Centerless grinding machine

Centerless Grinding Machine | High-Precision Cylindrical Grinding for Mass Production

• Grinding wheel – performs the cutting and material removal
• Regulating wheel – controls the rotation and feed rate of the workpiece
• Work rest blade – supports and locates the part from below

Centerless grinding is a high-precision cylindrical grinding process where the workpiece is not clamped between centers or held in a chuck.
Instead, the part is supported and driven by three key elements:

This unique three-point support allows centerless grinding to process small, slender, or long cylindrical parts with excellent stability, repeatability, and production efficiency. It is widely used in high-volume manufacturing where tight tolerances and consistent quality are required.

Main Types of Centerless Grinding

Through-Feed Centerless Grinding

Through-feed centerless grinding is a continuous process:

• The workpiece is fed from one side and passes straight through the grinding and regulating wheels.
• Best suited for straight, cylindrical parts without shoulders or steps.
• Typical applications: pins, shafts, tubes, rods, and rollers in large quantities.

Infeed (Plunge) Centerless Grinding

Infeed, or plunge centerless grinding, is used when the workpiece has a more complex geometry:

• The part is positioned between the wheels and remains in place while the grinding wheel feeds radially into the workpiece.
• Ideal for stepped shafts, parts with shoulders, heads, grooves, or other interruptions.
• Typical applications: automotive components, tool shanks, hydraulic parts, and special precision shafts.

End-Feed Centerless Grinding

End-feed centerless grinding is used for parts that require grinding at a specific location or with a taper:

• The workpiece is fed into the wheels until it reaches a fixed stop.
• Suitable for tapered parts and specific profile sections that cannot be processed by standard through-feed methods.
• Why Choose Centerless Grinding?

Why Choose Centerless Grinding?

1. High Productivity for Mass Production

• No need for centers or chucks, which reduces setup and loading time.
• Perfectly suited for automatic loading, unloading, and in-line measurement systems.
• Supports continuous operation and 24/7 production for large batches.

2. Excellent Accuracy and Roundness

• The three-point support design minimizes deflection and vibration, even for slender parts.
• With proper setup, centerless grinding can achieve very tight diameter tolerances, high roundness, and good surface finish.
• Ideal for components where dimensional stability and repeatability are critical.

3. Flexible for Many Materials and Industries

Centerless grinding can be applied to:

• Materials: carbon steel, alloy steel, bearing steel, stainless steel, copper, aluminum, special alloys, and hard materials.
• Industries: automotive, motorcycle, bearing, hydraulic and pneumatic systems, power tools, medical devices, and precision machinery.

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Typical Parts for Centerless Grinding

Centerless grinding is commonly used for:

• Axles, shafts, and cylindrical pins
• Rollers and bearing components
• Hydraulic and pneumatic piston rods
• Linear motion shafts and guide rods
• Precision tool shanks and medical instrument components

If your parts are:

• Cylindrical or bar-shaped
• Produced in large quantities
• Required to meet strict tolerances on diameter, roundness, and straightness

then centerless grinding is likely the most efficient and cost-effective solution.

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How to Select the Right Centerless Grinding Solution

To choose the best centerless grinding setup for your production, the following factors should be considered:

1. Workpiece size and material
   • Diameter, length, and material type (e.g. bearing steel, stainless steel, alloy steel).
2. Required tolerances and surface finish
   • Target diameter tolerance, roundness, straightness, and surface roughness.
3. Production volume and cycle time
   • Daily or monthly output and target cycle time per part.
4. Process flow and previous operations
   • Pre-grinding processes (forging, turning, heat treatment) and post-grinding requirements.
5. Level of automation
   • Manual operation, semi-automatic systems, or fully automated centerless grinding lines with loading/unloading, gauging, and feedback control.

With this information, it is possible to determine:

• Whether through-feed or infeed centerless grinding is more suitable
• The optimal machine configuration and wheel specifications
• The need for customized automation or integration into an existing production line