All About Surface Grinding: Types, Benefits, Important Parts, and Accessories

When finishing your workpiece, it is often critical that the piece has no imperfections or other particles that otherwise take away from the smoothness of the workpiece. A surface grinder is the perfect tool to help remove these particles, ensuring that your final workpiece is smooth and without surface imperfections. That said, let’s take a deeper look at some of the common surface grinder parts and the roles they play individually in the surface grinding abrasive machining process.

Why Is Surface Grinding Important?

Usually, after a workpiece is produced, there tends to still be particles that render the surface rough. This can impact the usage of the workpiece, as well as the overall look of it. In order to get that professional, totally smooth feel, a surface grinder is often necessary to put the finishing touches on your piece.

With a surface grinder, you’ll notice that your workpieces are totally smooth and free from rough particles on the surface. As mentioned above, this can help with usability and the overall aesthetic of the piece

What Are the Different Types of Surface Grinding Machines?

How do you know which surface grinder is best for you and your pieces? Let’s examine some of the more common surface grinding machine options out there.

• Horizontal Spindle Reciprocating Table. Best used for work requiring high precision, the flat edge of the wheel makes contact directly with the piece. Often used for pins, pistons, connecting rods and other similar types of pieces.
• Vertical-Spindle Grinders. Best used to quickly remove material from your piece. The grinding wheel is lowered onto the workpiece. This grinder is often used for wafers, rotors, gears, stators, etc.
• Single Disc Grinders and Double Disc Grinders. These can be either horizontal or vertical spindle styles. These disc grinders have a larger contact surface area when the grinder comes into contact with the workpiece. They can be used for gears, spacers, plates, specific types of rotors and more.

What Are the Important Parts of a Surface Grinding Machine?

Let’s now go over the most important surface grinder parts so you develop a better understanding of how the machine works. This can also help when you’re in need of grinder replacement parts (often far cheaper than getting a whole new grinding machine).

When you have a strong understanding of how they all work, grinder repair and grinder accessories can often save you a lot of money.

• Base. The base supports the entire assembly and absorbs the vibrations produced as a result of the grinding process.
• Hand Traversing Wheel. This helps adjust the worktable along a longitudinal axis (forward and backward).  
• Cross Slide Handwheel. This controls how the up and down motions of the wheel.
• Work Table. This is where you place your workpiece and have it secured so that the grinding wheel can make contact, removing those uneven particles from the surface of the workpiece.
• Column. The vertical column is where you will mount the wheel head, wheel guard and abrasive wheels in order to begin the grinding process.
• Wheel Head. The wheel head is the compartment that is manipulated in order to contact the workpiece.
• Vertical Feed Handwheel. This will provide the feed to the wheel head along a vertical axis, controlling the depth of the cut on the surface on the workpiece.
• Wheel Guard. A wheel guard covers the grinding wheel in order to ensure the safety of the user and other people in the vicinity of the machine.
• Abrasive Wheel. As the primary component that can remove the material from the surface of the workpiece, an abrasive wheel is covered with abrasive material, ensuring accuracy and a smooth finish.
• Coolant. The coolant is critical to the surface grinding process. It cools the work area so that nothing overheats.

Surface Grinding Accessories

As mentioned above, the right grinder accessories can save you time, money, and overall produce a smoother finish on your workpieces. Here are some surface grinder accessories to be aware of.

• Magnetic Chuck or Table. As the name implies, a magnetic chuck or table uses magnets to hold the workpiece in place. You can also have either a permanent magnet where you engage or disengage it with a lever, or an electromagnet that is controlled by a switch.
• Wheel Dresser. You can dress your grinding wheel with a diamond (or multiple diamond) finish mounted on the shank via a sintering process. Used for the truing and dressing of your abrasive grinding wheel, a wheel dresser is needed as over time your wheel becomes worn down by constant use.
• Grinding Vise. A vise holds your workpiece in place as the grinding wheel is applied to the surface.
• Sine Table. A sine table adjusts your workpiece to achieve the specific angle you need to ensure that the grinding is accurate and hits the exact area in need.
• V-Blocks. These are rectangular blocks made of a V-shape that hold round-shaped objects.

Where Can I Get Surface Grinder Parts and Accessories?

As you can see, a lot goes into a surface grinder. But rather than struggle with the details on your own, work with the experts at GCH Tool Group to get all your surface grinder parts, grinder accessories, grinder repairs and grinder replacement parts.

As the proud owners of the world’s largest inventory of new spare parts and components, you can rest assured that whatever you need, we almost certainly have it—and can get it to you fast.

We’re also experts in surface grinder automation, so you can get the best grinding rig for your business.

Fill out our RFQ form to get quick, knowledgeable assistance from an experienced sales engineer for your grinder parts and components needs. Our quick response and expert advice will keep your production running 24/7.