In Booth N-6918 at IMTS this year, Drake Manufacturing Services Co. will showcase its latest model GS:TE-LM 200 Linear Motor External Thread Grinding System. Although tooled to produce a dual lead worm, the machine can also grind a wide range of precision threads, ball screws, steering components, gages and complex thread forms. The show machine will be equipped with a robot load pallet system with automatic changeover. The robot picks a part off the pallet and places it in the chuck. A probe detects the part and the wheel is positioned to grind the correct amount of stock from both sides of the worm. Temperature-controlled machine components including linear motors, motorized rotary dresser and motorized 12 kW grinding spindle provide process stability. The machine is also equipped with an in-spindle automatic balancer for longer spindle life and improved surface quality. Workhead index accuracy is ≤10 arc seconds.

Available on all Drake grinders, the GS:TE-LM 200 is equipped with Drake's SmartForm technology. Dressing software is available for true ZA, ZN, ZK and ZI worms, 60°, Whitworth, ISO, Acme, Buttress, full radius, Gothic arch, and other thread forms. Customers can also upload their own thread forms using .dxf files. The Fanuc CNC system stores grind, dress and load parameters for 120 parts. Operators simply load part parameter information into the Drake PartSmart menus, and the software does the rest. No programming experience is required. IMTS visitors may schedule an appointment to discuss specific application requirements with a Drake process expert by sending an e-mail request to the address below.