With Helitronic Diamond Evolution - cost-effective erosion and grinding of PCD tools is now possible in the smallest of floor spaces.

The new super-compact erosion and grinding machine featuring the "two-in-one" principle from Walter, which has already been used successfully for the last 14 years, is specially designed for the production and regrinding of PCD tools with diameters of up to 165 mm and lengths of up to 185 mm (end face operation) and/or 255 mm (outer diameter operation). With a minimum space requirement of only 4.2 m?, the Helitronic Diamond Evolution can be used to erode and/or grind PCD tools - including shank, profile, circular and roll millers, multi-step tools and countersinks, as well as cutting and profile cutting plates. A high drive output is required for grinding such tools. With a drive output of 9 kW, the Helitronic Diamond Evolution offers one of the most powerful grinding spindle drives on the market. As is the case for other "two-in-one" eroding and grinding machines from Walter, the Helitronic Diamond Evolution is equipped with Diamond-Plus as standard for an optimised cutting edge and processing time.

The Helitronic Diamond Evolution is also available with a robot loader for a maximum of 72 HSK tools or a maximum of 7,500 cylindrical tools (diameter-dependent) - the perfect solution for loading with reduced staff levels.

Innovation That Meets The Trend

There is a clear trend within the PCD market. The aviation and space industry as well as the automotive sector are focusing on light-weight yet durable materials, such as high-strength aluminium and carbon fibre-reinforced plastics. Tools with particularly hard blades made of polycrystalline diamond (PCD) and complex geometries are required for machining such materials. There is a clear development in terms of the design of these tools; they are becoming smaller and increasingly diverse and their geometries are increasing in terms of complexity. What's more, tool manufacturing equipment should also also be able to realise cost savings through having a space requirement that is as low as possible and should offer a short purchase amortisation period.

With the development of the Helitronic Diamond Evolution, Walter has now found the ideal solution: a machine that requires a minimum of floor space and offers optimal value for money, which can erode and also efficiently grind carbides, and which also includes a powerful and flexible software package that is perfectly suited for the production of the most common types of PCD tools. The internationally proven Helitronic Tool Studio grinding software was specially adapted and expanded for eroding operations. 3D live simulation, collision checking and operations such as K-Land and variable spirals are just a few examples of the new flexible features available for PCD tool programming. At Walter, the continuous development of Helitronic Tool Studio is driven by customer requirements and technical developments in tool machining. This ensures that tool producers and regrinders use the ideal machine solution both today and tomorrow.

United Grinding GmbH, Bangalore. Tel: 080-30257606. Fax: 91-80-30257603. Email: sudheendra.c.r@grinding.ch