2 Major Benefits of Using Centerless Grinding for Your Automotive Components

Automotive component manufacturers make heavy use of centerless grinding for machining their parts. While centerless grinding does come with numerous benefits for component manufacturers, exceptional grinding services are difficult to come by. It’s important to choose the right professional to oversee your projects!

Here are just a few of the reasons why you should use a professional centerless grinding service for your components.

1) Centerless Grinding Offers Precision for Your Automotive Components

You likely have some strict tolerances for your parts. Many machining methods can involve a lot of moving parts and machining tools. Centerless grinding, on the other hand, can offer higher precision with less complication.

A simpler process lowers the possibility of defects and other issues that can occur when too many hands and machine tools are part of the process. The centerless grinding process involves only two wheels (grinding and regulating) and a rest where the workpiece sits.

The combination of tolerance adherence and precision, as well as the polish that comes along with this grinding method, are all key reasons why this machining method continues to grow in popularity for automotive applications.

When looking for exceptional centerless grinding services, it’s important to choose a service with experience machining the types of parts you need. Even though the process is a simple one, it does take expertise to achieve the type of finish that’s suitable for a specific application.

Experience also means a quicker turnaround, which is important for the manufacturing industry in general.

2) Centerless Grinding Can Handle Both Simple and Complex Shapes

Because centerless grinding is a relatively simple process, it’s easy to think this process is only necessary for machining simple, uniform parts. It’s true this grinding method is excellent for producing certain types of simple parts quickly and efficiently.

However, centerless grinding can also handle more complex shapes. Manufacturers of automotive components, especially aftermarket parts, often want to create proprietary parts that don’t look like anyone else’s. Centerless grinding can accommodate that desire.

Generally, there are two broad categories of centerless grinding:

• Through-Feed – Ideal for simple parts with consistent roundness
• In-Feed – Ideal for cylindrical parts that require custom or complex shaping

Through-Feed Grinding

Through-feed involves feeding the workpiece into one side of the centerless grinding machine and out the other. During the process, the grinding wheel shapes the piece along with help from the regulating wheel. The finished part comes out the other side.

Because of this quick and simple process, centerless grinding is especially ideal for bulk, enterprise applications. If your parts have a uniform cylindrical shape, such as a bar, piston, or tube, then this method will work well for your need.

In-Feed Grinding

In-feed grinding will allow the piece to enter the machine and sit on the rest while the grinding wheel crafts the workpiece. This method is for more complex pieces or shapes, such as crankshafts and camshafts.

Another method, called end-feeding, represents something of a combination of the two main methods. The workpiece enters the machine until it hits a rest, then is reversed back out. This method is also suitable for complex pieces.

Why Centerless Grinding?

Manufacturers love the combination of speed and precision centerless grinding provides. This method’s ability to handle both simple and complex automotive components is reliable and accurate in the right hands.

Centerless grinding isn’t just limited to automotive manufacturing. Various industries in both the public and private sectors take full advantage of these benefits as well.

Above all, always make sure to work with professional and exceptional centerless grinding services, such as those offered by LaurelWire.com. The company’s experience and dedication to their craft ensure they will understand exactly the right process to handle parts for your specific industry.