Fundamentals

Special types of milling machines allow performing both milling and grinding operations. A workpiece can thus be machined completely on one machine, even if complex milling and grinding operations are required.

Anw03

Requirements

  • Jig grinding (software option 156)
  • Available kinematics description for jig grinding
  • The machine manufacturer creates the kinematics description.

Production processes

  • The term grinding encompasses many types of machining that differ in quite a few respects, e.g.:
  • Jig grinding
  • Cylindrical grinding
  • Surface grinding

The TNC7 currently features jig grinding.

Jig grinding is the grinding of a 2D contour. The tool movement in the plane is optionally superimposed by a reciprocation movement along the active tool axis.

Jig grinding

If grinding is enabled on your milling machine (option 156), the dressing function is also available. This means that you can shape or resharpen the grinding wheel in the machine.

Dressing

Reciprocating stroke

For jig grinding, the movement of the tool in the plane can be superimposed by a stroke movement, the so-called reciprocating stroke. The superimposed stroke movement is applied in the active tool axis.

You define an upper and a lower stroke limit and can start and stop the reciprocating stroke and reset the corresponding values. The reciprocating stroke is active until you stop it. M2 or M30 will stop the reciprocating stroke automatically.

The control provides cycles for defining, starting, and stopping reciprocating strokes.

As long as the reciprocating stroke is active in the program run, you cannot change to the other applications of the Manual operating mode.

The control presents the reciprocating stroke in the Simulation workspace of the Program Run operating mode.

Tools for grinding

When managing grinding tools, other geometric descriptions than those for milling or drilling tools are required. The control provides a special tool table for grinding and dressing tools. In tool management, the control displays only the required tool data for the current tool type.

Grinding tool table toolgrind.grd (option 156)

Dressing tool table tooldress.drs (option 156)

You can use compensation tables to change the values of grinding tools during program run.

Tool compensation with compensation tables

Structure of an NC program for grinding

You can use specific machining cycles (e.g., cycles for grinding, for machining pockets or studs, or SL cycles) to define the contour.

Cycles for grinding