Metal finishing apparatus and process

Apparatus for finishing a surface of an annular metal part comprising a loading area where the type of part and set-up position are verified, and a working area downstream of said loading area for receiving the part after verification at the loading area, said working area including roller supports engageable with an intermediate portion of the part for supporting the part for rotation, and metal finishing tools adjacent opposite sides of the part for performing finishing operations on opposite sides of the part simultaneously while the part is being rotated, said roller supports at said working area comprising a pair of lower idler rollers which engage an intermediate portion of the part for supporting the part for rotation, and upper driving rollers movable into engagement with the intermediate portion of the part with a predetermined pressure for rotating the part to a controlled preset process speed.

Apparatus for finishing a surface of an annular metal part comprising a loading area where the type of part and set-up position are verified, and a working area downstream of said loading area for receiving the part after verification at the loading area, said working area including roller supports engageable with an intermediate portion of the part for supporting the part for rotation, and metal finishing tools adjacent opposite sides of the part for performing finishing operations on opposite sides of the part simultaneously while the part is being rotated, said metal finishing tools comprising primary finishing tools for performing primary finishing operations on the part, said primary finishing tools being axially movable toward and away from opposite sides of the part and also radially movable relative to the part, and secondary finishing tools at the working area circumferentially spaced from the primary finishing tools for performing secondary finishing operations on the part simultaneously during the primary finishing operations.

A process for finishing the surface of an annular metal part comprising the steps of positioning the part at a loading area, verifying the type and set-up of the part at the loading area, transferring the verified part from the loading area to a working area downstream of the loading area, rotating the part at the working area while the part is being supported at an intermediate portion of the part, leaving opposite sides of the part exposed for finishing, and while the part is being rotated, simultaneously finishing opposite sides of the part, and loading another part at the loading area and verifying the size and style of the part at the loading area while a previously loaded part is being finished at the working area.

A process for finishing the surface of an annular metal part comprising the steps of setting the part up at a loading area, measuring critical surfaces of the part after set-up and verifying the type of part against pre-programmed values in a process controller to verify the type of part and set-up position at the loading area, transferring the verified part from the loading area to a working area downstream of the loading area, rotating the part at the working area while the part is being supported at an intermediate portion of the part, leaving opposite sides of the part exposed for finishing, and while the part is being rotated, simultaneously finishing opposite sides of the part.