Rethinking grinding: Precision meets intelligence

Imagine placing your fingernail on a rotating wheel – and the wheel yields. Not because it is weak, but because it is smart. This is exactly the principle behind one of the most exciting innovations in today’s grinding technology: the elastically bonded diamond grinding wheel. When the hardest material in the world – diamond – is combined with a soft plastic matrix, tools are created that are gentle enough to finish surgical instruments and at the same time precise enough to bring turbine blades to a high gloss. That is not a contradiction. That is engineering.

But elastic grinding tools are only one of many aspects that make grinding in 2026 so exciting. Hybrid machines that erode and grind in a single operation. Artificial intelligence that detects anomalies in the process before humans even notice them. Digital twins that monitor the condition of the coolant lubricant in real time from the cloud. And specialized grinding processes that, for the first time, make the delicate mechanics of humanoid robots ready for series production. Grinding technology is undergoing a fundamental transformation – and its showcase is called Grinding Hub.

From May 5 to 8, 2026, the third edition of Grinding Hub will open its doors in Stuttgart. The VDW (German Machine Tool Builders’ Association) is organizing the trade show in cooperation with Messe Stuttgart and under the patronage of Swissmem. More than 430 exhibitors from 28 countries will showcase what is driving the industry—and where it is heading.

The smarter grinding wheel: when hardness and flexibility work together

It is dark in the grinding gap—this saying still holds true among experts. What actually happens in the grinding process between tool and workpiece is often difficult to grasp, even for experienced process engineers. With elastically bonded diamond tools, however, this darkness is lit up a little: the abrasive medium is embedded homogeneously in a plastic bonding matrix and springs back and forth when it contacts the surface. The grains gently wobble instead of scratching rigidly. The surface is more polished than aggressively ground away.

Jens Meiberg, head of technology development at Grinding Hub exhibitor Artifex Dr. Lohmann GmbH & Co. KG from Kaltenkirchen near Hamburg, sums it up: "Our elastically bonded diamond tools play to their strengths wherever ultra-hard materials such as carbide have to be machined with precision. They are particularly effective in applications where extremely fine surfaces are required, right up to mirror finish."

Artifex is currently focusing on the machining of carbide drilling and milling tools to perfect the cutting edges and enable more efficient chip evacuation. The economic results are compelling: Studies show an increase in tool life of more than 50% compared with unprocessed tools. Combined with faster chip flow and higher chip volume, this gives users a clear advantage in both costs and tool service life.

But how do you control a process that you can hardly see? Dr. Monika Kipp, who heads the grinding technology department at the Institute of Machining Technology at TU Dortmund and was recently awarded the Otto Kienzle memorial medal of the WGP, is conducting intensive research into this question. Her credo: "To avoid unwanted contour changes during fine machining with elastically bonded diamond grinding wheels, understanding the fundamental process interactions is indispensable."

You can imagine it like a choreography: How fast does the grinding tool move? At what angle do the abrasive grains hit the surface? How often does a single grain engage the material? According to Kipp, the three decisive control variables are contact pressure, contact time, and grain size. Those who master them achieve consistently highest surface qualities over the entire life cycle of the tool.

Hybrid processes: The best of both worlds

Grinding alone is often no longer enough. Grinding Hub 2026 impressively demonstrates how demanding individual processes can be combined into hybrid solutions. The principle: Instead of moving a workpiece back and forth between different machines, a single system takes on multiple tasks – often with significantly better results.

The Vollmer Group from Biberach an der Riß is presenting its portfolio of grinding, erosion, and laser machines for ultra-hard cutting materials such as carbide, PCD (polycrystalline diamond), CVD diamond, and PcBN. Tobias Trautmann, managing director of Vollmer Werke Maschinenfabrik GmbH, describes the motivation: "Today, tool manufacturers are striving for ever more efficient ways to produce their tools – including custom designs – and to do so in an automated manner. We support this goal with different sharpening technologies that not only machine ultra-hard cutting materials with precision, but also optimize production processes thanks to digital solutions and AI applications."

A concrete example: For solid PCD tools with complex geometries, it is possible in a single clamping to grind the contours in the carbide and erode the cutting edges in the PCD head. This significantly reduces primary and secondary processing times and creates seamless transitions – without irregularities or steps. Vollmer equips its machines with IoT gateways as standard. AI-based chatbots answer queries about machine utilization and missing parts in real time.

Studer’s WireDress technology, integrated into precise CNC grinding machines for external and internal grinding of cylindrical workpieces, goes one step further. Christoph Plüss, CTO of United Machining Solutions Management AG, explains: "With the WireDress process, metal-bonded diamond or CBN grinding wheels are dressed, profiled, and sharpened directly in the machine using a wire. The dressing operation can take place at the wheel’s full operating speed. This massively reduces non-productive time." The result: productivity increases of up to 70% when grinding high-alloy steels, hard metals, and ceramics.

Liebherr-Verzahntechnik GmbH from Kempten closes the gap between cost-effective hard gear hobbing and high-precision profile grinding with SkiveFinishing. The process combines the kinematics of power skiving with a dressing-free, electroplated CBN tool. Haider Arroum, head of the tools business unit and site manager, explains: "SkiveFinishing combines the flexibility of power skiving with the benefits of CBN hard fine machining. By precisely selecting the CBN grain sizes, it is possible to achieve optimal roughness values and economical processes." The technology covers a broad spectrum, from drivetrain components for e-mobility to heavy-duty gearboxes.

Automation, AI and the grinding standard of tomorrow

Fully automated, data-driven, precise – this is how the guiding vision of modern grinding technology can be described. Marie-Sophie Maier, managing director of Adelbert Haas GmbH in Trossingen, makes the ambition unmistakably clear: "With intelligent automation 4.0, we set the transformation in motion a long time ago. Intelligent, fully automated complete manufacturing has overtaken classic complete machining. Today, extremely high productivity and flexibility are what count, with zero compromises in terms of precision."

At Adelbert Haas, fully automated manufacturing in a closed loop is the standard: 21 shifts per week, unmanned, efficient. The principle of grinding, measuring, grinding – to perfection – sounds simple, but requires a highly complex interaction. Maier is also rethinking service: "Service is not a reaction, but prevention. AI agents analyze machine data in real time, detect anomalies and initiate measures before downtime threatens."

Anca from Melbourne, with its European headquarters in Weinheim, completes the picture. Martin Winterstein, managing director of Anca Europe GmbH, explains: "The goal is to support users in manufacturing competitively under their specific conditions – through high quality, low manufacturing costs and creative solutions." Anca is presenting a server-based system for digital production control – comparable to an air traffic controller for tool manufacturing. For every job, it clearly communicates for each pallet and each machine what needs to be done next.

Prof. Bahman Azarhoushang, head of the KSF Institute at Furtwangen University, clearly identifies the overarching trend: "Current developments in precision grinding technology show a clear move toward continuous, closed control loops at both the machine and process levels. Intelligent grinding technologies mark a decisive step toward robust, self-optimizing manufacturing systems." Integrated sensor packages continuously generate process data, which AI models use to predict grinding wheel wear and forecast component quality.

A growing future market is humanoid robotics. Erwin Junker Maschinenfabrik GmbH from Nordrach offers specialized grinding solutions for transmission components such as joints and drives. Jan Schmid, head of design and project planning, explains: "Our grinding machines guarantee high dimensional and form accuracy, process reliability, and flexibility with high output. Thanks to our many years of experience in thread grinding, we are able to offer customer-specific grinding solutions for all types of threads." Even the smallest internal thread diameters below 10 mm can be machined with process reliability – a level of precision that is indispensable for the next generation of humanoid robots.

The chemistry has to be right: Intelligent coolant monitoring

When grinding, the smallest irregularities determine whether a part is good or scrap. In addition, not only the mechanics but also the chemistry have to be right in the factory. This brings a frequently underestimated component into focus: the coolant lubricant (KSS). It is the link between chemistry and mechanics, and far more than just cooling.

Researchers at Leibniz University Hannover have identified measurable potential. Prof. Berend Denkena, head of the Institute of Production Engineering and Machine Tools (IFW), reports: "Even in the basic investigations, process windows could be identified in which the energy demand during grinding could be reduced by up to 27% without sacrificing workpiece quality or tool wear. At the same time, the cutting performance could be increased by up to 20%."

Lubricant manufacturer Fuchs SE from Mannheim describes four key elements of coolant management: first, preparing a stable emulsion, second, continuously monitoring its condition, third, regular refilling, and fourth, the targeted addition of additives to combat contamination or foam formation. Alexander Kaiser, head of global product line smart services at Fuchs, emphasizes: "Parts of the process can be partially automated or fully automated, which makes sense if the application is stable and not subject to strong fluctuations."

The technical centerpiece is Fuchs' cloud-based service management platform LubeLink FluidsConnect. All production resources and their lubrication points are mapped as digital twins. The current condition, top-up quantities, and the entire maintenance process are recorded centrally. The data is hosted in Germany and regularly audited by independent partners.

For standardized data exchange, the industry relies on the umati (Universal Machine Technology Interface) connectivity initiative based on OPC UA. It enables machines from different manufacturers to communicate with each other and allows coolant and lubricant data to flow seamlessly into cloud platforms. Longer coolant and lubricant service lives also mean less concentrate required, less fresh water, and less disposal effort—a tangible ecological added value.

Grinding Hub 2026: Meeting place for an industry on the move

The stage for all these developments is Grinding Hub 2026 in Stuttgart. The third edition of the trade show, from May 5 to 8, promises the most ambitious program to date: elastic fine finishing tools, hybrid grinding-EDM-laser systems, fully automated closed-loop production, AI-supported process control, and intelligent monitoring of coolants and lubricants—all under one roof, tangible and comparable.

The economic importance of the sector underscores the relevance of the trade fair: In Germany, grinding technology is one of the three most important manufacturing processes in machine tool construction. In 2024, the industry produced machines worth 1.1 billion euros, 80% of which were destined for export. China, the United States and India are the largest sales markets. Worldwide, the production volume of grinding technology amounted to around 5.5 billion euros in 2024.

In the end, it may be the most concise description of grinding technology that best sums up what visitors will experience at Grinding Hub 2026: It is dark in the grinding gap. Yes – but never before have practitioners and researchers had access to so many intelligent tools, sensors and AI models to illuminate this darkness. How far the industry has already come on this path will be demonstrated by the Stuttgart exhibition halls in May.

By Annika Ostermeier using material from VDW