Tech Talk
What is "Angle Approach" cylindrical grinding?
Situations often arise where grinding of a side face requires both a fine finish and a precise angle in relationship to a diameter. It is not the preferred method to grind with the side of a parallel grinding wheel, therefore angle approach grinding is used where the wheelhead of the machine is angled and dressed to grind the correct shape of one or more angled faces. The grinding wheel is then plunged at an angle into the workpiece, achieving the final size on a number of surfaces with precise correlation of those surfaces. The process is very fast and accurate.
There are many advantages of angle approach grinding. As mentioned, one or more surfaces may be completed more efficiently in one plunge. The grinding marks on the face of the shoulder will be concentric. This is desirable for seal faces in particular, as grinding marks which are anything but concentric, aggrevate a seal and cause heavy wear. Because the grinding wheel is grinding with its periphery there is no side grinding and therefore less case of burning on the face.
