Rollomatic ShapeSmart NP50 Grinding Machine Features Integrated Loader

Rollomatic ShapeSmart NP50

Rollomatic’s ShapeSmart NP50 is a five-axis precision cylindrical pinch/peel grinding machine with an integrated three-axis robot loader and grinding diameter range from 0.025 to 25 mm (.001"-1"). The company says the machine is well suited for cutting tool blank preparation as well as punch and mold applications which require complex geometry and high length-to-diameter ratios.

According to the company, the ShapeSmart’s pinch grinding achieves accurate geometrical dimensions on the blank and meets tight surface finish requirements. In pinch grinding, the roughing and finishing wheels grind parts simultaneously, with the finishing wheel trailing the roughing wheel. The rough and finish grinding operations are performed in one pass, eliminating a separate process and reducing cycle time.

The machine utilizes two different grinding wheels running on separate spindles and positioned on independently controlled CNC linear slides. Both grinding spindles are “synchronous direct‐drive spindles” with 19 hp peak each. An important feature of a synchronous motor is that it provides constant speed during its operation and that the torque curve is highly efficient. The rotational force is not reduced with higher rpms. Synchronous motors run at a speed equal to their synchronous speed, as opposed to asynchronous motors (induction motors) which have a lag and are, therefore, less efficient. According to the company, the synchronous spindles do not release any heat into the machine or into the grinding process, which greatly improves the thermal stability of the machine.