Drag finishing
Drag finishing machines are ideal for high-quality, sensitive workpieces which need to be ground or polished without coming into contact with one another. A rotating holder carousel, fitted with up to ten revolving spindles immerses the workpieces clamped into them into the stationery media. In order to ensure that the workpieces are processed evenly, each workpiece rotates on its own axis and at the same time describes a planetary motion. Variable immersion depths and rotary speeds make it possible to achieve rates of material removal up to 40 times higher than with conventional mass finishing.
In the drag finishing process, high-quality workpieces are clamped in so-called drag finishing machines and describe a planetary motion through an abrasive medium. For this process, OTEC has developed special techniques to fulfil a wide variety of customer requirements. The use of a dual drive system with two electric motors enables workpieces, including the cutting edges of carbide drills, to be rounded uniformly, giving a considerable increase in tool life. By positioning the holders at an angle, the quality of polishing on the face of the workpiece, e.g. in the case of forming tools, can be improved considerably.
Drag finishing machines from OTEC are available for both wet and dry processing.
The drag finishing process is especially suitable for applications in:
- the toolmaking industry (e.g. for rounding cutting edges and polishing the chip flutes of carbide tools to a high shine)
- forming tools (for smoothing and polishing the pressing and forming surfaces)
- the pharmaceutical industry (for repolishing the contact surfaces of tabletting tools)
- motor racing (e.g. for smoothing and polishing gear wheels, valves and cam followers)
- the watchmaking industry (e.g. for grinding watch cases in stainless steel, gold and ceramics and polishing them to a high shine)
- medical devices (e.g. for grinding knee implants, Spinal implants, DHS / DCS Screws, Cortical screws,and polishing them to a high shine)
- the metalworking industry (e.g. for smoothing high-speed spindles)
