Development History Of Grinding Machine

During the 1800s, the industrial revolution brought about the need for machines to process hardened parts such as clocks, bicycles, sewing machines, and guns. To meet this demand, grinders using natural abrasive wheels were developed by Britain, Germany, and the United States. These grinders were initially added to existing machine tools such as lathes and planers. However, they were simple in structure, low in stiffness, and prone to vibrations during grinding, requiring highly skilled operators for precise workpieces.

The first machine to possess modern grinder features was the universal cylindrical grinder manufactured by Brown Sharp Company of the United States in 1876. This grinder had a reciprocating workbench with workpiece head frame and tailstock. Its box-shaped bed also improved the rigidity of the machine tool and had internal grinding accessories. Later in 1883, the company produced a surface grinder mounted on a column and a workbench with back-and-forth movement.

Around 1900, the development of artificial abrasives and the application of hydraulic drive greatly advanced the grinding machine industry. With the development of the automobile industry, various types of grinding machines emerged, such as the planetary internal grinder, crankshaft grinder, camshaft grinder, and piston ring grinder with an electromagnetic suction cup in the early 20th century. In 1908, an automatic measuring device was added to the grinder. The centerless grinder, double end grinder, roll grinder, guide rail grinder, honing machine, and super finishing machine tool were subsequently manufactured and used.

A high-precision cylindrical grinder for mirror grinding appeared in the 1950s, and high-speed grinding machines with a grinding wheel linear speed of 60~80m/s and surface grinding machines with large cutting depth and creep feed grinding became available at the end of the 1960s. Meanwhile, in the 1970s, digital control and adaptive control technologies that utilized microprocessors were widely applied to grinding machines.