Indiana Technology and Manufacturing Companies (ITAMCO) has integrated a Niles ZP 40 gear grinder into its gearing capabilities. The ZP 40 grinder is capable of profile grinding external and internal gears with diameters up to 4,000 mm and facewidth gears up to 1,750 mm. "We purchased the ZP 40 gear grinder as an enhancement of our contract manufacturing services," said David Neidig, business development for ITAMCO. "We're one of the few U.S. facilities that can do it all, from cutting to finishing."

The hardware and software features of the new grinder will enable ITAMCO to take hours out of the grinding process and ensure a quality level to meet DIN and AGMA standards. The ZP 40 machine features profile grinding with five-axis interpolation-an advantage when dealing with complicated tooth profile and lead modifications. Niles' stock dividing feature performs a multi-point touch probe analysis of every tooth and makes program adjustments prior to grinding, yielding substantial cycle time savings. The eccentricity compensation software assists in faster setups by reducing the time required to indicate large diameter heavy parts. The onboard inspection feature allows for gear inspection immediately after the gear is ground for quick analysis and verification of grinding results. ITAMCO also acquired another Zeiss Coordinate Measuring Machine (Zeiss MMZB CMM) for their Quality Control Lab. The Zeiss machine is ideally suited to verify large gears.

The ZP 40 grinder is in a 33,000 sq. ft., climate-controlled grinding area in ITAMCO's Argos, Indiana plant. The area houses eight CNC grinding machines. The 385,000 sq. ft. facility has over 125,000 sq. ft. of 60-foot high bay areas with up to 80-ton lifting capability. ITAMCO has a second facility in Plymouth, Indiana; both have received ISO 9001-2008 certification.