Vollmer, the specialist in sharpening and eroding machines for tool production and maintenance, introduced its new QXD 200 sharpening machine in March 2008 at the GrindTec exhibition in Germany.

The universal machine combines eroding, relief grinding, and polishing. With its comprehensive automation solutions, the QXD 200 allows new variants of geometries in the production of PCD-tipped tools. The key to this is the machine's ability to accommodate path interpolation in six CNC axes, something that offers tool manufacturers much greater room for development than do comparable machines.


The QXD 200 universal machine measures, erodes, grinds, and polishes PCD-tipped tools in one clamping. Through its wide-ranging automation solutions, the disc eroding machine allows new variants of geometries of PCD-tipped tools of up to 250 mm in diameter and 200 mm in length. This is based on the six CNC axes, which make manual intervention unnecessary and shorten the set-up time.

The one-part machine stand of polymer cement gives the QXD 200 system rigidity and vibration damping. With the novel positioning of the axes, every workpiece can be machined in a suspended position. This avoids a deflection of the tool due to its own weight. At the same time, the workpiece interface is protected against debris.

On the QXD 200, the integrated tool changer and the all-embracing tool guidance create the conditions for an unmanned shift round the clock. In this way, loading and unloading of the tool holder magazines can take place parallel to automatic operation. The integrated tool changer has available up to 6 different eroding, grinding, and polishing wheels, and thus permits an exact machining of various work piece variants.

In addition to the technical highlights, the total package around the QXD 200 universal machine includes customer support and services such as trial machining, employee training, financing planning, and maintenance and repair.