What is a grinding machine column?

The column on the grinding machine is a key component. These machines are among the most widely used in the metalworking industry when it comes to abrasive machining. Why is the grinding machine column so important? How many types of grinding machine are there and what are their parts?

What is grinding?

Among the types of machining that exist, abrasive machining is used to remove small particles of surplus material from a workpiece. This type of work is carried out on machine tools called grinding machines because, as the name indicates, they grind parts to improve their surface finish. To do so, they use an abrasive wheel, made up of bonded grains of a material capable of removing small amounts from the workpiece being machined.

Grinding machines are used to work parts made of metal such as cylinders, gears, etc.; generally small parts that are used as components of other machines and larger parts. For example, a grinding machine is used to work on parts of engines for vehicles and industrial machinery.

Types of grinding machine

There are many types of grinding machine and, depending on the characteristics and operation of each one, different results will be obtained when removing material from and shaping parts to the required specifications.

Surface grinding machines

Surface grinding machines are also known as surface grinders and are the easiest to use. These machines have a longitudinal carriage and are in turn divided into face and tangential types. In face grinders the movement is rectilinear, since the spindle, mounted in the grinding column, moves over the workpiece. The tangential grinder, for its part, is characterised by the wheel moving edge-on, since the spindle performs a circular and pendulum movement and the parts are machined from top to bottom.

Cylindrical

These grinding machines are fitted with an axis of rotation that comes from the grinding column. That is why these machines are used for machining cylinders, cones and ellipses. Cylindrical grinders can be external, internal and centreless.

• External: they grind parts on the outer face using a rotary movement in which the workpiece and the wheel turn in the same direction.
• Internal: the machining is done on the inside of the workpiece.
• Centreless: fitted with two wheels that hold the workpiece.

Universal

Universal grinding machines are used for machining workpieces of revolution. These machines are large and are fitted with a longitudinal carriage that allows the parts to move in traversing movements that are simultaneous with the rotary movement. They are suitable for machining large internal and external parts.

Special

The grinding column and the other components of this machine are ideal for machining parts with complex characteristics that cannot be machined with rotary movements. They are used to work milling cutters, profiles, gears, bearings, etc.

CNC grinding machines

The most advanced grinding machines are those that work by computer numerical control (CNC). They have a programming system that is responsible for guiding the machining of the parts. These machines have a unified movement, are automatic and reduce machining times as well as operator intervention.

Parts of the grinding machine

Whatever the type of grinding machine, these machines usually have parts in common. Universal grinding machines, however, need specific parts, as do CNC machines, which have a built-in computer. In addition, some can work with hydraulic mechanisms that require prior knowledge on the part of the operators.

Bed

All machine tools consist of a bed or base, which is what gives the machine stability. The bed must be robust and strong enough to withstand the vibrations caused by machining. The size of the bed varies depending on the type of grinding machine.

Worktable

The table is made of metal and sits on the bed. This is where the heads move in a rectilinear motion to remove the surplus material.

Grinding column

The grinding column is the part that houses the workpiece head, where the spindle and the wheel are mounted. The column sits on the table.

Grinding wheel

The abrasive wheel is the cutting tool of grinding machines. These are fixed on a guide that provides stability. They consist of abrasive grains and a bond. The abrasive wheel moves thanks to a rotary motor that gives the tool its power, as well as the speed needed to shape the workpiece and remove the surplus material.

Workpiece head

The head houses the grinding wheel and the spindle that carries it. It can perform different movements that vary depending on the type of grinding machine used: face, tangential, circular, etc.