Innovative Grinding Technologies – Fritz Studer Award 2020

Fritz Studer AG has awarded its research prize, the “Fritz Studer Award“ for the sixth time. Applicants from several European countries submitted their work, with the winner of the CHF 10,000 prize announced as Dr-Ing. Mirko Theuer.

The Fritz Studer Award is aimed at graduates of European universities and technical colleges. The targets are creative ideas and solutions in the area of the machine tool industry. “The goal behind the research award is, on the one hand, feasible solutions and ideas which strengthen the innovative power of the machine tool industry and, on the other, our desire to use this award to promote young scientists and technicians,” states Dr-Ing. Frank Fiebelkorn, Head of Research and Technology Fritz Studer AG.

The work sent in for this Award should specifically focus on the following topics:

• Innovative machine concepts or components for machine tools for precision machining
• Alternative materials in mechanical engineering
• Simulation models for the dynamic and thermal behavior of machine tools
• Control and sensor concepts for machine tools
• New or advanced manufacturing techniques, especially in hard fine machining, such as grinding, hard turning, etc.

STUDER received several studies, master theses and dissertations, with an expert jury evaluating the work. The jury consists of Prof. Dr. Konrad Wegener, Institute for Machine Tools and Production at the ETH Zurich, Dr.-Ing. Hans-Werner Hoffmeister, head of Production Engineering at the Institute of Machine Tools and Production Technology of the TU Braunschweig and Dr.-Ing. Frank Fiebelkorn, head of Research and Technology at Fritz Studer AG. Criteria for the evaluation of the works were for example the feasibility to imple-ment the idea in the machine tool industry, the innovation and quality of the idea, the scientific content and form, as well as the correctness of the statements and results.

This time, the Studer Award 2020 went to Dr. Mirko Theuer from the Institute for Production Engineering and Machine Tools at Leibniz University Hannover. He convinced the entire jury with his study entitled “Continuous generating grinding of cutting tools.“ His work deals with the development of a new type of tool grinding method for the manufacture of cutting tools such as drills, mills or saw blades, for example.

Continuous generating grinding process of a milling tool on a tool grinding machine

Award winner Mirko Theuer has transferred theoretical and practical knowledge in the continuous generating grinding of gearwheels to the conditions of a 5-axis tool grinding machine, which is normally used for machining such cutting tools. To do this he developed a mathematical model, which serves to design the worm geometry (grinding wheel) for the required cutting tool geometries. The practical tests for continuous generating grinding showed that a wide variety of tool ge-ometries can be designed. The newly developed generating grinding process enables the flutes and peripheral cutting edges of a cutting tool to be produced simultaneously with a sin-gle grinding worm, so that it is no longer necessary to use several grinding tools in succession. The new method increases the productivity of the overall process, as well as the manufactur-ing quality. The improved manufacturing quality also shows benefits for the subsequent use of a milling tool. In comparison to conventional reference mills, a 15% higher service life was established. Dr Theuer presented many other advantages of the new method in detail in his dissertation. The very high degree of innovation of this topic is also underscored by a patent application for the developed method.

“It is a fantastic feeling to receive the Fritz Studer Award. I have always hoped that my dissertation could make an innovative contribution to production technology. This award is therefore a special honour for me,“ enthused Dr.-Ing. Mirko Theuer on receiving the Fritz Studer Award and the prize money in the amount of CHF 10,000.

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