Fritz Studer Award 2020 - Innovative Grinding Technologies
Congratulations Dr.-Ing. Mirko Theuer
The Fritz Studer AG awards its research prize, the "Fritz Studer Award", for the sixth time. Applicants from several European countries have submitted their work. Dr.-Ing. Mirko Theuer has won the prize worth CHF 10'000.
The Fritz Studer Award is aimed at graduates of European universities and technical colleges. The targets are creative ideas and solutions in the area of the machine tool industry.
The work sent in for this Award should specifically focus on the following topics:
- Innovative machine concepts or components for machine tools for precision machining
- Alternative materials in mechanical engineering
- Simulation models for the dynamic and thermal behavior of machine tools
- Control and sensor concepts for machine tools
- New or advanced manufacturing techniques, especially in hard fine machining, such as grinding, hard turning, etc.
STUDER received several studies, master theses and dissertations. An expert jury has evaluated the work. The jury consists of the professors Prof. Dr. Konrad Wegener, Institute for Machine Tools and Production at the ETH Zurich, Dr.-Ing. Hans-Werner Hoffmeister, Head of Production Engineering at the Institute of Machine Tools and Production Technology of the TU Braunschweig and Dr.-Ing. Frank Fiebelkorn, Head of Research and Technology at Fritz Studer AG. Criteria for the evaluation of the works were for example the feasibility to implement the idea in the machine tool industry, the novelty and quality of the idea, the scientific content and form, as well as the correctness of the statements and results.
This time the Studer Award 2020 went to Dr. Mirko Theuer from the Institute for Production Engineering and Machine Tools at Leibniz University Hannover. He convinced the entire jury with his study entitled "Continuous generating grinding of cutting tools".
His work deals with the development of a new type of tool grinding method for the manufacture of cutting tools such as drills, mills or saw blades, for example. Award winner Mirko Theuer has transferred theoretical and practical knowledge in the continuous generating grinding of gearwheels to the conditions of a 5-axis tool grinding machine, which is normally used for machining such cutting tools. To do this he developed a mathematical model, which serves to design the worm geometry (grinding wheel) for the required cutting tool geometries. The practical tests for continuous generating grinding showed that a wide variety of tool geometries can be designed. The newly developed generating grinding process enables the flutes and peripheral cutting edges of a cutting tool to be produced simultaneously with a single grinding worm, so that it is no longer necessary to use several grinding tools in succession. The new method increases the productivity of the overall process, as well as the manufacturing quality. The improved manufacturing quality also shows benefits for the subsequent use of a milling tool. In comparison to conventional reference mills, a 15% higher service life was established. Mr. Theuer presented many other advantages of the new method in detail in his dissertation. The very high degree of innovation of this topic is also underscored by a patent application for the developed method.
