In-feed centerless grinding is applied in the automotive industry for the production of drive shafts, camshafts, and crankshafts.
Talking ‘bout gear shafts and camshafts? Complex parts, aren’t they? But they are all perfectly achieved through centreless plunge grinding or the in-feed centerless grinding method.
What is Plunge Grinding?
Plunge, or In-feed grinding is a method of centerless grinding that has been used by operators in grinding relatively complex parts. Unlike the through-feed grinding process which pulls the workpiece past the grinding wheels, the workpiece in in-feed is held and supported between the wheels for a thorough grinding even in the smallest part diameters.
The different processes involved in the centerless grinding operation all happen in a single pass with an automated course. Grinding machines have the ability to grind multiple diameters in complex parts of different sizes in one plunge only – and this also involves part’s complex radii and angles.
The plunge grinding/ In-feed centerless grinding process comes into play if one needs to grind extremely complex parts that are typically applied in machining automotive parts and components.
The In-Feed Grinding Methodology
The good thing about in-feed grinding is that it involves a three-point positioning method that is significant to the whole operation. This method allows you to grind even the smallest diameters with their grind length entirely supported. Extreme grinding for complex parts is made possible with the kind of support provided by the plunge grinding method.
The workpiece shouldn’t be fed axially through the machine in order to grind the material accurately. When it comes to the basic structure, the in-feed grinding is much the same as the through-feed grinding process, though the removal of material is done through a tangential feed of the grinding wheel.
The triangular arrangement plays a significant role in the process. With the three-point structure of the workpiece, between the regulating wheel, workblade, and the grinding wheel, the operation can achieve high levels of dimensional accuracy and concentricity.
In-feed centerless grinding is efficiently applied in the automotive industry for the production of drive shafts, camshafts, and crankshafts.
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