EMERGING TREND: CHINESE MANUFACTURERS UPGRADE THEIR GRINDING CAPABILITIES
A trend toward expanding precision grinding capabilities appears to be emerging in China, as manufacturers across the land are sourcing new equipment from a U.S. manufacturer located in Ohio.
Drake Manufacturing Services Co. (Warren, OH) recently shipped another in a series of high-precision gage grinding machines to one of China's emerging API gage manufacturers. A precision tool manufacturer in Central China is in the process of installing its second Drake internal gage grinding machine. The machine is a GS:TI 540 (Grinding System:Thread Internal) and will supplement and expand the customer's capacity to grind internal thread gages from 10 mm to 500 mm internal diameter threads. This company previously purchased a GS:TI-LM 350 machine in 2005 to manufacture a full line of thread gages, taps, measurement equipment and other threading tools.
In the past two years, Baoshan Iron and Steel and Chengdu Chengliang Precision Tools have also expanded their gage grinding capabilities with the addition of Drake thread CNC internal and universal thread grinders.
Baoshan purchased a GS:TE/I-LM 650 universal grinder capable of grinding external threads up to 650 mm and internal threads up to 550 mm diameter. Baosteel produces American Petroleum Institute (API) thread gages used to check the integrity of threads on steel tubing and casing used in drilling for and transporting petroleum and natural gas. Baoshan is one of the world's largest producers of pipe for the energy production and transportation industry. Chendu Chengliang, one of the world's largest producers of thread gages, purchased a GS:TI 540 internal thread grinder capable of grinding ring gages to 500 mm thread diameter. Chengliang also produces taps, end mills, and other metal cutting tools.
Drake Manufacturing designs, builds and services state-of-the-art precision CNC thread and gear grinding and rack and thread milling machines that help maximize productivity, improve quality and reduce production costs for a wide variety of demanding applications. Drake's customers include companies manufacturing taps and gages, power steering components (racks, pinions, worms, and EPS components), ball screws, industrial gear boxes and other components with threads or gear teeth.
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