The precision machining process uses two opposing abrasive wheels to simultaneously grind two sides of a component. This method ensures precise parallelism, flatness, and thickness control.

What are the main advantages of Double Disc Grinding?

Key benefits include:

• Enhanced precision and consistency
• Increased efficiency and throughput
• Cost-effectiveness
• Versatility across applications
• Reduced internal stress in workpieces
• Improved surface finishes
• Better part stability during secondary operations
• Best flatness and parallelism

What materials can be processed using Double Disc Grinding?

Double Disc Grinding can process a wide range of materials, including:

• Stainless steel
• Tool steels
• Sintered metals
• High-strength alloys
• Ferrous and non-ferrous metals
• Bronze
• Copper
• Aluminum
• Cast iron
• Plastic

What tight tolerances can be achieved with Double Disc Grinding?

We can achieve:

• Dimensional tolerances: ±0.0002″ (0.00508 mm)
• Parallelism: 0.0002″
• Flatness: 0.0002″

What surface finishes are possible with Double Disc Grinding?

• Up to 16 Ra on aluminum
• Up to 8 Ra on ferrous alloys

What are some types of parts that are commonly processed using Double Disc Grinding?

• Stampings
• Die castings
• Blankings
• Rings
• Valves
• Small metal parts

Is Double Disc Grinding suitable for small parts?

Yes, the process is appropriate for small parts. It is particularly cost-effective for thickness sizing of small parts such as fine blanked stamped, die cast, and sintered metal parts.

What is the minimum batch size for Double Disc Grinding?

No minimum

What information is needed to provide an accurate quote for Double Disc Grinding services?

• Material type and hardness
• Part dimensions and geometry
• Current surface finish and desired final surface finish
• Tolerance requirements
• Batch size
• Any special handling or cleaning requirements
• Deadline or turnaround time needs
• Amount of material to be removed (starting size)
• Packaging requirements
• Equal or partial stock removal
• Incoming flatness and parallelism

The post DOUBLE DISC GRINDING FAQ appeared first on Alternative Surface Grinding.

Why Fineblanked Parts Need Additional Finishing 

• Improved Surface Quality
  Fineblanking produces parts with smoother surfaces compared to traditional stamping, but some applications require even finer surface finishes. Surface grinding can achieve tighter tolerances and superior flatness that fineblanking alone cannot provide. 
• Enhanced Dimensional Accuracy 
  While fineblanking offers good dimensional control, certain industries demand even higher precision. Surface grinding can refine part dimensions to meet exacting specifications, especially for components used in aerospace, automotive, or medical devices. 
• Stress Relief 
  The fineblanking process can introduce internal stresses in the metal. Surface grinding helps to relieve these stresses, ensuring better part stability and longevity. 
• Burr Removal 
  Although fineblanking significantly reduces burrs compared to conventional stamping, some applications require completely burr-free surfaces. Precision grinding can eliminate any remaining burrs or imperfections. 

Benefits of Partnering with a Specialized Surface Grinding Service 

• Expertise and Specialized Equipment 
  Companies like Alternative Surface Grinding possess deep expertise in precision finishing techniques such as double disc grinding and hyprolapping. This specialized knowledge, combined with advanced equipment, ensures optimal results for even the most demanding applications. 
• Cost-Effectiveness 
  Outsourcing to a dedicated surface grinding service can be more cost-effective than maintaining in-house capabilities, especially for businesses with varying production volumes or diverse finishing requirements. 
• Quality Assurance 
  Specialized service providers typically have robust quality control processes in place, ensuring consistent, high-quality results that meet or exceed industry standards. 
• Flexibility and Scalability 
  Partnering with a surface grinding specialist offers flexibility to handle different materials, part sizes, and finishing requirements. It also allows for easy scalability to meet fluctuating production demands. 
• Focus on Core Competencies 
  By outsourcing surface grinding, fineblanking manufacturers can focus on their core competencies, improving overall efficiency and productivity. 

While fineblanking produces high-quality parts, partnering with a specialized precision surface grinding service like Alternative Surface Grinding can elevate part quality to meet the most stringent requirements across various industries. Contact us to learn more.  

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ASG: A cut above other finishers    

Alternative Surface Grinding (ASG) is recognized as one of the leading companies offering precision grinding in Cleveland OH. With nearly 60 years of experience in the precision grinding field, ASG provides a wide array of grinding services. 

• Double disc grinding: ASG offers both horizontal and vertical spindle grinders capable of grinding two parallel surfaces in one operation with tolerances as close as .0006 of an inch. ASG can process virtually any material via these machines, including ferrous and non-ferrous metals, plastics, composites, and even rubber parts.  

• Hyprolapping: For maximum surface smoothness, hyprolapping delivers excellent tolerance compliance. ASG offers both single and double-sided lapping, with tolerances to .0002 on an inch.  

• Light band microfinishing: ASG is also highly skilled at light band microfinishing, which combines light band flatness measurement with microfinishing to deliver very high levels of surface flatness on a part surface.  

In addition, ASG offers tumbling and double-face grinding services. It also provides superior superfinishing capabilities. Utilizing a rotating workpiece finished with a moderately soft polishing stone, it is commonly employed on steel parts, but also works with more exotic materials like ceramics, plastics, or titanium. Superfinishing increases part life, reduces wear, achieves tighter tolerances, strengthens load-bearing surfaces, improves sealing performance, and eliminates machine break-in periods. 

From small volumes to millions, ASG delivers!  

From small parts to large and from a few hundred parts to up to a million units, ASG can handle your order and deliver high-quality, perfectly machined finished products when you need them. To learn more about ASG’s capabilities in precision grinding in Cleveland OH, call (330) 273-3443 or contact us. If you’re further along on your project, request a quote.

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Knives see strong growth 

Knife-makers often struggle to finish their wares because of the exotic materials they use and because they introduce new hard-to-work materials every year or so. With demand clustered in specific pockets on the East and West coasts, the knife-smithing industry often requires new grinding setups because the current solutions no longer work with the new exotic materials in the mix. ASG’s seasoned team of engineers and machinists is not only experienced with a variety of part materials but has the in-house capabilities of reconfiguring machines and tooling to quickly adjust to new jobs.  

Medical equipment also sees demand 

The medical equipment sector also remains a strong market for double-disc grinding and hyprolapping processes. Medical equipment requires the tight tolerances achieved by double-disc grinding and hyprolapping. Common applications include pins used in surgery and pacemaker batteries.    

A market niche for these services focuses on thin project pieces of 1mm and below, such as the manufacture of precision shims. The challenge for operators is to avoid overheating the workpiece and maintain precision tolerances.  

Some ASG competitors struggle to continue to provide hyprolapping and double-disc grinding services or to handle tough jobs like finishing ultra-thin workpieces. However, we remain fully committed to providing current and new customers with state-of-the-art superfinishing capabilities.      

Winning the war for talent 

One factor hindering the industry is the scarcity of talent. Some industry observers say a number of independent vendors have stopped offering double disc grinding and hyprolapping services due to their inability to retain skilled workers in this area.  

As industry veterans often confirm, when you’re dealing with double disc grinding, it’s not necessarily a science: it’s an art. An operator needs to understand his or her machine and how to manipulate it to process the product effectively. ASG knows operators are the key to this equation, which is why we invest heavily in training and motivating our people to excel at double disc grinding and hyprolapping.   

ASG offers full double-disc grinding and hyprolapping services that maintain precision tolerances as well as light band microfinishing. To learn more, call (330) 273-3443 or contact us through our website.  

The post The Art and Science of Double-Disc Grinding & Hyprolapping appeared first on Alternative Surface Grinding.

ASG’s strong corporate culture sets us apart 

ASG’s strong company culture is centered around the customer. This focus has been the main reason we have survived and thrived for over fifty years, and why the company remains at the forefront of the industry. Simply put, we are here to serve our customers and we fully recognize our success depends on theirs. 

ASG’s philosophy stipulates that safety and quality always come first; if we deliver on those two mandates, profitability and longevity will follow. And unlike other companies that have been around for a while, we’re not complacent. We focus on being innovative with the energy of a startup and like to say that if we cannot process it, nobody can! 

What ASG stands apart 

What sets us apart from our competitors? Beyond our world-class cost, quality and project turnaround, we have deep experience when it comes to processing exotic materials. The way we work is also unique. We partner with our customers in developing products and processes, ensuring that the result will be exactly what the customer needs. We excel at taking on difficult projects that other shops will not even quote. What sets ASG apart boils down to our commitment to delivering exactly what our customers need, when they need it, at a highly competitive cost.  

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