Centreless grinding is an external cylindrical grinding process for large series of cylindrical components, which guarantees an extremely high level of productivity and economic efficiency due to very low processing times (for each workpiece). The workpiece is supported centrally by a guide and the longitudinal feed motion is effected by a control wheel located opposite the grinding wheel.
Very narrow tolerances and high surface finishes can be achieved
In conjunction with the aforementioned advantages, the special characteristics of this grinding process mean very narrow tolerances and high surface finishes can also be achieved depending on the quality of the grinding wheel.
The simple loading and unloading of the machine (with workpieces) means this method can be easily integrated into a production line, thereby enabling complete machining of the workpiece in a confined space and with just one pass.
Due to the complex configuration of centreless applications, it is extremely difficult to standardise the selection process regarding the quality of the grinding and control wheel. A huge range of options is therefore available. The development of suitable grinding wheels for the particular application depends on various criteria, such as material and material hardness, grinding allowance, throughput speed, workpiece dimensions and surface finish.