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Emag (Farmington Hills, Michigan) is applying the vertical grinding concept in a new way for long workpieces such as automotive camshafts. The concept uses dual, opposing grinding wheels that cut simultaneously. The prime advantage is that the axial forces created by the wheels are directed toward each other, so they are canceled.
Video of the company’s VTC machine grinding a camshaft shows the two grinding spindles moving in X and Z axes on independent, compound slides as they complete camshaft lobes. Located vertically between the two spindles, the camshaft is secured from below by a fixed tailstock center and from above by a moveable work-head center. This provides the wheels with ample access to the workpiece to allow simultaneous grinding from both the left and the right sides.