Grinding Wheel Manipulation Tool
A bearing manufacturer contacted us with a unique proposal, to model, design and manufacture a one-off bearing grinding wheel manipulation stand.
Design Requirements:
- Accommodate 4 different grinding wheels of varying lengths, diameters, ridges and masses
- Grip each grinding wheel securely with soft jaws, and be easily configurable for each size
- Rotate each grinding wheel through 90 degrees, securely hold the wheel upright, and allow access to the top of the wheel
- Locate the main pivot in the best position to keep the centre of mass as close to the fulcrum for each size of grinding wheel
- To be able to be transported via a forklift or pallet truck
The design process required significant mathematical and modelling time, due to the large variation in sizes of the grinding wheels. Whilst the concept design is inherently simple, finding a straightforward method of adapting the manipulation stand to allow it to fit each size of wheel and allow adequate clearance for its manipulation was a time consuming process.
Our solution involved a base that accommodated the lifting requirements (1), a locking rotating stand that only allows up to 90 degrees of movement (2), and a pivoting clamping mechanism (3). The design incorporates shims to adapt the diameter of each clamp to accommodate the various sizes of grinding wheel (4), as well as mechanical stops that do not allow over-rotation as a safety precaution.
