Tools Used In Centreless And Precision Grinding

West Midland Grinding – Tools Used In Centreless And Precision Grinding

West Midland Grinding was established in 1987 and has since specialised in grinding components and materials for a wide range of industries. We provide an unbeatable, high-quality grinding service and all of our staff are time-served engineers, highly skilled in both centreless and precision grinding. We use a combination of traditional and modern grinding machines and techniques, including a range of Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines.

What Grinding Tools Are Used In Precision Grinding?

Precision grinding is a macroscopic cutting operation that uses a single point cutting edge. Nowadays most precision grinding is performed and controlled by CNC machines, but there was a time when it was all done by hand, with a machinist using a hand grinder.

Precision grinding requires that the metal used to cut is much harder than the component it is cutting. Two types of grinding wheel are commonly used:

• Silicon carbide wheels – these are very hard but also brittle
• Aluminium oxide wheels – these are tougher than carbide wheels, but also softer, so they wear out or lose their sharpness more quickly

There are also various different types of grinding wheel, including:

• Straight
• Cylinder
• Tapered
• Straight cup
• Flaring cup

Each one of these different wheels performs a different kind of precision grinding, depending on the material and the part they are producing. Added to this, there are many different types of grinders, including cylindrical grinders, jig-grinders, tool and cutter grinders and ID/OD grinders, all of which have differing tolerances and capabilities.

Of course, there is more to precision grinding than just the tools and technology behind it. You also need expert knowledge in laser machining, hard machining, speed milling and manual surface grinding. You also need to know how much work each grinder can handle. Our expert team of machinists at West Midlands Grinding take enormous pride in our work and our reputation, making sure we use the right tools for the job, whatever that job may be.

Wheel Dressings And Dressing Tools.

Wheel dressings and dressing tools are essential in grinding as they ensure that the grinding wheels are always in perfect condition. The wheels need to be conditioned and dressed. Dressing a grinding wheel means making sure that the tiny cutting edges across the surface of the wheel are kept sharp. In order to break the abrasive grains on the grinding wheel, producing new sharp edges in the process, we use both diamond tools and wheel dressers. In this way, we manage to clean the spaces between each of the grains on the grinding wheel, removing all of the metal dust and other particles that can cause the face of the wheel to become clogged and ineffective.

Some of the wheel dressing tools and wheel dressers we use are hand-held and some are mounted to tables or machines, depending on various factors, such as the outer diameter of the specific grinding wheel. Amongst the wide range of dressing tools and wheel dressers we use are the following:

• Rotary tools and dressing rolls
• Dressing spindles
• Dressing sticks
• Cluster or multi-point dressing tools
• Single point dressing tools
• Truing devices

For more information on grinding tools and for all of your grinding requirements, give us a call (0121 327 7737 ) at West Midland Grinding today.