Fuel-efficient aircraft engines, highly accurate tools and productive turbines for power generation require the highest precision in surface and profile grinding. And in order to stay ahead of the competition and satisfy demanding customers, this has to be done quickly too.

Whether it is for serial production involving large cutting volumes or small-scale production with a higher mix of different workpieces, modern grinder controls play a key role. The most effective controls have their own operating systems and a variety of software packages developed by grinding specialists to provide excellent usability. The control software on BLOHM grinders can be easily adapted to the user's individual machining requirements for the workpiece, further enhancing these benefits.

Surface and profile grinding machines from BLOHM are equipped with the latest software for the Human Machine Interface (HMI). The software modules are tailored to specific industries, such as program cycles developed for tool and mold making. Typical grinding operations are directly integrated into the control system, such as a quick start application for oscillation grinding programs, while other functions are available as optional grinding cycle packages, including roughing operations, plunge grinding, face grinding and more. For added convenience, the control allows for easy integration of additional machine functions, from frequency controlled coolant pumps and automatic coolant nozzle tracking systems to tool management systems and automatic balancing features.

For even greater ease of use, BLOHM offers the EasyProfile controller, which combines the performance of the SINUMERIK 840D with a revolutionary, grinding-specific user interface. The menu-driven operation with dialogue-oriented parameter input, combined with numerous "canned cycles" that help simplify programming, allow even inexperienced operators to use BLOHM systems. Creep feed grinding, dressing of grinding wheel flanks, surface grinding with continuous cross-feed and more are all directly integrated into the software.

Software package upgrades for EasyProfile extend the scope of automated control functions and reduce the need for NC programming knowledge among machine operators. End users can easily expand the possibilities of the EasyProfile control for various grinding functions and applications, including powerful profile dressing/grinding tools, additional grinding cycles such as multi-stage grinding programs, face grinding/calibration or the grinding wheel manager.

Since many BLOHM users also need to prepare grinding wheels with contours for profiling, the company offers a software extension with GripsProfile, which is available for both CNC processes. The basic version of the software is equipped with 13 standard profiles, while the full version and associated CAD tool allow unlimited profile possibilities.