Centerless Grinder with Lights-Out Automation Improves Quality and Consistency for Hydraulic Spring Lifters Manufacturer

Glebar Company, Ramsey, NJ-- Glebar partnered with a manufacturer to move its grinding inhouse and integrate the new process with its existing automation and superfinishing line. The manufacturer wanted to automatically grind a high volume of stainless-steel shafts used for Hydraulic Spring Lifters. Outsourcing the grinding process led to higher c...

Glebar Company, Ramsey, NJ– Glebar partnered with a manufacturer to move its grinding inhouse and integrate the new process with its existing automation and superfinishing line.

The manufacturer wanted to automatically grind a high volume of stainless-steel shafts used for Hydraulic Spring Lifters. Outsourcing the grinding process led to higher costs as well as quality and consistency issues. The process had to remove a large amount of stock and maintain an 8Ra surface finish. Glebar collaborates with customers to provide a complete solution to improve OEE. For this manufacturer, Glebar delivered their GT-610 Thrufeed Centerless Grinder equipped with lightsout automation, including a conveyor, pre-and-post-feed sensors, a contact gauge, and a
complete safety enclosure. Simple HMI controls allowed for one-touch start/stop operation and the use of inline gauging. Glebar also worked with two other companies to integrate the GT-610 into the customer’s existing automation and superfinishing line.

As the stainless-steel shafts travel down the conveyor, they pass through the pre-feed sensor which initiates the automation feeding to the grinder. The shafts are fed through the grinding area, removing .021” of stock material in one pass. A diameter tolerance of +/- .00020” and roundness in the 50 millionths range was maintained. Upon exiting the grinder, the contact gauge inspected the parts for geometric accuracy and defects. This data was sent back to the GT-610 for automatic adjustment to compensate for any wheel wear, improving grind accuracy. The post-feed sensor counted the parts for automatic dressing to improve consistency.

“Part of the Glebar Advantage is that we work to become a partner with the customer so that we can help identify opportunities, such as implementing automation, to improve efficiency in the grinding process,” said John Bannayan, CTO of Glebar Company.

For more information on the GT-610 and Glebar’s Automation capabilities, read the case study, visit our website, send an email to info@www.glebar.com, or call (201) 337-1500.

About Glebar Company

Glebar Company (www.www.glebar.com) is an innovative, vertically integrated, process improvement company that designs and configures its standard platform of modular precision centerless grinding machine systems to provide turnkey, custom solutions for its customers. The company focuses on delivering a process to its customers while maximizing customer return on investment. Founded in 1952, Glebar serves companies all over the world, across many market segments including medical, industrial, aerospace, automotive, consumer goods, and mining. Its machines are known for their precision, longevity, flexibility, and efficiency.

Glebar machines are made to the highest quality and safety standards and are backed by a 24/7 customer service operation which includes a team of technicians, design engineers, and customer service representatives. The company also stocks stand-by inventory of critical parts and tooling for next-day delivery in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. It employs a dedicated applications team conducting research and development activities, customer process enhancement, and pushing the limits of grinding wheel technology. Glebar is an ISO 9001:2015 Certified Company and is ITAR Registered.

In 2020 Glebar Company acquired Electrochemical Grinding (ECG) technology solutions leader Tridex Technology. Both companies offer innovative turnkey manufacturing solutions designed to improve cycle times, maintain quality levels, and allow operators to easily set up and run multiple machines.

For more information about Glebar, call (201)-337-1500, visit www.www.glebar.com or send an email to info@www.glebar.com.

, Centerless Grinder with Lights-Out Automation Improves Quality and Consistency for Hydraulic Spring Lifters Manufacturer