Method for circumferential grinding of radially non-circular workpieces

A method of grinding workpieces along a non-cylindrical peripheral surface thereof, the method comprising the steps of:

• chucking said workpiece within chucking means, said chucking means having first drive means;
• rotating said workpiece in subsequent revolutions about a first axis under the action of said first drive means;
• displacing a rotating grinding wheel along a second axis intersecting said workpiece surface under the action of second drive means, said second axis extending at an angle with respect to said first axis, for grinding said workpiece surface during said subsequent revolutions along a non-cylindrical contour;
• measuring a predetermined dimension of said workpiece surface for obtaining a dimension value during grinding of said workpiece surface;
• wherein said steps of rotating and displacing are performed simultaneously under numerical control and comprise the sub-steps of:
• loading a data memory of said numerical control with a predetermined number of data sets, each data set corresponding to control signals for actuating said first and said second drive means during one revolution of said workpiece;
• advancing said grinding wheel for bringing same into engagement with said workpiece surface;
• initiating a grinding control program calling a first data set from said memory;
• in a first grinding step displacing said grinding wheel and simultaneously rotating said workpiece under control of said first data set during a first revolution of said workpiece;
• further working said grinding control program by stepwise calling subsequent data sets;
• in further grinding steps further displacing said grinding wheel and simultaneously rotating said workpiece under control of said subsequent data sets during subsequent revolutions of said workpiece;
• comparing said dimension value with a predetermined dimension value during said subsequent revolutions for generating a deviation value;
• comparing said deviation value with a predetermined threshold value;
• and
• jumping within said control program over any remaining subsequent data sets when said deviation value falls below said predetermined threshold value.