Schleifkunst 2013: Kalenderblatt April. © Haas Schleifmaschinen GmbH
Das Kalenderblatt zum Runterladen finden Sie hier.
Download calendar sheet here.
Sie wissen, was für eines schönes Werkstück hier zu sehen ist? Dann schreiben Sie einen Kommentar. Die ersten 3 richtigen Antworten bekommen unser Haas-µm-Poster.
You know what kind of workpiece this is? Then write a comment. The first 3 correct answers will get our Haas µm poster.
Schleifen Sie gut!
Dirk Wember
15. April 2013
The Art of Grinding 2013 Haas calendar: January. © Haas Schleifmaschinen GmbH
We wish all our business partners and Schleifblog readers a happy, healthy and successful new year!
Enjoy a smooth start to the new year with the January page of our The Art of Grinding 2013 calendar. The calendar is unfortunately no longer available, but you can download and print the pages individually. The calendar pages will be made available on Schleifblog at the start of each month. So keep an eye out for them!
Download January calendar page now.
And if you know what kind of component part is shown in the photo above, send us your comment!
Here’s to another great year of grinding!
Thomas Bader & Dirk Wember
23. Januar 2013
Deutsche Version
Version française
Grinding wheel expert and hobby blacksmith Peter Haefeli.
A few weeks ago we were lucky enough to receive a visit from the grinding wheel experts at Haefeli. The Haefeli Diamantwerkzeugfabrik AG, is a traditional family business based in Zurich that has earned an excellent reputation for diamond and CBN grinding tools. Like ourselves, brothers Rainer and Peter Haefeli are busy finding for ideal solutions for their customers’ grinding requirements. Read on to find out what makes Haefeli tools unique, and what a long cheese fondue session has to do with the political culture in Switzerland.
Schleifblog: Mr Haefeli, you own Haefeli Diamantwerkzeugfabrik AG together with your brother Rainer. The company was founded in 1919 and has been producing diamond and CBN grinding tools at your Riedenhaldenstraße address in Zurich since the 1950s. Recently, you and your employees visited Haas Schleifmaschinen GmbH – what expectations did you have when you came to Trossingen?
Peter Haefeli: The aim of the trip was for the employees from both companies to get to know each other. It’s important for us to have good working relations with all our business partners, so that together we can develop individual grinding solutions for all our various customers. It’s also very important for our employees to see how their intricate grinding tools are actually being used. What needs special attention with regard to the production? How can they improve the tools even further?
Schleifblog: What did you find most impressive at Haas?
Haefeli: First of all, the high level of vertical production. All the key parts of the manufacturing take place in-house at Haas, from the grinding spindle to the grinding software. Secondly, the “Haas spirit”. That is, the cooperative, goal-oriented way that Haas employees go about their work.
Schleifblog: As a specialist for grinding wheels, what would you say is the biggest difference between today’s grinding machines and those that were available when you starting working for your father’s company?
Haefeli: When I started working for the business it was a time of great change. The first electronic machine control units were being introduced, but they were incredibly complicated. They kick-started the really big developments. Progress has since taken place in various stages, driven by new machines, additional axes, controllers, robot technology, materials and grinding tools. Today, there are grinding machines with up to 6 axes. We’ve reached a point where the individual processes are almost beyond belief. These kinds of complex grinding applications are only possible thanks to the grinding software that’s always running in the background, with its user-friendly interface.
Schleifblog: What makes Haefeli tools so special? And what do you think will be the next big challenge for you and your 20 employees?
Haefeli: Our tools are produced according to the requirements of individual customers. Of course we also have lots of standard tools on offer, which are suitable for many of our customers’ applications. Our extensive experience and range of different binding materials mean that our flexible team can quickly construct tools customized for specific processes. Our products have an incredibly long service life and we’ve maintained the same high standard of quality throughout the years, which gives our customers real value as well as peace of mind. For us, upcoming challenges include the increasing speed of innovation and the extensive markets.
Schleifblog: Have you ever had customer requests that have pushed you and your team to your technological limits?
Haefeli: We create customized solutions every day, so we are regularly faced with new kinds of problems that force us to push the boundaries of what’s possible. The latest example of this is our sintered diamond grinding pin, which is the smallest in the world with a diameter of just 0.2 mm. And recently we even managed to make it 10% smaller – down to just ø 0.18 mm – and still in the same sintered quality!
Schleifblog: Are there any brand-name products that are well-known outside the industry that were produced using a Haefeli grinding wheel?
Haefeli: Every day tens of thousands of diesel nozzles are ground using our tools, so there are plenty of motorists out there driving around with us on board. You may also encounter our technology when you open a PET bottle, check the time on your premium Swiss watch, or if you have a broken leg that has been treated using medical screws.
Schleifblog: Do you think that grinding machine manufacturers and producers of grinding wheels should work together more closely in future to meet customer demands? And how would this kind of collaboration work?
Haefeli: Innovations are being developed at an incredible rate and machine manufacturers are required to provide their customers with comprehensive grinding solutions, so both parties need to be able to share their experience and knowledge faster and more effectively. This open approach is the best way to come up with the solutions required by the market.
Schleifblog: Does your company have a motto?
Haefeli: Always one step ahead! A votre service!
Schleifblog: The Swiss are slow. At least, they are according to the stereotype. Emil Steinberger, the Swiss cabaret artist who is also very popular in Germany, once remarked: “No, we’re not slow, we just enjoy taking our time – whether it’s a drawn-out cheese fondue (our national dish), or a refreshing glass of Rivella (our national drink). But I do admit that we look at each problem from every possible angle before making a decision.” Are the Swiss really slow, Mr Haefeli?
Haefeli: With a cheese fondue, 4 to 6 people from different positions and with different views share the same dish and are all jointly responsible for its outcome. This characterizes our consensus-oriented approach to politics and life. Just because the Swiss speak German more slowly and are perhaps a bit harder to understand doesn’t mean that Switzerland is not a rapidly developing country. I mean, just take a look at all the patents and innovations, as well as our flexible job market that attracts people from all over the world. Something that dynamic can’t possibly be described as slow. But it is true that we tend to consider things in the long-term, ensuring the utmost quality and precision, rather than pursuing short-term solutions.
Schleifblog: What do you enjoy doing most when you’re not working on grinding wheels?
Haefeli: Traveling, catching up with friends, sport, a bit of metal forging perhaps and enjoying the countryside in my sleek old roadster.
Schleifblog: Mr Haefeli, thanks so much for your time.
11. Dezember 2012
Deutsche Fassung dieses Beitrags
A couple of days ago on our Schleifblog we wrote about high-speed grinding, so now we thought we’d add a bit more information about development and construction in this exciting technical field. In the world of grinding, there’s a small but not insignificant technical dilemma: “increasing the rotation speed means reducing the rigidity of the grinding spindle – and vice versa.” But what does that actually mean?
Large grinding wheels, large spindle bearings
It’s simple: if the geometry and accessibility of the workpiece allows us to, then we use the largest possible grinding wheels on our Multigrind® grinding machines. This ensures that the abrasive particles don’t heat up as quickly, i.e. grind for longer without becoming blunt. Our high-precision, directly driven Haas spindles can rotate more slowly, but require higher torque to produce high grinding pressure. That means you need large, stable bearings – and due to their physical properties they can’t rotate very quickly, otherwise they heat up too much.
Grinding a hob cutter on a CB with a large grind wheel. Photo: Haas.
Small grinding wheels, light spindle bearings
But it’s a whole different ball game for applications that require small notches or slots on one cutting edge. For this you need a small tool, that is, a small grinding wheel. And to make sure this small grinding wheel reaches a high peripheral speed, it needs plenty of revs – and of course lightweight spindle bearings.
Grinding a solid carbide milling cutter on a CA with a small grinding wheel. Photo: Haas.
Two spindles, one grinding machine
At Haas, we’ve solved this dilemma (see above) by offering the option of two spindles in one machine. For example, a HSK 80 with 30 kW (8,000 rpm) for wheels with a diameter of 300 mm and a HSK 25 (70,000 to 120,000 rpm) for small wheels.
To give our customers even greater flexibility, we plan to launch a powerful all-round spindle (mid-range spindle, as we say in the Black Forest 
) in the near future. It will take the form of a HSK 50 single spindle solution (up to 35,000 rpm) for very small grinding wheels, through to grinding wheels with a diameter of 250 mm.
If you want to talk shop with me about grinding spindles and couldn’t make it to the AMB in Stuttgart, feel free to write me an email or visit our premises in Trossingen.
Schleifen Sie gut! (as we say at Haas)
Charlie Braun
20. September 2012
