Technology advances in machining are no longer just about speed. They also are about control and versatility. Nowhere is this more evident than when you are deciding whether you need a CNC milling machine or a grinder for deeper cuts and higher material removal rates (MRR).
Milling and turning were the legacy processes used for higher-speed material removal. Grinding was the solution for more accurate work, such as finishing. Crank up the CNC milling machine operation, and if you need a finer finish, you move the part to a grinder.
But as the aerospace industry introduced harder materials, the speed advantage of milling and turning was minimized. The properties that allowed these materials to last in extreme environments also made them difficult to machine, and issues emerged with burrs, consistent quality of parts and the frequent replacement of tooling.
Meanwhile, machine technology and data collection have taken massive leaps.
Surface and profile grinding machines now may be able to mill, drill, grind, and deburr in the same setup. Engineers can now analyze key variables to dial in process improvements, increase product quality, and boost the bottom line.
In the milling vs. grinding debate, a truth has emerged: creep feed grinding is a more efficient approach for deep cuts than using a CNC milling machine. Let’s look at how the emergence of creep feed grinding and other innovations have impacted things.
Machine manufacturers have adopted a “done-in-one” approach with their machine technology, adding capabilities to make machines easier to program, reduce work-in-process changes, allow processes to be combined and increase the value per operation. Many grinding machines now have built-in automatic wheel changers and dressing units, which allow for several gradations of grinding in one clamping.
The greatest benefit of continuous dress creep feed grinding (CDCF) may be in undoing the traditional elongated process of milling, heat treatment, deburring and finishing by combining those applications into one operation.
In some cases, creep feed grinding is as much as 40 percent faster than alternative processes for cycle time while providing improved surface finish quality. If a turning or milling operation still needs grinding, why not just grind from the start?
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