Precision Outside Diameter Grinding

Nation Grinding, Inc. is a renowned leader in retrofitting, repairing, and rebuilding hard-surfaced wire drawing blocks and capstans. We use high-velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) coupled with plasma metalizing technology to increase product resistance to corrosion and general wear. As part of our services, Nation Grinding offers both outside diameter (OD) and inside diameter (ID) grinding for components of non-metal or metal composition, including carbon steel, titanium, aluminum, exotic metals, and stainless steel.

OD grinding is a process in which technicians use cylindrical grinding machinery and a swiveling single wheel head to grind the outer surface of a part through its rotation along its true central axis, or between the true center of the part’s endpoints. The grinding wheel allows for the part’s rotation, with the outer edge of the grinding wheel accomplishing precision grinding on the piece. The part and the wheel both rotate at once, with the wheel turning counter to the direction of the workpiece, creating a smooth operating process as material grinds off the component.

Advantages of OD Grinding

One of the top advantages of OD grinding is the ease of locating a true center in a circular component. This means you can generate or return perfect circularity with this process while decreasing a part’s overall size through material removal. If a part is so small that a technician cannot locate the exact center of its endpoints, however, an alternative type of grinding becomes necessary.

OD grinding removes any undesired geometry of a part and gives it back its roundness, unlike when dealing with centerless grinding machinery. Operators can use the OD process to fix defects when dealing with parts that lack concentricity or have obtained an oval shape. In general, OD grinding has the benefit of simplicity. Like through-feed centerless grinding, technicians utilize the OD grinding technique to improve the exterior of a component. Sometimes a job will necessitate creep-feed grinder usage when a more significant amount of material must grind off or there are varying diameters along a length.

Another benefit is that the OD grinder machine can create tight tolerances. Manufacturers also have the option of manual controls or CNC in this equipment. You can use the grinder machine that has CNC in automated operations and make custom cuts with the one that has manual controls. Nation Grinding, Inc. can provide OD grinding of up to 30 inches, while ID grinding ranges from 0.200 to 50 inches.

Industrial Applications

The OD grinding process helps increase productivity, and so it is common in many industries that need high-volume production of various precision components. Some of the industries that have applications for this process include:

• Aerospace
• Automotive
• Energy
• Flooring
• Food processing
• Machine tooling
• Orthopedic medical devices
• Precision engineering

To offer some examples, the aerospace industry requires parts that are highly accurate and able to withstand harsh environmental conditions, which OD grinding can deliver in components such as hydraulic valves. For automobiles, OD grinding services can create rotors or fuel injection needles found in diesel engines. The need for precision is a common factor across industries.

OD Grinding Services From Nation Grinding, Inc.

To increase productivity levels and boost revenue in your manufacturing business, consider OD grinding. At Nation Grinding, we are a leading provider of OD grinding services in high- or low-volume orders for diverse industries such as aerospace, energy, medical, and commercial. We believe in meeting customer expectations so that you never have any concerns with the status or quality of your parts.

Our ISO-compliant facility and our experienced machinists allow us to offer our customers an assurance of quality and precise dimensionality. We generate machining components that meet the various specifications of our individual customers, from industry-specific requirements to Mil-Spec standards.

Please reach out to us for more details about our capabilities in OD grinding or request a quote today.