In the world of precision grinding, there’s a wide variety of skills and specializations. In our industry, it’s not uncommon for a job to be smaller than a ¼ inch or rather large and measured in feet, depending on the customer’s unique needs. But even with over 70 years of precision grinding success to our name, we approach each and every job with the same dedication and passion our customers deserve— like the customer that recently contacted DPG for precision grinding to finish a spindle alignment fixture.
Precision Grinding Multiple Components for Automated Mechanical Operations
This customer was contracted by a client in the automated electronic manufacturing industry to produce custom, high precision electromechanical assemblies for an automated production line. Achieving the correct dimensions and finish would be critical for reliable, repeatable operations. Their in-house production department could not accurately hold the required tolerances, so they inquired with Duval Precision Grinding.
The component consisted of a mounting plate and a center locating post, both comprised of tool steel for a spindle alignment fixture. To successfully complete this job the parts had to be flat and parallel within .0002”, ensuring that the spindle would operate smoothly in a precisely automated production line.
Engineering An Efficient Precision Grinding Process for Electromechanical Parts
The first step was reviewing the prints and purchase order requirements, then engineering a job router to bring in the required critical dimensions. The parts required Surface Grinding, Rotary Surface Grinding, & OD Grinding: Surface grind to make the mounting plate flat & parallel within .0002″, Rotary Surface grind to make the center post flat and parallel within .0002″, then OD grind to establish a locating diameter within .0003″.
There are also some obstacles to overcome when trying to get to opposite planes flat and parallel to each other. The individual parts needed to be held securely throughout grinding to ensure precise alignment within the assembly. The workpiece often needs to be flipped and shimmed multiple times to meet the specifications in a free state. Each of these adjustments introduces an opportunity for miscalculation, but our expert grinders applied decades of experience to complete the task without error.
The last step was final inspection by our quality personnel to verify and confirm that the parts met the required specifications. The parts were turned back over to our client within the time frame promised— less than two weeks.
Precision Grinding Results In Reliable Electromechanical Assembly Performance
While some machine shops would’ve seen this request as a challenge, this was a typical job for DPG. We have a long history of delivering the precision our customers require and have recently invested in new capital equipment to further expand our offerings. We take pride in each part we work on and know that the quality of our work has a direct impact on our customers’ success.
Duval has been in the business of solving customers’ problems with expert precision grinding for decades. We can meet almost any need, from small niche jobs to large production runs. Our expert engineers and grinders are skilled at utilizing a wide variety of manual and computer-controlled grinding processes to meet your needs. To learn how we can help you solve your precision grinding challenges, contact Duval Precision Grinding today.