Grinding wheel and component balancing specialist has extended the vibration monitoring capabilities of its proven electronic control unit that now features a vibration sweep function.

Coventry-based grinding wheel and component balancing specialist, Schmitt Europe has extended the vibration monitoring capabilities of its proven SB-4500 electronic control unit. The equipment's new vibration sweep function provides users with a valuable diagnostic tool, by enabling them to pin-point the amplitude and frequencies of vibrations in grinding machines throughout pre-defined wheel speed ranges. Results can be displayed graphically or reported as a listing of the 20 most severe vibration values with their corresponding frequencies; allowing common faults, such as excessive wear in machine bearings or ancillary pumps and motors, to be isolated rapidly and effectively.

In addition, the new capability - which is suitable for grinding machines with operating speeds from 300 to 30,000 rev/min - will diagnose further machine-induced vibrations, as well as external environmental problems that may adversely affect the grinding process.

The SB-4500 control unit is a core Schmitt product, offering simple and reliable operation of the company's extensive range of balancing and process control systems.

It is ruggedly constructed and provides intuitive, push button controls, with a clear graphical display in a choice of five languages options as standard.

Its modular design also allows the addition of plug-in PCB cards for simultaneously controlling up to four balancing, in-process gauging or acoustic emission monitoring Systems (AEMS).

The controller interfaces easily with machine tools via a PLC I/O or RS 232 serial port and can be supplied either as a stand-alone unit, or in panel mounted module form.

About Schmitt Europe - based in England at the University of Warwick Science Park, Schmitt Europe offers balancing and vibration control solutions that harness precision as the key to manufacturing productivity.

The company's automatic grinding wheel balancing systems dramatically improve surface finish and wheel life, while its Acoustic Emission Monitoring equipment provides precise control of grinding, wheel dressing and other metal cutting operations.

Schmitt also offers high accuracy, vertical or horizontal axis component balancing machines, as well as in-process gauging, laser distance measuring, alignment, and surface texture inspection systems.