Excellent solutions for effortless processes

In contrast to other chip-removing manufacturing techniques like turning or milling, the advantages of grinding really come into play in applications in which very hard materials are machined. Further advantages include extremely high dimensional accuracy and shape accuracy, low waviness and surface roughness as well as excellent friction properties of the ground surface. As a general rule, grinding tools comprise a basic tool body and an abrasive coating. In turn, the abrasive coating is made of a cutting material (also referred to as the abrasive grit or grain) which is held in a binding matrix. Depending on the type of cutting material used, grinding tools are classified into the following two groups: conventional grinding wheels (with e.g. aluminium-oxide or silicon-carbide abrasive grain) and grinding wheels with diamond or CBN cutting materials, which are also known as superabrasives.

Conventional grinding wheels with the cutting materials aluminium oxide or silicon carbide play an important role in the mechanical industry. For grinding processes like end finishing of gear wheels in the automotive industry, creep-feed grinding processes in the aviation and gas-turbine industries and cylindrical grinding of petrol and diesel injection pumps, conventional grinding wheels offer a precise and cost-effective means of production. In this segment, Winterthur Schleiftechnik plays the leading role within the group.

The extremely hard grinding materials (superabrasives) are used to machine ultra-hard materials like precision steel, powder-coated metallurgical steel, glass, ceramics, cermets and similar. Here, natural and synthetic diamonds are the first choice for nonferrous materials. CBN grinding tools are best for all types of steel, as diamond grinding wheels cannot be used as they are not suitable for temperatures above 700° C. Superabrasives unfold their strengths particularly in applications in which materials which are difficult to machine need to be machined in a cost-effective process, including the tool manufacturing industry, the automotive industry, the turbine industry and other areas where machining with conventional cutting materials is not cost-effective on account of the materials which need to be machined (glass, ceramics, carbides...). 

Here, as in other industries, new materials and tough requirements for efficient machining solutions are setting the tone, with cycle times ever decreasing. Both in response to this and as a logical conclusion of our long-standing tradition as an innovator and close development partner for the industry, we have set up several Centres of Excellence in order to meet these challenges.

Of course, the products developed here are available to all of the companies in the Winterthur Group. The advantage for our customers: all subsidiaries and sales offices worldwide offer all of the group’s products, allowing them to supply the perfect grinding solution for every application.

A great example for this is NaxoForce grinding wheels, which were developed in the Centre of Excellence in Sweden and which are used for the grinding of solid carbide tools, e.g. milling cutters and drilling tools. As some of the world’s key customers for these tools are located in Sweden, the close cooperation with these partners has helped to push forwards the development of these exceptionally innovative series of cutting wheels. This is something which has benefits for all of our customers, not just those in Sweden.

Today, the Winterthur Technology Group produces grinding wheels, dressing tools/machines and grinding machines at 15 production sites all around the world. In order to increase penetration at R&D level, a total of xx centres focuses on xx product lines.

Rappold / Villach, Austria
Cutting wheels for the steel industry, segmented CBN grinding wheels with vitrified bonding

SlipNaxos, Västervik, Sweden
NaxoForce, hot and cold-pressed grinding wheels for the steel industry

Wendt, Meerbusch, Deutschland
Non-segmented diamond and CBN grinding wheels with vitrified bonding, grinding machines

Wendt / Niederstetten, Germany
High-precision diamond dressing rolls for the aviation, gas-turbine, tool-manufacturing and automotive industries; CBN and diamond grinding wheels with synthetic resin and metal-sinter bonds

Wendt / Nivelles, Belgium
Diamond grinding wheels for glass grinding in the automotive, furniture, construction and optical-goods industries

Wendt / Egnach, Switzerland
High-precision electroplated CBN wheels for medical technology applications and gear/transmission manufacturing

Winterthur / Winterthur, Switzerland
Conventional grinding wheels, gear wheel grinding solutions

Wendt Hameln, Germany
CBN cup grinding wheels for surface grinding (double-spindle surface grinding)

Wendt Dunnington, Royersford USA
Dressing equipment, diamond dressing rolls for the bearings industry

Wendt Diacraft, Wixom USA
Vitrified-bonded diamond grinding wheels for PCD and PCBN machining