Traditional guidewire centerless grinders use sensors to detect the wire position and trigger diameter changes, limiting the number of tapers the system can produce. Since the GT-9AC has no sensors, there is virtually no limit to the number of tapers, and creating parabolic shapes is very easy. Traditionally, sensors or sensing systems must be physically moved by the operator or technician to change the profile or wire length. The GT-9AC accomplishes all of this automatically with a few taps of the touchscreen, significantly reducing setup time.
With a centerless grinder, as the slide retracts and part diameter increases, the rate of the part through the machine increases. With fixed sensors, there is no feedback in between sensor points to detect this change. This causes an unwanted non-linear or 'bowed' profile shape. The GT-9AC updates wire position constantly, so it is unaffected by changes to the wire feed rate. The result is crisp, clear tapers.
Glebar has over four decades of experience grinding guidewires in stainless steel, Nitinol, and other materials, with both conventional and superabrasive wheels.
Touchscreen HMI
Automation
Remote Connectivity
Template Tracing Dresser
Spool Feeding
Safety Enclosure
Multi-Part Grinding
Inline Gauging
Inline Cutting
Extractor Options
P4K Compatible (Offline Gauging) 
With the increased rigidity, thermal and mechanical stability of a granite bed, the results are improved blade life and more consistent setups.
Both the upper and lower slides of the GT-9AC feature 0.1 um glass scale feedback, which allows for blades to be sized automatically on the machine; easy and repeatable.
Since the GT-9AC has no sensors, there is virtually no limit to the number of tapers, paddles and parabolic shapes which can be ground on this machine. Traditionally, sensors or sensing systems must be physically moved by the operator or technician to change the profile or wire length. With the GT-9AC, all of this is accomplished automatically with a few taps of the touchscreen, significantly reducing setup time.
Available with a variable frequency drive on the work wheel spindle for increased wheel surface feet when running super abrasives such as vitrified CBN. Spindle RPM can be varied depending on the wheel type and wheel dressing parameters. A built-in automatic wheel balancing system dynamically adjusts and eliminates wheel vibration, producing superior surface finishes and improved wheel life. In addition, acoustic emission sensing allows for automatic touch-off and blade sizing to drastically reduce setup time.
Double-ended grinds or grinding multiple parts from the same wire is possible when using the optional Extractor. When combined with the Spool Cutter, it is possible to take NiTi or SLT® stainless directly from spool to finished part.
The control software is entirely developed at Glebar and is fully customizable to address your application and process. The intuitive touch screen interface allows for ease of use and flexibility. The machine software interface was developed to allow an unskilled operator to run many high precision machines simultaneously.
This is done by using EtherCAT® by and large the fastest industrial Ethernet technology.
Available P4K Gauging System serves as a closed-loop quality control device that feeds back diameter to the control system for automatic size compensation
Available metrology device (P4K) which can serve as a closed-loop quality control device that feeds back diameter to the control system for automatic size compensation
Uses a formed template to dress shallow shapes into the grinding wheel. An auto dress version of this dresser available.
Uses a formed template to dress shallow shapes into the regulating wheel.
Collects and removes debri and dust from the work area.
Comes with arbor, flange with four weights and stand. Balanced grinding wheels are critical for high precision parts.
A built-in automatic wheel balancing system dynamically adjusts and eliminates wheel vibration, producing superior surface finishes and improved wheel life.
Integrated acoustic emissions system for ease of setup.
Post grinding and cleaning, the data is collected, analyzed and fed back to the machine for automatic size compensation. Measurements are shown on a trend graph on the machine control.
Built specific for the part; integrated into the cell.
High-speed with programmable positioning, allowing for the fast grinding of double-ended grinds and faster part extraction, reducing cycle time.
Provides the capability to grind nitinol wire directly off a spool. The feeder pulls and cuts wire to user determined length, and feeds it to the grinding machine.
30 gallon capacity with two removable settling tanks centrifugal pump & filtration package
10' (305 cm), 16' (500 cm) long wire/part loader and unloader interfaced to the machine control. Feeder will pick wires out of a bin, load them into machine, stage next part during grinding and unload finish part allowing hands-off machine operation.
Uses bushings for a burr free cut. Cutting wire after grinding provides the capability of grinding multiple short parts out of one long wire in one feeding operation, reducing cycle time.
Pulls finished part out of grind zone using gripper mechanism and places it in receiving tray. This system is ideal for handling short parts and often used in conjunction with the Wire Cutter.
Wire loader and unloader interfaced to the machine control. Feeder will pick wires out of a bin, load them into machine, stage next part during grinding and unload finished part.
Material staging trays for preground and finished ground wire
Designed to draw and cut Nitinol and SLT material.
Glebar prides itself on selling precision grinding machine system solutions, tailored to your specific needs. Below is a small subset of applications, performed on this machine, that Glebar has provided solutions for over the years.
Recognized for improving process efficiency, reducing scrap rates, and creating safer work environments, Glebar has delivered innovative grinding solutions to guidewire manufacturers for over 50 years. Our newest automated solution process guidewires from the feeder to a finished part in a single operation.
Current Process & Challenges
Legacy grinding machines require experienced operators to load, grind, and unload wires manually. Skilled mechanics manually move sensors in the grinder to change the wire profile or length. This process:
Current Process
Wheel balancing is crucial to achieving a good surface finish on the workpiece and is critical to the spindle bearing life. A technician balances the wheel using an offline, static system manually moving weights. The process is time-consuming, taking 30 to 45 minutes, delaying setup and production. The results are varied and not repeatable.
Challenge
Significantly reduce setup time, changeover time, and the variability of results driven by manual wheel balancing.
Current Process:
Machines that run on outdated operating systems such as Windows XP or Windows 7 are more vulnerable to malware, viruses, and other security issues. Microsoft no longer supports previous versions of Windows making it difficult to fix operating system related issues generating more downtime until a solution is found.
Challenge:
Deliver a solution that allows legacy machines to be protected from security threats and allows for easier technical support.
Current Process
Super-abrasive grinding wheels require faster speeds to run effectively. Main machine spindles can have fixed speeds, limiting their ability to use CBN or Diamond grinding wheels. A fixed speed can cause belt squeal and added stress on the spindle. When the wheel stops, inertia allows it to continue spinning for minutes, especially with heavier wheels, delaying the start of the next job.
Challenges
Dynamic spindle speed adjustment enabling work wheel rotation at higher speeds using super-abrasive grinding wheels. Provide the upgrade in real-time without having to ship the machine back to the factory for an upgrade.
Challenge: A Medical device customer needed to rapidly changeover between a family of Nitinol guidewires having various lengths and geometries. Since the geometry of the components varied in length, the customer needed to change tooling over frequently, a process that can take up to 4 hours. Also, rapidly removing over 30% of the the material as it thrufeeds into the machine accelerated tool wear on the existing system and as tooling degrades, dimensional integrity suffers.
Below is a sample of select components Glebar has ground, on this machine, over the years. Please contact us and send us your drawing for a personal consultation.
Glebar GT-9AC Micro Grinder with Automated Wire Cutter and Extractor
GT-9AC Micro Grinding Medical Guidewire
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