Blanchard Grinding (Rotary Surface)

Blanchard grinding employs rotary actions: the worktable rotates counterclockwise while the abrasive wheel spins clockwise. This process ensures a uniform size and surface finish for all workpieces. The Blanchard Machine Company introduced the pioneering vertical spindle rotary table surface grinder in 1909, leading to what we now recognize as “Blanchard Grinding.”

Blanchard rotary surface grinding stands out for efficiently removing substantial amounts of stock from flat surfaces. Typically, only one side is processed, with ferrous materials held in place by a magnetic chuck during grinding. Non-ferrous materials can be ground too, but they require specialized work-holding techniques. While the hallmark of Blanchard Grinding is its distinct cross-hatched surface finish, typically within a 32-125 RMS range, Nelson Grinding can achieve even finer finishes.

Blanchard grinding (rotary surface) excels in its large stock removal capacity on flat surfaces. While ferrous materials are anchored on a magnetic chuck, the other surface is ground. Grinding usually focuses on one side at a time. Unique work-holding methods are needed for non-ferrous materials. The typical cross-hatched finish left by Blanchard Grinding is in the 32-125 RMS range, though smoother finishes are attainable. Our Blanchard Grinders can achieve dimensional tolerances of +/- .001″, ensuring both parallelism and flatness.

Owing to the considerable horsepower used in Blanchard Grinders, they are perfect for swiftly removing large amounts of material. Large components, like steel plates, castings, and weldments, are often more economically sized through this method than other machining techniques. Multiple passes may be needed to optimize flatness by uniformly relieving internal stresses. Blanchard Grinding ensures consistency, accelerates the processing of large parts, and is a time-efficient solution.