All machines require a certain level of alignment that is directly proportional to the tolerances expected of the finished workpiece. Double Disc Grinding Machines are capable of final part tolerances in the .0001”-.0005” range, depending on the application, making machine alignments critical. Over time these alignments are negatively affected by wear, improper adjustments, poor maintenance, etc., and may require proper adjustments to resolve part quality issues.
Typical Part Quality Issues
- Size/Height: Trouble maintaining part size.
- Parallelism: Parts not grinding parallel due to machine setup issues.
- Flatness: Parts not grinding flat due to machine setup issues.
- Swipes, swiping, dubbing, shiny spots, and/or inconsistent grind patterns.
- Localized burns, hot spots, or poor surface finish.
Possible Machine Issues
- Spindle In-Feed Assembly Worn Out or Misaligned
- Dresser Assembly Misaligned or Setup Issues
- Spindle Heads Misaligned, Worn Out, or Bearing Issues
- Guides Misaligned in relation to each other or the grinding wheels.
- Tooling / Feed Mechanism Misaligned in relation to the guides and grinding wheels.
Misalignments in various mechanisms manifest themselves in the part geometry and finish. Poor parallelism, poor flatness, and burning in a limited area of the part can all indicate a misalignment condition. Swiping is when one certain area of the parts has an uneven mark, different grind patterns, or a limited area with a poor surface finish. These can all be symptoms of machine misalignments or worn-out assemblies.
Adjusting one area of the machine can cause problems in other areas, so the machine must be thought of as a system. Problems can result from the wheels being misaligned relative to each other. The dresser can be misaligned relative to the wheels. The guides must also be properly aligned relative to each other and also in relation to the wheels. The tooling/part feed mechanism must also be considered to achieve a properly aligned system and the tightest tolerances with a quality finish.
Our Service Technicians have the training, tools, and experience to keep your machine’s output at its best. Let one of C&B’s trained service technicians bring your machine back into alignment and get your production back to producing quality parts today!