Significant time savings during tool measurement

One of our customers, based in the Kansai region of Japan, experienced considerable time losses during the setup process for the manufacture of precision tools, especially in the case of tools with a small diameter of D 0.6 mm or less. For the customer, the main problem was »frequent« air cuts »in the grinding wheel.«

ZOLLER Solutions 

To overcome these challenges, ZOLLER's »genius« precision measuring machine was introduced. With the »genius«, not only were the cutting tools measured precisely, but also the abrasive discs used in the tool grinding machine, which made it possible to implement an external configuration process.
  

Many improvements 

The introduction of the ZOLLER »genius« brought the customer significant advantages overall. First, the precise measurement of the shapes and dimensions of the grinding wheels/abrasive discs made it possible to eliminate empty cuts on the abrasive discs. This resulted in a considerable reduction in setup time: the elimination of empty cuts reduced setup time by one hour for each tool change. In total, this means that the current setup time is 0.5 hours, compared to approximately 1.5 hours previously. In fact, this represents a huge cost saving. According to the corresponding extrapolations, the ZOLLER solution resulted in monthly cost savings of approximately €15,000.

The introduction of the high-precision »genius« universal measuring machine has contributed significantly to reducing setup times and tooling costs in the production of precision tools at our customer's site in the Kansai region. The high-precision measuring functions of ZOLLER »genius« have eliminated idle cuts on the grinding wheel, resulting in increased efficiency in the production process. Looking to the future, the company plans to continue using ZOLLER's »genius« measuring system to further increase productivity and ensure consistent quality in its production processes.

Specific problem

The customer therefore had a specific problem to solve. The grinding wheel did not make contact with the workpiece during the first tool grinding program, so four to five adjustments were required before contact could be made. Each adjustment took about 15 minutes, resulting in a total set-up time of 1.5 hours per tool change.

Enormous loss of time

This high expenditure of time naturally goes hand in hand with higher costs: at an average hourly rate of 100 euros per hour, this means a considerable cost burden, as we are talking about 150 tool changes per month on 10 tool grinding machines.