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Current Process:
A legacy thrufeed centerless grinder with a narrow work wheel is used. Multiple passes to grind the Nitinol tubes to size are required. Highly skilled technicians are necessary to ensure proper setup.
Challenges:
Long cycle time limits output per shift. Multiple passes can reduce the quality of the tubes. Shorter work wheels apply too much pressure on thin-walled tubing resulting in deformed parts.
Solution: TF-9DHD Thrufeed Centerless Grinding Machine
Deliver a solution that allows the 6' Nitinol tubes to be ground in one pass. Decrease downtime related to setup and complicated changeovers. The TF-9DHD features the widest work wheel on the market measuring 8 5/8" in length. An 8 5/8" work wheel removes .005" of stock material in one pass while maintaining +/- .0002" tolerance. The wide wheel spreads the grind over a longer distance resulting in a uniform grind, especially on thin-walled tubing. Top and bottom slides can be positioned independently, improving positioning accuracy and reducing setup times. Auto-gauge feedback is used to measure the diameter at the exit point.
The computer controlled TF-9DHD Infeed/Thrufeed Micro Grinder grinds both hard and soft materials, specializing in parts from 1” in diameter down to .002". The TF-9DHD is utilized to grind catheter, guidewires, pins, bushings, PTFE, plastics, ceramics and other engineered materials.