Putting the Feed in Through-Feed Perfection

摘要

An automated grinding, inspection and packaging cell churns out two fragile automotive parts per second with zero defects. Just a sliver. Less than 0.01 inch, in fact. Missing the goal by just a few ten-thousandths of an inch would put the thimble-like steel part out of specification. That is, assuming it hadn't already been cracked or deformed before it entered the grinder in the first place. Controlling for that possibility would require inspecting every single component on the way in, a challenging proposition with more than 100 parts crossing the machine's workzone every minute. Of course, the actual machining would require close monitoring and control as well. Given the potential for a single flawed part to relegate thousands to the scrap heap, there would be room for nothing less.