Surface & Cylindrical Grinding

If your project requires the tightest of tolerances and a precise surface finish, our surface and cylindrical grinding service delivers exactly that.

 

Our experienced team make this service the perfect finishing touch to our precision-machining services.

Kieran

Surface & Cylindrical Grinding specialist

With our heritage and skills honed in toolmaking, our precision grinding team have a wealth of experience and ensure our customers’ tightly tolerance parts are finished to their exacting requirements.

Examples of our surface & cylindrical grinding work

Sector: Mining

Cylindrical grinding

Sector: Tooling

EDM and surface grinding

Sector: Food Production

Cylindrical grinding

Sector: Mining

Cylindrical grinding

A Selection Of Our Surface & Cylindrical Grinding Machines

J&S SHIPMAN SUPREMA

350 Dia x 1000 Ctrs

DELAPENA SPEED HONE

 

ANDMAR YSG 1640

X 1000 Y 450 Z 230

Defining the right materials

Using the right material is crucial to your project’s success. Our team has many years’ experience working with a wide range of materials.

We are experts at working with commonly used alloys, non-ferrous metals and specialist plastics, right through to different exotic alloys and oil-grade materials. We’re always on hand to discuss your requirements.

Further Information & Questions

Surface grinding is a finishing process that uses a spinning wheel covered with an abrasive surface to produce a smooth surface. Because of its versatility in creating a high surface finish and its high tolerances (plus or minus 0.0001 inches, or 0.002 mm), surface grinding is one of the most common grinding techniques.

The process involves using a rotating grinding wheel to remove material from the surface of the workpiece, creating a desired flatness and surface roughness.

The grinding wheel is typically made of abrasive particles, such as aluminium oxide or silicon carbide, bonded together with a binder material. The wheel is rotated at high speed while passing it across the workpiece, with the depth of cut controlled by the downward movement of the wheel. The grinding process is typically done in multiple passes, with each pass removing a small amount of material and improving the surface finish.

To achieve specific finishes, different techniques are used, such as:

• Rough grinding: Used to remove large amounts of material quickly, creating a rough surface finish.
• Precision grinding: This technique is used to achieve a high degree of accuracy and surface finish. It involves using a finer grit size wheel and only removes a few microns of material with each pass.
• Creep-feed grinding: Used to remove larger amounts of material in a single pass, with a slow and continuous feed rate.

 

Cylindrical grinding shapes the outside surface of an object. The object is placed on a central axis and an abrasive wheel grinds away the excess metal. As with surface grinding, this method is suitable for parts that require a high surface finish and high tolerance.

Cylindrical grinding is a highly precise method, especially suitable for sensitive components such as those used in automotive engines.

The process is used to shape the inside or outside surface of a cylindrical workpiece, including threads. It involves using an abrasive grinding wheel to remove material from the workpiece, creating the desired size and surface finish.

The workpiece is typically mounted between centres or in a chuck and rotated while the grinding wheel is traversed along the length of the workpiece to remove material. The depth of cut is controlled by the sideward force of the wheel against the workpiece, which is rotated at a constant speed.

To achieve specific finishes, different techniques are used, such as:

  • Rough grinding: This technique is used to remove large amounts of material quickly, creating a rough surface finish.
  • Finish grinding: Used to achieve a high degree of accuracy and surface finish. It involves using a finer grit size wheel and only removes a few microns of material with each pass.
  • Plunge grinding: Used to create a specific shape or profile such as a groove on the workpiece. It involves plunging the grinding wheel into the workpiece at a specific angle and depth.

 

Steel: Steel is one of the most common metals ground in surface and cylindrical grinding. It is generally a good material for grinding because it is relatively easy to machine and has good thermal conductivity, which helps to prevent overheating. However, some types of steel, such as hardened or high-speed steels, can be difficult to grind due to their hardness. In these cases, special grinding wheels and cooling methods may be necessary to grind them.

Stainless Steel: With its high strength and corrosion resistance, stainless steel is commonly used in the medical and food processing industries. However, it can be challenging to grind because it has a high work hardening rate, which can cause the material to become very hard and difficult to machine. To overcome this challenge, it is important to use a grinding wheel with a high hardness and low porosity, along with a coolant to prevent overheating.

Aluminium: As a lightweight and soft metal, aluminium is commonly used in the aerospace and automotive industries. However, it is a challenging material to grind because it has a low melting point and can easily clog the grinding wheel due to its tendency to form a built-up edge. To overcome these challenges, a grinding wheel with a lower grit size and higher porosity can be used, along with a cooling system to prevent overheating.

Titanium: With its strength and light weight, titanium is favoured by the aerospace industry. However, it is a difficult material to grind due to its low thermal conductivity and tendency to work harden. To overcome these issues a grinding wheel with a high grit size and low porosity can be used, along with a coolant to prevent overheating.

 

Surface Grinding Machines:

Horizontal Surface Grinding Machine: This type of machine has a magnetic horizontal bed or table that holds down the components or vice and moves back and forth underneath the grinding wheel. The table is adjusted vertically to control the depth of cut.

Cylindrical Grinding Machines:

1. Plain Cylindrical Grinding Machine: This type of machine has a single grinding wheel that is mounted on a horizontal spindle which traverses along the area of the workpiece to be machined. The workpiece can be mounted between centres, in a chuck or on a magnetic plate.

2. Universal Cylindrical Grinding Machine: This type of machine is similar to the Plain Cylindrical Grinder but has a swivelling work-head that can be adjusted to grind angles and tapers on the workpiece.

3. Centreless Grinding Machine: This type of machine does not use centres or a chuck to hold the workpiece. Instead, it uses a regulating wheel that feeds the workpiece between the grinding wheel and a support blade. The grinding wheel removes material from the workpiece while the support blade controls its position.

 

Precision machining of components requires stringent quality control measures to ensure that the manufactured parts meet the desired specifications. In the surface and cylindrical grinding processes, various quality control techniques are employed to monitor and measure critical parameters such as surface roughness, roundness, and dimensional accuracy. Some of the key measures and techniques are as follows:

Surface roughness:

Surface roughness is an important parameter that affects the performance of a component in terms of wear, friction, and fatigue resistance. To measure and monitor surface roughness, the following techniques are commonly used:

 

  1. Stylus profilometry: A stylus profilometer is an instrument with a diamond-tipped stylus that traces the surface to record the surface profile. It provides quantitative measurements of surface roughness parameters, such as Ra, Rz, and Rt.

 

  1. Optical profilometry: This non-contact method uses a light source to project a pattern on the surface, which is then analysed by a camera or detector to obtain the surface profile. Techniques such as confocal microscopy, white light interferometry, and laser scanning confocal microscopy are widely used.

 

  1. Atomic force microscopy (AFM): AFM is a high-resolution technique that uses a sharp probe to scan the surface and generate a topographical map. It is particularly useful for measuring surface roughness at the nanoscale.

 

Roundness:

Roundness is a key parameter in cylindrical grinding to ensure proper component fit and function. Roundness measurement techniques include:

 

  1. Roundness tester: This instrument uses a probe to trace the circumference of the part while it is rotated on a spindle. The probe’s movement is recorded and analysed to determine deviations in roundness.

 

  1. Coordinate measuring machines (CMM): CMMs are versatile, high-precision instruments that can measure roundness using touch probes or non-contact sensors. They can also measure other geometrical parameters such as straightness, parallelism, and concentricity.

 

Dimensional accuracy:

Dimensional accuracy is crucial for maintaining proper fit and function of components. Common techniques for measuring and monitoring dimensional accuracy in grinding processes include:

 

  1. Micrometres, callipers, and gauge blocks: These traditional tools are widely used for measuring length, diameter, and thickness. They provide quick, accurate measurements for basic quality control purposes.

 

  1. CMMs: As mentioned earlier, CMMs are versatile instruments that can measure a wide range of geometrical parameters, including dimensions, with high precision.

 

  1. In-process gauging: In-process gauging systems use contact or non-contact sensors to measure the workpiece during the grinding process. This allows for real-time adjustments and corrections, improving process control and reducing the risk of producing out-of-spec parts.

 

Process control and monitoring:

In addition to measuring and monitoring the final product, it is important to control the grinding process itself. This involves monitoring parameters such as wheel wear, coolant flow, temperature, vibration, and grinding forces. By closely monitoring these parameters, operators can optimise the process, reduce defects, and maintain consistent quality.

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