What are the advantages of centerless metal grinding?

1. High precision and good consistency

This metal grinding technique precisely cuts the material into specific sizes. Next, it can achieve a roughness value as low as 0.13 microns.

The stable support of the rest bed between the two relatively rotating wheels provides stability for the process. It can prevent the workpiece from bending and maintain its cylindrical integrity.

2. Material removal efficiency

Another advantage of centerless grinding is its material removal efficiency. The grinding wheel and adjusting wheel operate at high speed and high precision, capable of quickly removing materials, especially tough or brittle ones. Centerless grinding also has a shorter downtime because the workpiece does not need to be fixed in a chuck or any other fixture.

3. Durability of the wheels

In centerless grinding, no external feed is required, which can extend the service life of the grinding wheel. Because it does not involve pressure feed, the abrasive particles remain in a working state for a longer time.

4. Minimum deformation

Since there is no fixed center, the workpiece will not deviate from the predetermined grinding area. In fact, the grinding machine can achieve the automation of this process by setting the motion path before execution.

What are the different types of centerless grinding?

Centerless grinding is divided into two types: full feed grinding and feed grinding. The basis of this division is the difference in their feeding mechanisms.

1.Through-type centerless grinding machine

In this type, the workpiece passes through the grinding wheel and the adjusting wheel from one side of the machine and then comes out from the other side. Therefore, it can continuously process the feed without further processing.

2. Feed centerless grinding

It does not require the parts to have a cylindrical shape and can grind more complex and precise workpieces. During the tin feed grinding process, the workpiece remains stationary, and the grinding wheel moves radially towards the fixed workpiece to grind specific parts or features.

3. End feed centerless grinding

It is a special form of the surface grinding type in the centerless grinding method. End feed grinding involves creating a complex profile at the end of the workpiece by tilting the adjustment wheel to form the expected profile. Here, the workpiece moves linearly, and only one end can enter the grinding area.

The application of centerless grinding

Application of centerless grinding

All kinds of cylindrical components or products rely on centerless surface grinding machines to complete surface finishing tasks. It is mainly used for mass production and special parts, such as tubes, cylinders, rotors, etc.

Secondly, the ability to achieve high roundness makes it highly suitable for the fine machining of hydraulic system components.

The following lists the industrial applications of centerless grinding in surface finishing.

Automotive industry: piston pins, drive shafts, wheel hubs, gear shafts, steering columns, engine valve parts.
Aerospace industry: fasteners, hydraulic components, airfoil blades, fuel elements, compressor discs, etc.
Medical devices: implant rods, stents, tubes, surgical needles, orthopedic needles, bone screws, etc.
Manufacturing and metal manufacturing: spindles, tool rests, rollers, cutting tools, conveying rollers, locating pins, etc.