A grinding machine for external cylindrical grinding of hollow shafts may include at least one grinding disc, at least one support disc, and at least two centrings for a face-side fixing of a hollow shaft. At least one of the at least two centrings may be configured as a point. A ruler may be arranged to adjust and hold a position of the hollow shaft during a grinding operation. A rotation axis of the at least one grinding disc and of the at least one support disc may be arranged parallel to one another and define a plane. A rotation axis of the hollow shaft to be ground may extend outside of the plane by a distance of a>12 mm.

A grinding apparatus includes a table that holds a workpiece, and a grinding unit including a grinding wheel mounted to a spindle. The grinding wheel has a grindstone formed by binding abrasive grains with a bonding agent. In addition, the grinding apparatus further includes: a grinding water supply unit that supplies grinding water to at least the grindstone; a light applying unit that is disposed adjacent to the table and that applies light to a grinding surface of the grindstone grinding the workpiece held by the table; and a light applying unit moving section by which the light applying unit can be positioned at a first position on a rotational trajectory of the grinding wheel in the case where the grinding wheel has a first diameter and a second position on a rotational trajectory of the grinding wheel in the case where the grinding wheel has a second diameter.

A shaft member for a fluid bearing device includes, on an outer peripheral surface thereof, two bearing surfaces (31 and 32) separated from each other in an axial direction, and a middle relief portion (33) formed between the bearing surfaces (31 and 32) and having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the bearing surfaces. The middle relief portion (33) includes a cylindrical surface portion (331) having a ground surface, and stepped portions (332) arranged on both axial sides of the cylindrical surface portion and having a diameter difference from the cylindrical surface portion.

A workpiece spindle for a magnetic-shoe external cylindrical grinding machine a spindle for rotating a ring-shaped workpiece, a holding device for holding the ring-shaped workpiece and a hydraulic magnetic core lifting device coupled to the spindle and to the holding device to vary an axial spacing between the holding device and the spindle. The holding device has a magnetic shoe for clamping the ring-shaped workpiece in the holding device.

A machine tool includes a main shaft unit; a polishing head for processing a workpiece; and an unnecessary byproduct leakage preventing unit for preventing leakage of abrasive resulting from processing at or around a part of the workpiece, the part being processed, and wherein the unnecessary byproduct leakage preventing unit includes a cover provided separately from the polishing head, the cover having a structure that is open in three directions and that has walls in another three directions such that a protection space where to hold a part of the workpiece is defined, the cover for receiving the abrasive, and a movement mechanism for moving the cover so as to stay apart from the workpiece while the workpiece is not being processed and so as to have a part of the workpiece held in the protection space while the workpiece is being processed.

A workpiece supporting device (6) includes a base stand (10), a shoe (11) which is disposed on at least one place in a circumferential direction of a workpiece (1a) that is rotationally driven using a rotary drive device (4) and is in sliding contact with a circumferential surface of the workpiece (1a), and a supporting body (12) which supports the shoe (11) with respect to the base stand (10). The supporting body (12) includes a compliant structure portion (a leaf spring (14)) which tilts the shoe (11) in accordance with tilting of the workpiece (1a) with respect to the base stand (10).

A workpiece supporting device (6) includes a base stand (10), a shoe (11) which is disposed on at least one place in a circumferential direction of a workpiece (1a) that is rotationally driven using a rotary drive device (4) and is in sliding contact with a circumferential surface of the workpiece (1a), and a supporting body (12) which supports the shoe (11) with respect to the base stand (10). The supporting body (12) includes a compliant structure portion (a leaf spring (14)) which tilts the shoe (11) in accordance with tilting of the workpiece (1a) with respect to the base stand (10).

A system and method for grinding the exterior of a shaft part with rotationally symmetrical sections and bases which have centering bores and which define a reference longitudinal axis and rotational axis of the shaft part. The shaft part is held between tips which engage into the centering bores during the grinding process using a grinding disk, and the shaft part is additionally supported on the rotationally symmetrical sections by means of a support device. The current diameter values of the rotationally symmetrical sections are measured and transmitted to a controller, by means of which the support device is updated with respect to the measured diameter values while continuously supporting the rotationally symmetrical sections until target dimensions are achieved.

A system and method for grinding the exterior of a shaft part with rotationally symmetrical sections and bases which have centering bores and which define a reference longitudinal axis and rotational axis of the shaft part. The shaft part is held between tips which engage into the centering bores during the grinding process using a grinding disk, and the shaft part is additionally supported on the rotationally symmetrical sections by means of a support device. The current diameter values of the rotationally symmetrical sections are measured and transmitted to a controller, by means of which the support device is updated with respect to the measured diameter values while continuously supporting the rotationally symmetrical sections until target dimensions are achieved.

A method for producing one or more bearing components along a production line, comprising honing the bearing components along the production line, cleaning the bearing components along the production line, grinding the bearing components along the production line, and transporting the bearing components along the production line utilizing one or more transport units.