Cylindrical gear grinding machine
A cylindrical gear grinding machine is the most essential and important piece of equipment used in the gear manufacturing process. It is specially designed to accurately and precisely grind external cylindrical, helical and internal cylindrical shapes onto shafts, and other similar cylindrical components, eliminating the need for manual processing and allowing for much better accuracy and consistency.
Cylindrical grinding machines are designed to accommodate a variety of tasks, including external grinding, internal grinding, surface grinding, plunge grinding and bump grinding. These machines can be used for the grinding of components for automobiles, ships, aeronautics, aerospace, and many other industries.
Most cylindrical grinding machines are equipped with a power-driven work head that can be independently adjusted, as well as a power-driven grinding wheel. A grinding wheel is composed of abrasive grains bonded together in a wheel shape, and it is activated by rotating the wheel while in contact with the work. The material being worked is suspended on a table or chuck and is then ground by means of the rotating grinding wheel.
The grinding wheel is chosen depending on the desired level of accuracy and speed of the job. Cylindrical grinding machines are most commonly used for grinding hard metals such as stainless steel, tool steel, and engineering alloys. To accommodate these materials, the application requires high-performance grinding tools to achieve a high level of precision and speed. These tools are available with a variety of grinding wheel types and hardness levels designed to suit a specific job or application. A variety of materials can also be ground, including high-speed steel, cast iron, and even carbon fiber.
In addition to a grinding wheel, other components found on cylindrical grinding machines include coolants, lubricants, wheel dressers, chucks, tail stocks, wheel balancers, and other accessories. A wheel dresser is used to shape, sharpen, and clean the wheel surface. A tail stock is a mechanical device that is used to provide support and stability to the work during grinding. Wheel dressers and tail stocks are important components as they help maintain the accuracy of the work being processed.
Cylindrical grinding machines are typically equipped with dressing units, wheel balancers, and wheel balancers. These components are all essential in preventing wheel damage and maintaining wheel accuracy while in use. The wheel balancer is used to measure the off-center-loads on the wheel surface. The wheel dresser is used to dress the wheel surface, ensuring that the wheel is accurately and evenly smoothed.
Cylindrical grinding machines can be used both manually and automatically. Automatic cylindrical grinding machines are commonly used for large-scale manufacturing applications, while manual machines are typically used for smaller parts. Manual operation requires more skill and is usually the choice of experienced machinists.
