Accounting and Financial Software
Software takes guesswork out of job quoting and production.
Press Release Summary:
StuderGRIND allows shops to use data provided by customer to make graphic representation of machine with necessary tooling. To calculate processing time, user creates grinding program using Pictogramming technology. Production costs are calculated on basis of job rates, tool costs, and energy costs. Estimate is generated in Excel format and sent to customer for approval. Once job comes into production department, operator downloads data and drawing to PC, which is connected to machine.Original Press Release:
StuderGRIND Takes Guess-work out of Job Quoting & Production
MIAMISBURG, OH - United Grinding Technologies announces a breakthrough programming system that allows shops to respond to RFQs with complete confidence that they can in fact make the part, meeting all the RFQs requirements - and make a reasonable profit on the job. It also alerts the shop to those jobs it should not quote and clearly lays out the reasons why.
"One of the toughest challenges facing many job shops today is deciding which jobs to quote," says Dave Barber, marketing manager. "This may strike some as odd, but as jobs become more complex and machines more sophisticated and response times - both to the RFQ and the actual delivery of parts - become constantly compressed, shops must make very quick decisions involving often a huge number of parameters."
Typical scenario
Let's say that a shop receives an RFQ that includes a DXF format drawing of a part that requires the grinding of several seats. The customer needs an answer about the feasibility, cost and deadline. And, as usual, he wants a reply faxed or e-mailed to him by tomorrow.
With StuderGRIND, the shop can use the data provided by the customer to make a graphic representation of the machine with the necessary tooling. This consists of the wheel dressers, of which the most important types are already stored in the database, and the grinding wheels - complete details of the ones most commonly used for a variety of applications and materials.
After tooling, each of the grinding wheels is moved "virtually" to its working position. The operator then marks out the working area to check whether the grinding wheels will be able to reach the required positions on the workpiece and to establish the position of the dressers. Without graphic support, this question can often only be answered when the operator is retooling and suddenly realizes he will be unable to reach the dressing position with one or another of the grinding wheels. With this method, however, he can very quickly decide whether the machine geometry is suitable for the part without first having to set up the machine to do so.
"Once he has confirmed that the project is feasible," Barber says, "his next job is to calculate the processing time involved. To do this, he creates a functioning grinding program using Studer tried-and-tested Pictogramnming technology. A few mouse-clicks quickly put together the functions required for each seat, each turn of the wheelhead and every dressing manoeuvre.
The values for the X and Z positions of a seat can be taken directly from the imported DXF file. The selected grinding wheel is shown in the correct position as determined by its reference point."
The process parameters can now be initialized using the tables supplied with the basic programn. Here, the operator benefits from the large number of data collected and stored in the system in the course of other jobs and which are suitable for the material and hardness in question. If preferred, however, he can select another option known as grinding technology support, which goes much further.
Here, he can even integrate such factors as the properties of the grinding wheel and material being machined, the grinding forces generated, spindle performance, metal removal rate, machine speed, deflection and machiiie limits as well as many other factors. This automatically leads to a good result, with optimum use of grinding wheels and the shortest possible processing time.
Now the display shows the total processing time required, including down time, feed time and dressing time. The process can be examined and analyzed in a clearly set out table. The production costs for the individual part or complete batch are now calculated directly on the basis of current job rates, tool costs and energy costs. An estimate is then generated in Excel format. Which is sent to the customer for review and approval.
Doing the job
Once the job comes into the shop's production department, the operator downloads the data and drawing directly to his PC workstation, which is connected to the machine. If the machine has Fanuc 160i, this is carried out by the system itself; this, unlike the Fanuc 16i, is equipped with an integrated PC.
The machine operator can retool the machine quickly and simply using the diagram of the virtual machining area in StuderGRIND. The scale displayed here tells him exactly how to adjust the workpiece headstock, if necessary. In addition to this, he is told which grinding wheels to use and where to position individual dressers. The grinding wheels and their dressers can be entered and the machine is ready to go.
"Trust, they say, is good; control is better," Barber says. "The operator now simulates the new program on the computer to identify possible programming errors. If the simulation is error-free, he will have complete confidence in the programming system."
The part is now pre-ground in the usual way to its approximate size, measured and corrected where necessary, and then precision-ground to its exact dimensions. If necessary, the operator may adjust or optimize parts of the process at his workstation. Otherwise, he can go ahead and grind the entire batch. For him, the job is then finished and the parts go on their way to the next part of the process.
Archiving
In workpiece-linked data archiving, all programs, sub-programs and additional documentation, such as digital photographs of the set-up and chucking arrangements, are automatically assigned to the workpiece in question. This guarantees immediate r etrieval and reproducibility at any tirme.
Existing Studer programming systems that have already proved their worth, such as StuderProfile, StuderThread and StuderForm, etc., are directly integrated in the new application. From now on, StuderGRIND will thus be the new standard program and the most comprehensive grinding and processing tool available.
"The standard StuderGRIND program is the foundation and prerequisite for the entire progranmuing system," Barber says. "It is a further development of the well known StuderNC application, which consists principally of StEdit (used for the external generation of workpiece programs) and StCom (for data transmission). StuderGRIND is considerably more powerful and integrates well-known add-on modules like StuderProfil, StudeiThread, StuderForr, StuderFormHSM and StuderPunch, which is based on StuderFormHSM."
Overall, then, StuderGRIND will help shops of all sizes manage their orders much more efficiently and guarantees hassle-free reproduction at all times.
Studer universal, external and internal grinders are supported by an expert team of grinding specialists and technicians drawing on more than 10,000 machine installations and a worldwide support and service network.
United Grinding Technologies, Inc., the North American arm of the Korber-Schleifring Group and supplier of such venerable nameplates as Blohm, Ewag, Gerber, Jung, Magerle, Studer, Studer Mikrosa and Studer Schaudt, is a global leader in grinding technology and has built a reputation for industry-leading innovation and unparalleled service and support.
For more information, contact United Grinding Technologies, Inc.; 510 Earl Blvd., Miamisburg, OH, 45342. Tel: 937/847-1222. Fax 937/859-1115. www.grinding.com.
