Auto Downfeed (ADF)
The ADF Control was a single axis CNC control that automatically indexed the grinding wheel down during the grinding cycle. There were two different programs available on the ADF. The first program was the index program in which the machine operator entered the desired program values and ran a cycle that indexes the grinding wheel down based on the selection of either the table or saddle proximity switches. The selection of the proximity switch allowed the index program to either be used for slot or surface grinding.
The Index Program
The index program used the following parameters:
- RAPID DISTANCE - ROUGH INCREMENTS
- ROUGH DISTANCE - FINE INCREMENTS
- TOTAL DISTANCE
- SPARKOUTS
- RETURN HOME
The following were also controls of the Index Program:
- FEEDRATE
- DWELL
- WEAR COMP
- REPEATS
The ADF Index Cycle Operates as Follows:
- If the ADF control was in the auto mode, pressing F1-cycle would cause the table and/or saddle to cycle until the appropriate dog activated the program selected proximity switch. If a dog already activated the proximity switch, the program would go to Step 2 without cycling the table/saddle into position.
- The grinding wheel would go to the program zero or home value if it was not already there.
The second program of the ADF was a basic plunge program. The control would feed the grinding wheel to a specified depth at a programmed feedrate. The plunge program did not require any proximity switches to operate. The setup page was similar to that of the index program.
From the zero, or home position, the wheel would go down high speed at the rapid value, and it would hold its position for one second and begin to feed down the total distance at the programmed feedrate. At the total distance the wheel would remain at the programmed dwell amount timed in seconds, at which the wheel would go to the home position at rapid velocity.
The ADF Index Cycle Operates as Follows:
- Pressing F1-CYCLE caused the grinding wheel to go to the program zero or home value if it was not already there.
- From the program zero or home position, the grinding wheel was moved down to the rapid value at high speed.