Types of Spindles
What is surface grinding?
Surface grinding is a manufacturing process which accurately grinds or processes a surface by moving or grinding relative a surface in a plane while the grinding wheel contacts the surface and removes a small amount of material so that a flat surface is created.
Guidelines of surface grinding
For proper functioning of the spindles in surface grinding, certain design guidelines should be followed:
- Compared to other other machining operations, set up changes should
be minimal which is achieved if all flat ground surfaces are parallel
and on the same side of the part.
- Magnetic chucks in the spindle are used for holding down parts during
surface grinding and the part should be compatible with a magnetic chuck
so that convenience and throughput increase. As such, the magnetic chuck
requires a ferrous material and a surface which is flat opposite the
ground surface.
- Ground surfaces should be as high up above obstructions as possible,
which is depicted below:
- Ground surfaces should be as continuous as possible and should also be well supported since the grinding wheel of the spindle will be pressing down upon them.
Motorized surface grinding spindle
Most surface grinding spindles are motorized. The motor is dynamically balanced and mounted on high precision bearings capable of taking both general and end thrust loads. The units can be mounted on any flat surface. Spindles have "sealed" for life lubrication and are continuously rated. Spindles are provided with grinding wheel adapters to suit cupped wheels of different diameters. Rear end of the spindle shaft is threaded to suit rotary coolant union. Standard rotation of a motorized surface grinding spindle is anti-clockwise viewing on grinding wheel end.
Types of surface grinding spindle
For the purpose of surface grinding, two main types of grinding spindles are used and they are horizontal grinding spindle and vertical grinding spindle, which are of several types as depicted below in the table:
