Lathe Metalworking

Hydraulic Chuck

What is a Surface Grinder?

Surface grinding is used to produce a smooth surface on a flat object. It is an abrasive machining tool where a spinning wheel covered in rough material is used to grind a surface to make it flat and smooth.

 

Surface grinding is the most common type of grinding. It is known as a finishing process and the rotating wheel is used to give objects a more refined look or make them fit for purpose.

 

What are its components?

Surface grinders comprise of an abrasive wheel, a chuck and a reciprocating table. The chuck is used to hold an object in place while it is being worked on. If the object is metal, it is held in place by a magnetic chuck. If it is non metal it is held in place by vacuum or mechanical means.

 

Surface grinders are precision tools. Machines are generally powered by hydraulics. However there are machines which are hand run and some that run on electricity. Modern machines tend to be semi automated and machining can be pre set using a computer programme.

 

What materials can be treated with a surface grinder?

Materials such as iron, minor steel, stainless steel, brass and some plastics can be treated with a grinder.  Grinding wheels are not limited to producing cylindrical shapes. There are lots of options for transferring different designs onto objects.

 

Types of grinder

 

Different types of grinder include:

 

Horizontal spindle (peripheral) surface grinders

 

Vertical spindle (wheel-face) grinders

 

Disc Grinders and double-disc grinders

 

Some of the materials used to cover grinding wheels on surface grinders include diamond, aluminium oxide, silicon carbide and cubic boron nitride. Of all these materials aluminium oxide is the most popular.

Surface grinders are extremely important within industry and are widely utilised to help in the building of machinary, parts and various components of industrial machinary.

Without surface grinders there are several machines and industrial tools which would not be able to function.

Surface grinders are generally one part of a complicated process which occurs when building and manufacturing machine tools and parts. There are a wide variety of tools, parts and surfaces which can be smoothed with a grinder.

 

About the Author

The condition of the wheel is very important in surface grinders and wheels need to be regularly inspected and well maintained.

Power Chuck - Self Contained Pneumatic Power Chuck