End-feed grinding is a technique used in machining when working with a centerless grinder. A centerless grinder is a machine that has two wheels through which a material is placed in order to shaped and ground. The reason the centerless grinder goes by the name that it does is because it has no spindle like a centered grinder. This allows a faster rate of work because pieces can be more quickly engaged and disengaged from the process, and of its two wheels, one is a grinding wheel, and the other is a regulating wheel.
There are several techniques for feeding in material: in-feeding, end-feeding, and through feeding grinding, and each one has a different purpose. End-feed grinding, specifically, is a method that is good for shaping a piece of metal so that one end is larger than the other. When a piece of work is inserted between the two wheels, it is also positioned between a third piece that is called a work rest. The work rest guide keeps the piece straight, as it is fed between the wheels, and a work rest blade will drive notches or other features into the material.
The speed at which the material is ground is adjustable, and this helps to determine the overall shape of the product. The speed of the two wheels in contrast to each other can also be set and adjusted, as it is deemed necessary. With centerless end-feed grinding, the workpiece is fed in on an axis, and it travels until it is prevented by the end stop. At this point, the item can either be removed and fed through on its other side, or it can stop and continue to be ground. The effect of this is that a tapered design can be created or an edge can be made extremely straight. In addition, because of the setup, pieces of material can be ground into diameters that are less than a quarter of an inch in size.
For more information on end feed grinding or precision grinding, contact the team at Sturdy Grinding & Machining today for any and all grinding services.