Today we would like to show you another case study from compressed air practice, where we were able to achieve amazing results with the targeted help of compressed air products.
CASE STUDY: CUSTOMER SPECIFICATION/CHALLENGE
A company distributes Bernhard spindle and bottom-blade grinding machines, which are used for precision sharpening reel mowers. These are frequently found on prestigious golf courses and in Major League stadiums. The company also offers a professional sharpening service for many customers who wish to use their grinding machines. Many customers sharpen their reels regularly every few weeks to ensure perfectly maintained greens, tees, and fairways.
Many other manufacturers typically use a water-based coolant system on their machines to keep the workpiece cool during grinding. Over time, many grinding machines develop signs of surface rust. This, along with contamination from liquid coolant, prompted the company to search for a new cooling method.
THE SOLUTION
The company's production manager was already familiar with an older product used for cooling and heating car carburetor chokes (very aptly named "Choke Tester"). He remembered that we also had products used for cooling cutting tools and workpieces in dry machining. He contacted one of our application engineers and explained the application for knife sharpening. After jointly reviewing the requirements, he and the application engineer decided that the Cold air gun 610-1 The 610-1 was the best and most economical choice for this application. It generates cold air temperatures as low as -23°C and a cooling capacity of up to 264 watts using only 425 slpm of filtered compressed air. In this application, the cold air gun keeps the mower blades cool during sharpening, preventing them from expanding due to heat and resulting in uneven blade edges.
THE RESULT
The switch to dry grinding with the Vortec Cold Air Gun This was a welcome change for the company. It helped them cool important grinding tools while avoiding rust and contamination typically associated with liquid coolants.
In recent years, the material used in the cutting components has been improved to increase the lifespan and edge retention of the blades used in the cutting units. Sharpening this new metal without overheating or deformation is crucial. Maintaining reel mowers is a significant investment that directly impacts aesthetics, playability, and, most importantly, turf health, minimizing water consumption and the need for expensive chemicals to combat various turf diseases. Over the past few years, the company has purchased many units for use in its own machinery and has... Vortec 610-1 Cold Air Guns added as an optional feature for many other grinding machines used for grinding spindles.
Are you unsure what would make sense for your production? Contact us – one of our application engineers will be happy to assist you with product selection!