Jones and Shipman is showing at IMTS its new Suprema 'Easy' controlled cylindrical grinder a machine specifically aimed at manufacturers who believe they cannot afford to invest in CNC. Designed and produced at the company's Leicester, UK site, the all-new range is easy to use, fast to set up, versatile, and very competitively priced. Accuracy and repeatability are assured; changeover times are minimised because most operator intervention, normally necessary, has been removed by simple but sophisticated software.

The range replaces traditional CNC, microprocessor and hydraulically controlled machines as it retains a conventional layout and operating style.

Offering productivity advantages in areas such as aerospace, mold and die, automotive, medical, etc, the Suprema has particular benefits for medium/short batch work or even one-offs because of the ease and speed of change-over.

Combining the benefits of CNC with traditionally styled operation, it is easy to use even for operators unfamiliar with CNC grinding.

A major advantage of the new Suprema range is the incorporation of a GE-Fanuc Touchscreen control system utilising Jones and Shipman's easy-to-use proprietary self-teach software.

This powerful but simple multi-axis control system combination enables an inexperienced operator to quickly progress from manual single diameter applications to linked cycle/multi diameter single or batch operations.

The Suprema comes complete with embeded software to undertake single or multiple diameter and face grinding, plus dressing of left or right hand facing wheels and the ability to easily form dress profiles and vee forms without additional form dressing attachments.

Additional features such as taper traverse grind, contour grind and easy down/up load to and from PDA, PC, or Network are also included, as are Heidenhain 'Absolute' nano scales for both axes.

A second level of optional software provides solutions, through a grinding-specific PC-based CAD cam software suite which also accepts DXF files, and converts them into grinding or dressing programs incorporating features such as rapid wheel profiling, on screen simulations, collision detection etc Up-grades between software levels is easy and enables users to respond to changes in their work-profile and to develop their own expertise at their own pace.

The range is available in two grinding capacities of 12in x 25in or 12n x 40in (300mm x 650mm or 300mm x 1000mm) and is offered with plain/straight approach wheelhead or three-wheel universal swivelling wheelhead options.

The Suprema is a robustly constructed, one piece Tee bed design.

High geometrical accuracy is ensured by direct-coupled digital AC servo motors and rotary encoders from GE-Fanuc.

Hand-scraped Vee and Flat slideways are provided for the cast machine table underslide.

A high precision twin Vee configuration is used for the wheelhead backslide.

The air purged combined live and dead centre swivel base workhead contains high precision tapered roller bearings for stiffness.

It incorporates a synchronous belt variable speed drive that allows direct programmed speed (rev/min) or constant surface speed (CSS m/s) of the workpiece.

A robust lever operated plain bearing tailstock is provided as standard with a high accuracy taper correction tailstock available as an option.

Philosophy and architecture of the new range is complementary to other Touchscreen controlled machines in the Jones and Shipman portfolio, ensuring operators can switch between machines easily and without additional training.

'The Suprema is another important step forward for Jones and Shipman, and reflects both our ongoing and innovative approach to grinding and our commitment to produce competitively priced products.