In a recent press release, Kapp Technologies announced the U.S. launch of its new gear grinding machine, the KX300P, which features the flexibility and versatility of two different grinding processes and two different tool concepts for each process. The KX300P was showcased in Europe at EMO Milan, the world machine tool show in October 2003.
"The KX300P combines our extensive experience with different hard gear finishing processes and tool concepts all in one machine," says Tom Lang, vice president and general manager of Kapp Technologies. "It has dressing for worms, dressing for form wheels, uses either CBN plated worms or CBN plated form wheels, and it also features on-board inspection and integrated balancing."
The KX300P uses both a discontinuous form grinding process and a continuous generating grinding process, along with either non-dressable, electroplated CBN tools or dressable tools. Any combination of processes and tool concepts are possible for roughing and finishing.
"This machine is universal and appeals to all areas of the gear manufacturing industry," says Lang, "from aircraft and automotive to the commercial gear industry."
In addition to its unique degree of flexibility regarding the type of process and tool concept, the KX300P features spindle integrated balancing of the grinding tool, which is efficient for quick and easy setups. It also features on-board gear inspection, which is primarily used to help reduce setup time. The KX300P is a small machine, taking up only 65 square-feet of space on the machine shop floor (not including the filtration system).
The KX300P has a vertical workpiece orientation and is therefore especially well suited for the integration of an automatic loading system for bore-type workpieces. Since the KX300P is equipped with a tailstock, it can be also used to grind gear shafts. As an integral part of the machine design concept, Kapp offers its own custom-designed automatic loading system.
"We are a dedicated systems supplier with the long-term responsibility for our customers’ production needs," says Lang. "We provide not only the machines, but also the tools, the manufacturing process, the process support, and the service."
Kapp has made high-quality gear grinding machines of different models since the early 1980s. These earlier machines were only capable of using the form grinding process, and for a long time could only use non-dressable CBN grinding wheels. Since 1994, Kapp has offered a form grinding machine with dressing capability.
In 1996, Kapp introduced the KX1, a gear grinding machine that can apply both processes–form grinding and generating grinding–but only non-dressable CBN tools. The KX1 is a popular machine model that Kapp continues to sell for applications like long gear shafts.
Kapp is a family enterprise with multilingual offspring. Its machines are developed and produced exclusively in Coburg and Berlin, Germany, and more than half are shipped abroad. In addition to the European continent, its major markets are North America, South America, Japan, and China. Kapp’s strategically placed branches are a physical demonstration of its personalized customer service. In Boulder, Colorado, Kapp tools are manufactured, re-engineered, and re-plated. In Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Nagoya, Japan, grinding wheels are re-plated. This global presence enables the company to supply its customers rapidly and to provide superior on-site support.
For more information contact Pattea Carpenter, of Kapp Technologies, at (303) 938-9737, or via e-mail at patteac@kapp-usa.com. Also call Janet Braccio, of Bella Voce Communications, at (303) 447-7163, or send e-mail to jbraccio@bellavocecommunications.com. The company’s Web site is [www.kapp-usa.com].
