Schmitt Launches Balancing And AE Controller

Schmitt Europe is to launch the SB-5500 balancing and acoustic emission (AE) controller at Grindtec 2010 in Augsburg, Germany, on 17-20 March. The SB-5500 will be shown by the company's south German agent, IS Zubehor. It is the latest addition to the SBS line of dynamic grinding wheel balancing and AE monitoring products. The use of balancing and acoustic emission technologies is critical for machine tool manufacturers and end users who need to reduce costs by increasing throughput and improving product quality by optimising the grinding process.

The SB-5500 is an advanced balancer control platform appropriate for all grinding machines. It features a larger, high-resolution display, digital electronic design, enhanced communications options, four-channel capability and 24VDC or universal input AC power supply. Options also include basic AE analysis for gap and crash detection and enhanced acoustic emission analysis capability. This features frequency signature analysis and full integration of frequency data into any CNC program. The SB-5500 is a modular controller that can be supplied with one-to-four plug-in electronic cards, allowing multiple machines or devices to be monitored and controlled.

These plug-in electronic cards include: the SB-5512 internal or external balancers with cable connection; the SB-5518 Hydrokompenser fluid chamber balancers; the SB-5522 AE monitoring system (AEMS) gap-crash for grinding and dressing monitoring; the SB-5532 internal or external balancer with 'no cable' connection (non-contact balancers); and the SB-5543 manual balancer, allowing operators to position a mass on the flange to balance the grinding wheel.

The SB-5500 is compatible with all existing SBS balancers, AE sensors and cables, and features a colour TFT LCD display that can be fitted either as an attached display on the SB-5500 controller, a remote display panel for facial mounting, or as a virtual display to run on grinder CNC/PLC screens.

Other features of the SB-5500 include enhanced communication to grinding machine controls with the addition of Profibus, Ethernet and hardwire interfaces, an improved temperature operating range and DC power supply option (21-28VDV). In addition, a Chinese language feature is offered, complementing the existing English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Polish and Russian language user interfaces.

Schmitt Offers Surface Roughness Measurement Units

Schmitt Europe has launched the Lasercheck range of surface roughness measurement gauges, designed to perform high-speed, accurate and non-contact measurements on a variety of machined parts. Lasercheck is said to work on any material, including metals, ceramics, glass and rubber, and is suited to ground, sanded, polished, honed, super-finished, fine-tuned, and shot-blasted surface finishes.

The surface roughness measurement gauges are specifically designed for portable or on-line use in production and manufacturing environments. Light scatter detection technology is said to provide superior durability, measurement speed (less than one second) and repeatability without high maintenance and recalibration costs. Operation on the production floor can use Lasercheck to easily and quickly monitor surface finish quality without concern for damaging other fragile measurement equipment or surfaces.

Lasercheck surface roughness measurement heads have no moving parts, are claimed to be virtually indestructible and are ideally suited for high-volume QC work. The principle of operation is simple in that a built-in visible laser diode emits a laser beam from the bottom of the gauge, illuminating the surface beneath it. After striking the surface, the laser light is reflected and scattered back into the Lasercheck detection system. The overall intensity and distribution of the reflected and scattered light is measured, digitised by the Lasercheck controller electronics and the surface roughness (Ra) calculated for the illuminated area.

This Ra value is then displayed on the LCD control unit screen. Measurements can be performed by manual pushbutton operation, or continuous high-speed measurements controlled by Windows software, or fully automated high-speed on-line measurements triggered by external signals and Windows software, displaying real-time Ra values in graphical and numeric format with statistical parameters. Lasercheck has been designed for a nominal height standoff of 2.5cm from the measurement surface, in which any motion or vibration is continuously monitored and corrected for during every measurement cycle to ensure accurate results.

The Lasercheck Micro 8826 head measures 2.5 x 1.9 x 5.1cm with a surface roughness measurement range of 0.025 to 2.0 mm and the Lasercheck Mini 6212 head measures 7.5 x 3.5 x 4.4cm with a surface roughness measurement range of 0.0125 to 2.0mm. Three controllers are available. The automated A Controller is a standalone unit capable of 10 measurements per second, the portable B Controller a handheld unit capable of storing up to 10,000 Ra values and an OEM card C Controller for mounting in the customer's own electronics panel.

Schmitt Expands AEM Sensor Range

Schmitt has added the Fluid Acoustic Emission sensor to its range of acoustical emission monitoring (AEM) sensors, which monitor grinding-wheel processes. The Fluid AE sensor is ideal for situations where direct acoustic contact is required during the grinding process, for example where machine design, high-frequency bearing, mechanical or electromagnetic-noise prevent the use of other types of AE sensor.

The Fluid AE sensor uses the existing oil or water-based grinding-machine coolant with a separate feed from the cutting stream directed at the component or dresser. The noise of the grinding wheel touching the component or diamond is then transmitted back up the coolant stream to the AE sensor and detected by the Schmitt electronics within one millisecond. User benefits include elimination of the grinding-gap time in the grind cycle, notification and prevention of machine-crash conditions, automatic quality monitoring of wheel dressing and machine positional control.

The AEMS system allows rapid and automatic grinding-wheel in-feed, right up to the point of initial contact with a new part loaded in the machine. The system can automatically detect the initial contact and quickly report this event to the machine control, stopping the wheel in-feed without operator intervention. This system has achieved typical cycle-time savings of up to 20 per cent. The AEMS system can standalone or be added to any SBS grinding-wheel balancer controller, providing two sensor-input sockets.

A four-channel SBS controller can give up to eight inputs from eight different AE sensors. Data can be downloaded via a 0 - 10V analogue output to a PC or external data-logger for QA purposes. Schmitt's acoustic sensors are easy to retro fit, resistant to grinding-machine coolants and grinding paste and give reaction speeds faster than traditional methods of spindle load or current monitoring.

Schmitt Unveils Fluid Acoustic Emission Sensor

The latest addition to the Schmitt portfolio of AEM (acoustical emission monitoring) sensors is the Fluid Acoustic Emission (AE) sensor. The SBS acoustical emission monitoring system (AEMS) is an established method of monitoring grinding wheel processes with high precision. Also known as 'gap and crash control' or 'gap-crash', AEMS uses acoustic technology to monitor high-frequency signals generated on the grinding machine during key events in the grinding process.

The Fluid AE sensor is suitable for situations where direct acoustic contact is required during the grinding process. For example, where machine design, high-frequency bearing, mechanical or electromagnetic noise, prevents the use of other types of AE sensor. The Fluid AE sensor uses the existing oil or water-based grinding machine coolant with a separate feed from the cutting stream directed at the component or dresser. The noise of the grinding wheel touching the component or diamond is then transmitted back up the coolant stream to the AE sensor and detected by the Schmitt electronics within one millisecond.

User benefits include elimination of the grinding gap time in the grind cycle, notification and prevention of machine crash conditions, automatic quality monitoring of wheel dressing and machine positional control. The AEMS allows rapid, automatic grinding wheel in-feed right up to the point of initial contact with a new part loaded in the machine. The system can automatically detect the initial contact and report this event to the machine control, stopping the wheel in-feed without operator intervention.

Typical cycle time savings of up to 20 per cent have been achieved using this system, said Schmitt. The AEMS can be stand-alone or added to any SBS grinding wheel balancer controller providing two sensor input sockets. A four-channel SBS controller can give up to eight inputs from eight different AE sensors. Data can be downloaded via a 0-10V analogue output to a PC or external datalogger for QA purposes. Schmitt said that its acoustic sensors can be retro fit, are highly resistant to grinding machine coolants and grinding paste and give reaction speeds faster than traditional methods of spindle load or current monitoring.