Tolerances as Tight as 0.0002”: Finishing That Drives Reliability and Reduces Downtime
When your equipment demands peak performance, precision grinding and finishing aren’t optional — they’re mission-critical. In high-spec applications, surface finish, geometry, and size directly affect wear resistance, vibration control, and coating performance. At HFW Industries, we understand that when it comes to reliability, every micron counts.
With over 70 years of experience, we’ve mastered precision finishing for the world’s most demanding industries, including power generation, oil & gas, and chemical processing. While many know us as “the coating people,” precision grinding is a core, stand-alone capability that sets HFW apart.
Take a Look Inside Our Plant: Precision Finishing Gallery
Cincinnati Grinder Finishing of a Turbine Shaft
Internal Diameter Grinding
Precision Finishing of a Turbine Rotor
Why Precision Grinding Can Outperform Machining for Critical Applications
When working with hard materials like duplex stainless steel, ceramics, and exotic alloys, machining alone can fall short. Critical components require precision grinding to achieve the tolerances and surface finishes that machining cannot deliver. Grinding offers:
- Exceptional surface finish: Essential for coating adhesion and minimizing wear
- Minimal runout: Vital for bearing diameters where even slight imperfections cause vibration
- Precision sizing: Ensures precise fits and reduces vibration for longer equipment life
The more perfectly a shaft or bearing spins, the more reliable your equipment will be. Vibration is a significant threat to performance — and precision grinding keeps your equipment running smoothly.
Comprehensive Grinding Capabilities at HFW
Our skilled tradespeople and advanced equipment provide comprehensive repair and manufacturing solutions, including:
Cylindrical Grinding:
- Conventional: up to 30” diameter swing x 288” long
- CNC: up to 12” diameter swing x 80” long
Internal Diameter (ID) Grinding:
- Up to 36” ID x 24” stroke (part geometry can influence capacity)
Surface Grinding:
- 12” x 24” table
Superfinishing:
- Down to 2 Ra surface finish
Honing:
- Up to 36” ID
These machines and capabilities allow us to handle complex, tight-tolerance, and high-performance applications every day.
Specialty Service: Internal Diameter Grinding (ID)
ID grinding is a specialty at HFW, essential for tight tolerances on housings, bearing diameters, and inner seals. Our experts routinely achieve 0.0002” tolerances on parts ranging from 1” to 36” ID. ID grinding ensures precision fits and superior surface finishes often unattainable through machining alone.
Machine Spotlight: Palmary CNC Cylindrical Grinder
In 2024, we invested in a state-of-the-art Palmary CNC cylindrical grinder. This machine will enhance our precision finishing capabilities and throughput.
Machine Specs:
- 16” swing
- 80” centers
- 660 lbs capacity
What this means for you:
- Improved ability to finish parts to tight tolerances and fine surface finishes
- Increased capacity on our machines, resulting in faster lead times due to higher throughput
How Perfectly Do Your Shafts Spin? EMRO Testing Can Find Out
Unwanted shaft movement can cause vibration, wear, and premature failure. Mechanical runout measures shaft roundness, but some applications require deeper insight into electrical runout, impacted by material chemistry and heat treatment.
Electrical mechanical runout (EMRO) testing, offered by HFW, uses proximity sensors to measure both mechanical and electrical runout, providing a comprehensive assessment of shaft condition to ensure optimal performance.
Industries & Applications We Serve
We support high-reliability components in some of the world’s most demanding sectors, including:
Chemical Industry
We work with everyone from plant sub-suppliers to Fortune 500 companies, reconditioning or manufacturing:
- Mixer Components
- Pump Shafts & Housings
- Extruders, Seals, Plungers
- Centrifuges & Hydraulic Rams
- Various Styles of Processing Rolls
Power Generation
From utilities to OEMs, we keep power equipment operating under harsh conditions:
- Turbine & Turbocompressor Shafts
- Inlet Pipes, Valve Components
- Seal & Bearing Housings
- Pistons, Rods, Rotor Assemblies
Oil & Gas
Our work in refining and upstream/downstream operations includes:
- Compressor Rods & Pistons
- Shaft Sleeves & Spacers
- Journal & Thrust Housings
- Seal Housings & Balance Pistons
Turbomachinery
From routine maintenance to emergency repairs, our grinding precision supports high-speed rotational performance where it matters most.
Fast Responses. One Source. No Excuses.
Downtime is costly. HFW’s one-source model—precision grinding, thermal spraying, machining, hardfacing, and assembly all under one roof—delivers speed and reliability when it counts.
- In one case, we delivered an emergency quote for a large shaft assembly in just 25 minutes, showcasing our rapid response capabilities. Our typical turnaround time for quotes is just 1–3 business days.
- When a power generation OEM needed to move up a delivery by nearly two weeks, we not only met the new date but shipped the order a week early—helping the company save the day with a major client.
When downtime isn’t an option, count on HFW to deliver fast, precise, and reliable service.
Why Choose HFW?
- Precision: Tolerances down to 0.0002”
- Capability: Over 15 precision grinding/finishing machines
- Speed: Emergency and short lead times available
- Expertise: 70+ years supporting critical manufacturing
- One Source: Integrated grinding, coating, machining, and assembly
- Trust: Long-term relationships with Fortune 500 companies and OEMs
Ready to Discuss Your Project?
Whether you need a high-volume batch or a one-off critical part, our engineers are ready to discuss your precision grinding and finishing needs.
📞 Call us at (716) 875-3380 or use our Contact Form
📧 Email: RFQ@hfwindustries.com
Explore Our Precision Grinding/Finishing Knowledge Base:
- Precision Grinding at HFW — A look inside our plant detailing HFW's CNC grinding and precision finishing capabilities
- What is Electrical Mechanical Runout (EMRO)? — Learn how EMRO shaft inspection can help ensure operations run smoothly
- How Does HFW Extend the Life of Turbomachinery? — Learn about HFW's one-source repair and manufacturing strategy, including grinding, for turbines, rotors, and other turbomachinery equipment
Here, you can see HFW's Cincinnati cylindrical grinder with a capacity 30" x 24 feet between centers. This machine has conventional and diamond grinding wheels, a VersaGrind Belt Finishing system for finishing carbide and ceramic coatings, and taper grinding capabilities. It complements our existing high precision grinding and machining capabilities.