Jones and Shipman Cylindrical Grinder

Guy's,
My shop is a decent size four CNC Mills Six CNC lathes and all the manual support equipment we need to get the job done. QC has a B&S CMM and an optical comparator, pretty much everything we need to check our work. We hold fine finishes and close tolerances all day every day.

I brought in a major new customer last year and nearly doubled sales. With this new customer came new materials for us and new processes. I am considering bringing in a Cylindrical grinder and have found a Jones and Shipman Format 700 machine that would fit my needs. It's a smaller size machine and could handle everything Ive sent out to this point.

I don't know much about the machine or the process we are a milling and turning shop so this would be new for us.

Ive only seen a few pictures and they look good and clean. The machine has either a Fanuc or Mitsubishi control. It has two O.D. wheels and on the other side it has one I.D. wheel.

If anyone can tell me about their experiences with this model and give me some tips about what to look for I would appreciate it.

I am going to look at the machine today.

Thanks

Make Chips Boys !

Ron

Maybe off topic, but what the heck...

Fairly recently (past year or two?) Jones and Shipman was purchased by Hardinge. Hardinge own at least three other companies known for their grinders: Kellenberger, Tschudin, and Voumard. In your shoes, I would be a bit worried that if there are problems with the J&S controls/electronics it might be very expensive/impossible to fix, because Hardinge is putting their focus on one of the other three companies listed above.

Just giving this a bump

Dupa3872 said:

Just giving this a bump

Click to expand...

We were waiting to see what you would report ! You went to see it the other day, right ?

Don't know about the nc versions but Jones & Shipman has a good reputation for manual grinders.

Yes,

I looked it over and it's clean and in great condition. They have extra wheels and all the manuals. The machine has an upgraded Mitsubishi control and above the control it has what I think is a load meter. I don't know anything about these machines and it was not connected to power. The machine was last ran about a year ago and I was told they never had a problem with it, the man who ran it retired. This machine ran primarily one job for it's life with them and not that often. The rotating work axis had a lever collet closer on it.

They need the space and I can get this machine for short money. It will cost me more to Rig it out. I believe I've also gained a customer whether I take the machine or not.

Make Chips Boys !

Ron

Bumping again, last time. I am leaning toward this purchase.

Make Chip Boys !

Ron

QT:[. I believe I've also gained a customer whether I take the machine or not.]

With having a customer it may be worth the taking. Having a satisfied customer often leads to more work. getting scrap or return jobs will lose a customer PDQ. Don't count on the wheels that came with the machine because poor wheels tend to accumulate and the reserve of best wheels tend to run out.. Once making a part you might keep a log and note good performance and failures of wheels. You may need some close measuring tools like a set of micrometers and JoBlocks for OD work. You may need a good surface plate for checking tapers. Perhaps a method to true and polish part centers. A good surface gauge to plate check step distance and size. A tool or method to check step length, Inside or step corners use the finer (small grit) and harder wheels, some of these won't grind the OD with not burning the part and so are just for inside corners. It is not uncommon to have a target-size way closer than other types of machining, tenths are common, so you may need to think of tenths as the number of millionths to be sure..

With being new to this kind of work you might find a retired grinder hand to come to show you the ropes. Likely a guy will come and paying him is well worth the money.