Machining Center

Fully automatic, highly efficient roll machining

Maximum productivity, highest machining quality, full automation – these advantages are compelling arguments in favor of the roll machining center engineered by Herkules. The innovative machining center consists of a grinder and an integrated loader for automatic loading and unloading of rolls including the transport from and to the roll pallet.

The integrated control system ensures that machine and loader work together smoothly and allows for fully automatic machining of all workpieces on a pallet successively in one single program. Due to its compact design the machine loader requires minimum installation space only.

The machining center is tailored to your specific requirements with numerous equipment options, such as the proven HCC/KPM measuring and inspection technology. The Herkules experts are happy to advise you on the solutions which can be realized for you.

Reduction of non-productive times

The core of the compact machining center is a roll grinder manufactured by Herkules. It is fitted with a movable workpiece pallet which can be parked inside and outside of the fully automatic zone. While the rolls of one pallet are machined fully automatically, the other pallet is simultaneously loaded and unloaded. Non-productive times are thus minimized and the productivity of the machine increased – valuable grinding capacity is lost no longer.

An integrated control enables fully automatic machining of all workpieces on the pallet. The loader is designed in such a way that two rolls (ground rolls and rolls to be ground) can be transported at the same time. This way, empty runs are minimized when picking up rolls and returning them.

Herkules is well known for its unique Monolith^TM design which means that the machines do not require a foundation. The loading device does not require a foundation either. On the one hand, this is an interesting financial aspect of the loader concept; on the other, it means that the production process is not disturbed by foundation works which would otherwise be necessary.

Re-designed roll driving system

The rolls are taken up between centers. To avoid having to fit them with an additional driver, Herkules has developed a system that couples and drives the roll automatically by the help of a spring-borne drive pin at its front side.

The forces developing during the grinding process are compensated by a self-adjusting center steady. The steady rest runs parallel to the grinding wheel and guarantees the highest shape accuracy and surface quality of the workpieces, long-term and reproducibly.

Herkules machining centers may be extended and rounded up by a number of options:

• C-frame caliper for roll measurement
• Eddy Current crack detection system
• Ultrasonic measuring device
• Roll Surface Inspection System
• Self-adjusting center steady
• Roll drying device
• Roll oiling device
• Fully automatic turning of workpiece
• Roll accommodation with chocks
• Chock relief / softloader
• RFID roll recognition
• Full integration in a Roll Shop Management System

On request, additional specialized solutions can be implemented for you.

Technical data

Each machining center is custom-built according to your specific requirements. The dimensions that can be realized by Herkules are:

• Roll diameter 1,000 mm
• Roll weight up to 30 t
• Maximum spindle drive 100 kW
• Roll length up to 6,500 mm
• Number of rolls machined/months: 3,500