependable grinding workhorse, this new model gives us more versatility to meet the requirements of our increasingly diverse mix of high precision projects,” said Forest City Gear Grinding Lead Person Kevin Chatfield. “With quality and delivery standards higher than ever across all the industries we serve, this machine is a great addition.”
Since 1955, Roscoe, Illinois-based, family-owned Forest City Gear has been one of the gear industry’s leading sources for the development, manufacture and inspection of high-quality gears, for use in applications that range from medical devices to motorcycles, airplanes to automation, even including the Mars Curiosity Rover.
Related Glossary Terms
- cubic boron nitride ( CBN)
cubic boron nitride ( CBN)
Crystal manufactured from boron nitride under high pressure and temperature. Used to cut hard-to-machine ferrous and nickel-base materials up to 70 HRC. Second hardest material after diamond. See superabrasive tools.
- dressing
dressing
Removal of undesirable materials from “loaded” grinding wheels using a single- or multi-point diamond or other tool. The process also exposes unused, sharp abrasive points. See loading; truing.
- grinding
grinding
Machining operation in which material is removed from the workpiece by a powered abrasive wheel, stone, belt, paste, sheet, compound, slurry, etc. Takes various forms: surface grinding (creates flat and/or squared surfaces); cylindrical grinding (for external cylindrical and tapered shapes, fillets, undercuts, etc.); centerless grinding; chamfering; thread and form grinding; tool and cutter grinding; offhand grinding; lapping and polishing (grinding with extremely fine grits to create ultrasmooth surfaces); honing; and disc grinding.
- grinding machine
grinding machine
Powers a grinding wheel or other abrasive tool for the purpose of removing metal and finishing workpieces to close tolerances. Provides smooth, square, parallel and accurate workpiece surfaces. When ultrasmooth surfaces and finishes on the order of microns are required, lapping and honing machines (precision grinders that run abrasives with extremely fine, uniform grits) are used. In its “finishing” role, the grinder is perhaps the most widely used machine tool. Various styles are available: bench and pedestal grinders for sharpening lathe bits and drills; surface grinders for producing square, parallel, smooth and accurate parts; cylindrical and centerless grinders; center-hole grinders; form grinders; facemill and endmill grinders; gear-cutting grinders; jig grinders; abrasive belt (backstand, swing-frame, belt-roll) grinders; tool and cutter grinders for sharpening and resharpening cutting tools; carbide grinders; hand-held die grinders; and abrasive cutoff saws.
- inner diameter ( ID)
inner diameter ( ID)
Dimension that defines the inside diameter of a cavity or hole. See OD, outer diameter.
- outer diameter ( OD)
outer diameter ( OD)
Dimension that defines the exterior diameter of a cylindrical or round part. See ID, inner diameter.
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