Sunnen to Demonstrate U.S.- Made Single-Pass Honing System That Leads in Chinese Market
Chinese manufacturers in A/C, automotive and hydraulics industries make VSS Series 2 honing system a U.S. export star. Single Stroke® System is accurate, reliable, customizable.
June 2012 - Sunnen's IMTS demonstration of the VSS Series 2 Single Stroke® Honing system will highlight the accuracy, reliability and flexibility that have made the machine a mainstay of Chinese manufacturing in the air conditioning, automotive and hydraulics sectors. According to Sunnen, more than 100 U.S.-made VSS machines have been sold in China since its introduction.
"Value-added fixturing and strong application support from Shanghai Sunnen Mechanical Co. Ltd., make the VSS Series 2 highly competitive in the China market," said Mike Burton, Sunnen Managing Director, Asia. "The machine's reliability and consistent accuracy in 24/7 production led a single Chinese company to purchase nearly 70 of the machines over the past three years for manufacturing air conditioner parts. We have also had success with customers making turbochargers, power steering valves, hydraulic valves and connecting rods. At IMTS, we will demonstrate single-pass honing of cast iron hydraulic valve bodies."
VSS-2 machines incorporate up to six spindles to progressively size and finish part bores with tools of preset diameter and grit size. The machines are ideal for precision sizing of bores 3.9-50 mm (0.149-2.0") diameter in stamped parts, hydraulic valve bodies, gears and sprockets, parking pawls, rocker arms, turbocharger housings and similar parts. Ideal materials include cast iron, powdered metals, ceramic, glass, graphite and other free-cutting materials.
The VSS-2 has the most accurate spindle alignment in the industry, combined with flexible, easy-to-use controls. Spindles are factory aligned independently for precision centering over the tooling plate to produce better bore geometry than possible with machines using an "average" alignment for all the spindles.
"The VSS Series 2 sets a new standard for single-pass bore sizing efficiency," Burton added. "If a part is suitable for single-pass honing, the VSS-2 provides a level of precision not available in other designs. And, with the new touch screen control, the machine is very operator-friendly. No custom electronics or special training are needed and the control is designed to interface with part handling automation systems."
The VSS-2 utilizes a belt-drive spindle cartridge with a 724 mm (28.5") stroke and 2-105 mm/sec (2-250 ipm) stroking speed for increased flexibility with a wide variety of parts and tooling combinations. The servo-powered stroke system provides process flexibility and is hand-wheel-controlled for quick setup.
The menu-driven touchscreen control allows the column feed and spindle speed to be easily varied throughout the cycle. Operational flexibility is enhanced by the use of six available profiles, including pecking, short stroke and dwell, which are easily added to a setup. More than 100 setups can be stored. Additional I/O and memory are standard for ease of automation.
The VSS Series 2 is available in three models - the 84 (eight-station, four-spindle), the 86 (eight-station, 6-spindle) and the 64 (six-station, four-spindle) - to meet various mid- to high- production needs. Spacing between spindles is 190 mm (7.48"). The 7.5 kW (10 hp) spindle drive provides a speed range of 100-2500 rpm. Removable, maintenance-free stainless steel guarding and electrical panel mounted to the rear of the machine allow easy access to the work envelope from either side of the machine to facilitate tool change or integration of custom part handling systems.
When properly applied, Single Stroke® Honing is a quick, cost-effective method to get a precise bore size, geometry and surface finish. Parts made of cast iron, powdered metals, ceramic, glass, graphite and other free cutting materials- with L/D ratios up to 1:1 - are ideal for the process. Single-pass bore sizing is also appropriate for splined bores or longer L/D ratios if cross holes or other interruptions are present to allow chip flushing. Sunnen offers a range of single-pass plated-diamond tooling for the VSS-2 for precise, accurate and consistent bore sizing.
Other standard features of the VSS-2 include an electric rotary index table and solid tool holder. Available options include floating or rigid/adjustable tool holders, 12- and 16-port programmable rotary air unions for index output, base coolant evacuation pump, automatic lubrication system, work area light kit, stack light and tool alignment indicator.
Additional information on the VSS Series 2 Single Stroke Honing machine is available from Sunnen Products Company, 7910 Manchester Rd., St. Louis, MO 63143. Tel: 1-800-325-3670; fax: 314-781-2268 or email sales@sunnen.com.
Sunnen Contact
Mr. Bob Davis
Global Communications Mgr.
Sunnen Products Company
7910 Manchester Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63143
Tel: 314-781-2100
bdavis@sunnen.com
Editorial Contact
Ray Kemble
Kemble & Rude Communications
4242 Airport Rd.
Cincinnati, OH 45226
Tel: 513-871-4042
rkemble@kemblerude.com
