Cylindrical grinding machines produce fine finishes or make light cuts on metal and other materials with an abrasive wheel made of a very hard material like diamond or stone. A cylindrical grinder may have more than one wheel. Generally, cylindrical grinding machines are a type of computer numeric controlled (CNC) machine tool.

You use CNC cylindrical grinding machines to make cylinder-shaped parts for the medical and aerospace industry. You can also use them in many other applications when it's essential that the part meet mathematically precise roundness requirements.

1. You can use outer diameter (OD) cylindrical grinding machines that hold the work piece in place while grinding.

2. You can use centerless OD grinders that don't hold the work piece in place but do have certain advantages.

3. You can try new technologies that combine the features and functions of CNC cylindrical grinders with each other or with other machine tools.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find a cylindrical grinder distributor that sells OD cylindrical grinders

An OD cylindrical grind machine grinds the work piece on its outer diameter while holding it in place between centers. You can also find OD grinders that hold the work piece in a chuck and rotate it against a fast-spinning wheel. For years OD cylindrical grinding was the gold standard and many businesses still use it often. It works best on parts that are relatively short and thick.

I recommend: Check out Ganesh Machinery's Supertec universal cylindrical grinder. Cincinnati Machines offers a variety of used OD cylindrical grinders at reasonable prices.

Shop for centerless cylindrical grinders

Centerless grinding machines grind the work piece's outer diameter using a combination of the grinding and regulating wheels and the work blade. A centerless cylindrical grinding machine CNC can achieve the extremely close tolerances demanded by certain industries. Centerless grinding works well for parts ranging from needles for medical use to bowling balls. Centerless cylindrical grinders work best on longer, thinner parts.

I recommend: The CenterlessGrinder.com online store offers new and used centerless cylindrical grinders for sale. Diamond Industrial Tools offers a variety of cylindrical centerless grinders.

Try a CNC cylindrical grinder combination machine

Since the 1980s, machine tool designers have tried to combine more than one machining process in one time-saving machine tool. Some hybrids combine another machining function with cylindrical grinding. Others allow for more than one type of cylindrical grinding.

I recommend: United Grinding distributes Fritz Studer AG's Studer S242, a combo machine for hard turning and grinding that can increase productivity by up to 70%. Parker Majestic's Liberty Series can work for outer or inner diameter grinding or for combination grinding.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  A bad wheel can ruin the entire cylindrical grinding process, so do not buy a cheap wheel because it can cost your shop money in the long run when your parts don't turn out right and you have to replace the wheel.