Advanced Composites - Manufacturing
Grinding/Machining

Addax composite rollers are ground between centers using vitrified or diamond cutting wheels mounted on a variable speed grinder. Because of the material characteristics of composite structures, there are several variables to take into considerations prior to machining. Laminate structure, fiber type, slenderness ratio and the lateral natural frequency of the assembly all affect the depth of cut, feed rate, spindle and grinding wheel speeds. Diameter and profile tolerances are maintained along the entire length of the roller using a digital follower gage that provides real time dimension information to the machinist.

Just like aluminum and steel, composite rollers can be crowned, grooved or perforated using standard metal working equipment and tools. With the help of the follower gage, negative or positive crowns can be added to the profile without adding any additional grinding passes. Spiral groove patterns with multiple starts are cut using diamond tooling attached to the carriage of one of the CNC winders. Hundreds of small holes can be drilled through the composite using high-speed steel, carbide or diamond tipped tools to make perforated rollers used in lay-on applications.

Back | Next