Grinding is the last operation, when the part has already been turned or milled and now needs hundredths of accuracy and a clean surface. The wheel removes tenths and hundredths of a millimetre where a cutting tool no longer works: on hardened steel, on precision fits, on mirror-flat faces. The catalog carries our own LUNA Atlas machines and Taiwanese Palmary ones: tables from 460×180 to 3000×6000 mm, diameters from 1 to 800 mm and surface finish down to Ra 0.04 µm.

Four types, by the shape of the part

Type	What it machines	Sizes in the catalog	Models
Surface grinders	flat faces, parallelism, slots, ends of plates and punches	tables from 450×150 mm up to 2200 mm long	LUNA Atlas S, Palmary PSG H, AH, AHR and NC
Cylindrical grinders	shafts, axles, bearing journals, tapers, internal bores	Ø5–800 mm, 400–5000 mm between centers	LUNA Atlas C, Palmary GU
Centerless grinders	batches of short round parts: pins, rollers, axles, bushings	Ø1–160 mm	Palmary PC
Gantry surface grinders	large plates, beds, guideways, welded frames	tables up to 3000×6000 mm, weight up to 60 t	LUNA Atlas G

Three levels of automation

The same type of machine comes with different controls, and the catalog has separate sections for them. Manual and hydraulic — the operator moves the feeds or sets the table stroke hydraulically. NC — servo drives on the vertical and cross axes, with the cycle set on the control: NC surface grinders and NC cylindrical grinders. CNC — all axes with interpolation and a program: CNC surface grinders and CNC cylindrical grinders. The higher the automation, the less repeatability in a batch depends on the operator.

What to compare

The size of the part, not just the table. On surface grinders look at both the table and the magnetic chuck: the LUNA Atlas S 3063 has a 635×305 mm table and a 300×600 mm chuck. On cylindrical machines look at the diameter range and the distance between centers: from Ø5–200 mm and 500 mm on the Atlas C 1420 to Ø50–800 mm and 5000 mm on the Atlas C 1380A.
Finish and accuracy. The cards quote from Ra 0.63 µm on simple surface grinders to Ra 0.04 µm on the Atlas C 1432 cylindrical machines and the CNC models. The 0.0001 mm feed increment on the NC Palmary PSG is what the control commands, not what the part is guaranteed to get: the real result depends on the wheel, dressing, rigidity and temperature.
Wheel and dressing. Wheel sizes in the catalog run from 200×13×31.75 mm on the bench-type Atlas S 618A to 600×150×305 mm on the gantry machines. A wheel goes blunt and loads up, so dressing is a mandatory part of the cycle, and its type and tooling are worth agreeing together with the machine.
Rigidity and weight. From 650 kg on the bench-type Atlas S 618A to 60 t on the gantry Atlas G 7535/60 CNC. In grinding, weight is not “heavier is better” but resistance to vibration, and that is what holds the size over a long pass.
Coolant and filtration. Grinding sludge is abrasive mixed with metal. Without proper filtration it returns to the cutting zone and spoils the surface, so the coolant system is costed with the machine rather than “later”.

Common mistakes

Going by the table size and forgetting the magnetic chuck: the part can only be clamped on the chuck.
Expecting the Ra from the card without wheel dressing, balancing and warming the machine up — those figures come from a set-up cycle.
Buying CNC where every part is different: on one-off work a simple machine with a hydraulic table wins.
Not allowing for a foundation and a crane on gantry models: they weigh tens of tonnes.

Send a drawing with tolerances and surface finish, the material and hardness, the sizes and the monthly quantity — we will select the type, model, wheel and tooling and cost delivery and commissioning. Grinding usually follows turning or milling, and those sections are next door.

Questions and answers

Surface or cylindrical grinding?

The shape of the surface decides. Flat faces, parallel and square sides and slots call for a surface grinder. Cylindrical surfaces — shafts, bearing journals, tapers and internal bores — call for a cylindrical one. For batches of short shafts and pins there is a third option, centerless grinding.

What does CNC give in grinding?

Repeatability and complex profiles. On a CNC machine the cycle, with all passes, spark-out and wheel dressing, is stored in a program, so the second part comes out like the first whatever the shift. On one-off parts there is almost no gain: a hydraulic machine is quicker to set up.

What surface finish is realistic?

The catalog cards state from Ra 0.63 down to Ra 0.04 µm depending on the model. These are achievable figures in a set-up cycle: with the right wheel, fresh dressing, stable coolant and no vibration. The settings for a particular part are worked out at commissioning.

How much does a grinding machine cost?

The price depends on the type, size, control and tooling, and on delivery terms, so it is not listed on the site. Send a request and we will prepare a quotation including delivery, commissioning and training.

What should I send for a selection?

A drawing with tolerances and surface finish, the material and its hardness after heat treatment, the size and weight, the grinding allowance and the monthly quantity. From this we select the type of machine, the wheel and the tooling.

Not sure which model fits?

Send your part parameters — we'll select and quote.

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