Grinding technology meets country life

High-end grinding technology meets country life

Passion from tradition

High-precision measuring, grinding and being able to prove the result in black and white - that was the goal of Stefan Radke, Managing Director of the Grinding Center WEST. He achieves this goal with the LH 65 Premium from WENZEL.

In the middle of the countryside, near Jülich, you will find high-end grinding technology behind an inconspicuous and simple barn door in a small, well-kept farm. There, in fully air-conditioned surroundings, is the WENZEL measuring machine. This is how Radke combines life and work in a dreamlike atmosphere.

Stefan Radke is a trained toolmaker and works in two areas with his company, Schleifzentrum WEST. On the one hand, in the production of special tools and prototypes, and on the other hand in the grinding technology of hardened workpieces in many variations. 75% of the work of the WEST grinding centre consists of the production of parts for the research & development sector. Radke also supplies universities. The remaining 25 % comes from general mechanical engineering. Tools are also produced for the pharmaceutical sector.

The problem of the WEST grinding center at that time, before the arrival of the WENZEL LH 65, was that many tasks could no longer be solved and documented. Many jobs had to be rejected because there were contours that could not be measured. With the arrival of this measuring machine, the high precision of subcontracting could now finally be comprehensively documented. "On the one hand, this has brought confidence, and on the other, it has opened up new customer groups," says Radke. In the case of machining tasks for research and development departments, measurement reports are always supplied with almost 100 % of the orders. Complaints are virtually zero.

"What this machine has brought us cannot be described at all. Incredible, really incredible!"

Fascinating reliability

One of the main measuring tasks of the WEST grinding centre is the recording of very narrow dimensional tolerances as well as all shape and position tolerances. The narrowest tolerances that are machined are far below one hundredth of a millimetre. The measuring machine is calibrated before each measurement. The spans when calibrating the SP25 scanning probe from RENISHAW are often less than one micrometre.

The main competence of the WEST grinding centre is profile grinding. In addition to classic surface grinding, so-called profile grinding can be used to introduce "technically feasible" geometry into grinding wheels in order to machine contours other than flat and level. With an optimal grinding wheel design, this process can also be used to economically machine very filigree and very difficult-to-machine materials that are tough due to their high strength and low thermal conductivity, such as those found in engine construction (nickel, cobalt and titanium-based alloys, Nimonic, Inconel, Udimet).

Radke became aware of the measuring machine from WENZEL through one of his main customers, who has been using a large WENZEL portal measuring machine for more than 20 years. Radke was fascinated by the reliability of the measuring machines from WENZEL . He was equally impressed by the granite-based mechanical engineering of WENZEL, which not only grinds but also laps by hand all surfaces where precision is required.

Why WENZEL?

In order to adapt his grinding centre to the challenges that had arisen in the meantime, Radke compared the measuring machines of three different manufacturers. Radke felt he was in particularly good hands with his responsible sales partner, Klostermann GmbH from Remscheid. In two demonstrations, Klostermann presented the machines and the software on components he had brought along.

Radke was convinced by the overall package of high-quality machine construction and easy-to-use software, as well as the excellent customer support provided by Klostermann. Thus, just over two years ago, Radke opted for the LH 65 from WENZEL. This, according to Radke, gives him a great competitive advantage. The clientele has changed since then: away from the previous standard business to more lucrative orders.

The special feature of the Grinding Center West is that an extra measuring room has been built on the yard for the LH 65 from WENZEL , which is approx. 25 square meters in size and, of course, fully air-conditioned.

Behind a barn door is the new measuring machine. From the production hall you can look out over the horse pasture. Sometimes Radke simply has to hold his breath because he can hardly believe his luck.

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