Cylindrical grinding

Application

Cylindrical grinding on a milling machine enables you to perform complete machining tasks on a machine without rechucking. Cylindrical grinding helps you to attain higher accuracies and better surface definitions than with turning.

Requirements

  • Grinding (#156 / #4-04-1) software option
  • Machine with at least two rotary axes, one of them as a rotary table axis
  • Available kinematics description for jig grinding
  • The machine manufacturer creates the kinematics description.

Description of function

Machining is performed in the cylindrical grinding mode FUNCTION MODE GRIND.

Switching the operating mode with FUNCTION MODE

Depending on the machining direction and the actual task, cylindrical grinding can include the following operations, among others:

  • Long-stroke cylindrical grinding
  • Short-stroke cylindrical grinding
  • Plunge grinding
  • Shoulder grinding
  • Multiple recessing

The control offers cycles for these operations. These cycles can also be used with inclined rotary axes.

For cylindrical grinding operations you always program a definition cycle, at least one infeed cycle, and a conclusion cycle.

Program structure for cylindrical grinding

Coordinate plane for cylindrical grinding

The assignment of the axes with cylindrical grinding is defined so that the X coordinates describe the diameter of the workpiece and the Z coordinates the longitudinal positions.

This means that you always program with ZX as the machining plane. The kinematics of the respective machine determine which axes the machine uses for the actual movements. NC programs with cylindrical grinding cycles are largely independent of the machine kinematics.

Notes

  • Refer to your machine manual.
  • If your machine tool is equipped with an acoustic-emission sensor, the control can evaluate the signal in the infeed cycles. The control can thus prevent reciprocating strokes from taking place in air.

  • Infeed cycles for cylindrical grinding

  • Dress the grinding tool either before or after a cylindrical grinding operation.
  • Dressing

Program structure for cylindrical grinding

Here you see a possible program structure for cylindrical grinding.

BLK FORM...

TOOL CALL...

Dressing of grinding tools (if applicable)

...

; Macro or FUNCTION DRESS

Definition cycle

CYCL DEF 1041 LONG STROKE DEF.

CYCL CALL...

Infeed cycle

CYCL DEF 1051 STEP. CYLIND. GRIND

; At least one infeed cycle is necessary (e.g., roughing)

CYCL CALL...

CYCL DEF 1051 STEP. CYLIND. GRIND

; Optional additional infeed cycle (e.g., finishing)

CYCL CALL...

CYCL DEF 1051 STEP. CYLIND. GRIND

; Optional additional infeed cycle (e.g., fine finishing)

CYCL CALL...

Conclusion cycle

CYCL DEF 1040 END CYLIND. GRINDING

CYCL CALL...

...