Bridgeport's FGC 2 Flexible Grinding Center - An Alternative to Creep Feed Grinding

The creep-feed grinding process has now gone through a revolutionary change with the advent of the Bridgeport flexible grinding process, utilizing milling machine processes with Aluminum Oxide "cutting tools" (grinding wheels).

The unprecedented Bridgeport FGC 2 Flexible Grinding Center with the patented "Viper- Grinding Process" was introduced to the North American Market in connection with the Eastec show on May 23 at the New England Air Museum at the Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, CT.

The "Viper" process makes the Bridgeport FGC 2 a fast, accurate and efficient machine for processing parts with the benefits of low cost grinding wheels. The FGC 2 uses conventional aluminum oxide grinding wheels and a high-speed wheel charger to grind blades and vanes faster and more efficiently than ever before.

Indicative productivity gains from using Bridgeport's Flexible Grinding Center include:

• Reduction in setup times by 90%
• Reduction of machining operations by as much as 75%
• Reduction of total machining times by up to 50%
• Reduction in number of machines required by 80%
• Overall reduction in cost per part by as much as 75%
• Reduction in lead time by up to 60%
• Reduction in inventory by as much as 60%

The traditional creep-feed grinding method that evolved around the surface grinding machine platform, primarily due to the common practice of using grinding wheels as the main cutting tool for metal removal, developed its own brand of part presentation. This, in effect, resulted in limiting the access to the cutting area, expensive fixturing arrangements, high-risk part presentation and coolant starvation issues. The FGC 2 resolves all of these issues.

Using a 2-axis rotary indexer, the FGC 2 can complete parts in one clamping, increase part throughput by grinding faster than conventional creep-feed methods, reduce the risk of scrap by grinding one part at a time, and complete the part with extremely low tool cost per part.

From traditional creep-feed grinding, which helped replace many of the aerospace milling and broaching processes, the FGC 2 puts the process back where it belongs: high metal removal rates on a simple, manageable and affordable metalworking platform.

The Bridgeport FGC features a 50hp, 8,000rpm integrated spindle that incorporates the preferred tooling method for wheel flange mounting – BT Face and Taper locating adapters. The base platform is a rigid and heavy grey cast iron, weighing 30,100 lbs., which can sustain the rigors of dressing wheels and take a respectable depth of cut. Grinding feed rates of 100ipm far exceed the speed and agility of traditional creep-feed grinders.

The complete package using dual arbor diamond roll dressers provides flexibility where it is most needed, in quick changeovers, utilizing software changeover and setups as opposed to hard tooling changeover and setup.