Rollomatic Medical
Rollomatic, whose 5 and 6 axis grinding machines are widely used throughout the UK and Eire for the manufacture of cutting tools, also offers these machines for the production of medical components of various kinds. These include grinding machines for the manufacture of medical drills, routers, burrs, saw blades, screws, reamers and surgical tools such as bone milling cutters.
Rollomatic has many references within the medical industry with most users opting for the 6-axis Rollomatic 629 (now designated as 630) grinding machines - in either XS or XW variants.
Medical components are mostly manufactured using Rollomatics own latest generation Virtual Grind (VGPro) grinding software although Rollomatic has also supplied specially developed programmes for certain parts. Rollomatics software also comes with free-of charge lifetime updates that allow end-users to always have the best and latest software available to them at no additional cost. The VGPro software includes for a fully integrated 3D simulator for both the component being machined and also the machine that allows for collision checks to be made prior to actual production.
The main advantage of these Rollomatic machines is the kinematic arrangement of the sixth grinding axis that is particular needed when looking to grind saw blades. The 6th axis enables the grinding wheels to be inclined and this makes it considerably easier to grind past the center line on a given part without damaging an adjacent tooth or feature. Even more importantly, the contact point of the wheel to the component remains constant over the entire grinding path instead of it altering as the wheel travels around it which is the case on 5-axis grinding machines. The use of the 6th grinding axis also ensures that more freedom to use optimum grinding paths is made possible due to the angular inclination of the wheel and this allows medical parts with very complex forms to be ground.
These machines are equipped with highly accurate linear scales with a resolution of just 0.00001mm as well as on the rotary grinding wheel spindle axis. Furthermore, the latest Rollomatic machines have linear motors in place of ball screws. The biggest advantage of linear motors as opposed to ball screws, is the absence of moving parts, which enables them to achieve a much higher positional accuracy and repeatability. These two factors are extremely important to the medical industry where accuracy is everything and every part must be identical across large batches. The surface finish of medical parts is also often critical and is improved by the use of linear motors on the grinding machines.
The sealed for life/no maintenance aspects of the linear drives ensure that less or indeed no maintenance is needed and these factors help Rollomatic to offer their industry leading unlimited hours 3 years parts and labour warranty that is free of charge on all new Rollomatic grinding machines.
The Rollomatic 6-axis grinding machines may be specified with automatic wheel changers and the changer on the 629XW machine has 6 positions to accommodate up to 24 grinding wheels with fast change times. Large capacity robot-based pallet loaders for unmanned automated operation with a part load time of just over 8 seconds are available and the machines high efficiency synchronous grinding spindles allow tools of up to 20mm in diameter to be ground with ease from the solid blank.
Rollomatic is represented in the UK and Eire by Coventry based Advanced Grinding Solutions Ltd and may be contacted on +44 (0) 2476 22 66 11 or via their website www.advancedgrindingsolutions.co.uk
Posted by: Chris Boraston
Managing Director at Advanced Grinding Solutions Ltd
References
Our range of machines is supplied to numerous companies all around the world and the leaders in industry use these to great affect.
We have many thousands of worldwide references but customers that we have supplied equipment to here in the UK include, amongst others:
