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Push Your Grinders Further With Creep Feed Grinding

First introduced in the 1970s by aerospace manufacturers exploring methods for grinding engine components made with superalloys, creep feed grinding has the capacity to transform machining operations for the shops that take advantage of the process. Featuring exceptionally high depths of cut without the production of burrs or the need to constantly replace cutting tools, creep feed grinding also doesn’t need to be complicated – most shops are already familiar with the basic principles of creep feed grinding because of how much it shares in common with milling. And in order to implement this process and obtain the outstanding material removal rates possible with creep feed grinding, shops turn to their partners at UNITED GRINDING North America

The primary difference between creep feed grinding and milling is that instead of using an end mill, a grinding wheel is utilized. The results often speak for themselves: While traditional reciprocating grinding processes remove small amounts of material with feed rates around 200 ipm, a single pass in creep feed grinding is in the range of 2-20 ipm at depths of cut of 0.100" to 1.5" or deeper. 

The process’s growing range of applications include everything from grinding automotive steering racks, saw blades and hair clipper parts to massive rolls for corrugated cardboard manufacturing, ceramic heart valve components and tiny pins used in engine management mechanisms. Additionally, creep feed grinding can eliminate the need for typical secondary operations that would otherwise increase costs per part and add to production time.

In fact, creep feed grinding can be thought of as milling on steroids; many of the issues that cause difficulties in milling, such as long cycle times, burr generation or tool degradation, are minimized or eliminated with creep feed grinding. If shop personnel are comfortable with milling, they can learn to be comfortable with grinding in general and with creep feed grinding specifically.

Naturally, to achieve these outstanding material removal rates, shops need exceptional equipment and tools. Enter UNITED GRINDING, which has the equipment and expertise shops need to leverage this technology for their part-production operations. In our white paper, “Creep Feed Grinding Applicability Continues to Expand,” we take a look at all of the factors that go into implementing creep feed grinding, from grinding wheel selection and dressing to CNC strategies and coolant delivery.

Download the white paper here and learn how UNITED GRINDING North America can be your partner in creep feed grinding success.

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