Global ceramics market expected to significantly grow

The global ceramics market is expected to reach $287 billion by 2022, according to a recent report by Grand View Research Inc. Furthermore, advanced ceramics are expected to be the fastest-growing segment in terms of volume at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 9 percent through to 2022.

With the increasing global demand of ceramics, Morgan Advanced Materials in Melbourne, Australia, purchased an ANCA FX5 Linear machine, dedicated to high-volume production grinding of ceramic parts.

With 117 locations worldwide, Morgan Advanced Materials designs and manufactures advanced ceramic components from a portfolio of cutting edge materials in ceramics, as well as offering in-depth materials expertise and vast applications experience across a range of markets.

Steve Thompson, Morgan Advanced Materials general manager, explained the reason for deciding to partner with ANCA, “We reviewed and tested several different machines to evaluate which was best suited for grinding the most advanced and hardest ceramic materials. At the end of our extensive testing, we found that the FX Linear was the only machine that achieved consistent and accurate results that could meet our stringent requirements.”

When asked about the results the FX5 Linear was able to achieve, Thompson stated, “No other machine in-house was able to produce a ceramic part with the same accuracy, contour and surface finish as the FX5 Linear. We are consistently achieving contour tolerances down to 0.003mm (0.0001”) over large batches of ceramic parts. The FX5 is operating 24/7, which is critical to ensuring that our parts supply is able to meet the customer’s delivery needs.

“Being locally supported by ANCA’s experienced technical after sales and applications teams provides us with prompt customer service and on-site support. Maximising our machine uptime is crucial for us to achieve our high-productivity goals.

“An important reason we purchased from ANCA was we wanted to integrate our own third-party automation solution to minimize operator interaction and ensure maximum machine productivity. ANCA fully supported us with this and provided the electrical and software interface to the machine so we could easily integrate our loading system. It was important that we were able to do all of this ourselves to guarantee we ended up with a customized solution that met our needs.

“ANCA’s software is flexible and easy to use, which allows our operators to quickly setup the machine and make any initial offsets simply and easily. The thermal stability of the FX5 Linear is excellent, so no changes are required once the machine is grinding in full production. Also the FX5 has the latest CE and safety features so there is comfort knowing that this machine meets all of our OH&S standards,” Thompson concluded.

Understanding why the ANCA FX Linear is reportedly helping customers get ahead:

• FX Linear machine range consists of three advanced, cost-effective tool and cutter grinders that are optimized for tool regrinding, light manufacturing, through to full production.
• ANCA Motion’s cylindrical LinX Linear Motors for axis motion (X and Y axes) included as standard on all models. In conjunction with linear scales, a high degree of machine precision and performance is achieved, resulting in greater tool accuracy and superior surface finish.
• Machines include an easy to use touchscreen and hand-held pendant that simplifies setups.
• Compact and innovative machine design with large grinding envelope.
• Each part of the machine, including position of the grinding wheel on the C-axis centerline, for reduced axis motion and improved accuracy.
• Range of auto tool loaders, wheel changers, workholding and tool support options.