Every business has a story to tell: the what, who, where, when, and the why as to the origins of someone’s vision for what can be. Today, Indiana Precision Grinding is a world-class precision grinding supplier to the aerospace industry and to many more. However, in 1975, IPG made its initial launch with a focus on only one type of grinding process - Centerless Grinding. In this month’s blog, we will provide a snapshot of the original focus of IPG as the Centerless Grinding Company.
The original Centerless Grinding Company sign from 1975.
EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT CENTERLESS GRINDING
Why Did Centerless Grinding Company Start?
David Cox, owner of Indiana Precision Grinding, recalls the vision of launching a precision grinding shop by his father. “In 1975, Indiana Precision Grinding was founded by my father, Bill Cox, as Centerless Grinding Company. Bill was a journeyman tool and die maker and a machinist, who was then managing the plant operations at an Indianapolis aerospace parts manufacturer. Bill was aware of the centerless grinding process and would often source this work to regional providers of this service. What he found in these providers was poor service and quality. Wanting to start his own shop, Bill knew that purchasing a mill and lathe to begin machining was something all his friends were doing, so he elected to go into the centerless grinding business.”
How Did Bill Cox Learn to Perform Centerless Grinding?
With an entrepreneurial vision and a blue-collar work ethic, Bill Cox would pursue to learn a process that he believed would serve the Indianapolis machining industry. David Cox recalls Bill’s determination: “Without ever even seeing a centerless grinder, let alone operate one, Bill purchased a Cincinnati #2 centerless grinder, and had it moved into a small building at 823 S Chadwick in Indianapolis, Indiana. With his machining background, he simply figured out how to make it work.”
Centerless Grinding Company at 823 S. Chadwick Street in Downtown Indianapolis.
Where Did Centerless Grinding Company Begin?
Bill located a small building on 823 S. Chadwick Street in the heart of downtown Indianapolis. From 1975 to 1984, Centerless Grinding Company operated out of this small building before moving to our current location. If you were to stand at the Chadwick Street location today, you would be within walking distance of Lucas Oil Stadium. Current IPG CEO Matthew Cox can barely recall visiting the original Centerless Grinding Company as a small boy. “As a small child I can recall a few memories of visiting the Centerless Grinding shop to see my grandfather, father, and uncle. My brother and I were very young during this time. The smell of the shop, as well as the red shop rags are a few of the memories I remember on Chadwick Street.”
What Have We Learned from Over 45 Years of Experience Performing Centerless Grinding?
David Cox shares that “Centerless grinding provides a unique solution for customers who are manufacturing cylindrical parts requiring close dimensional tolerances and low surface finishes. Centerless grinding is a highly productive process for a range of parts from small dowel pins to large bushings and long bars.” David Cox is the only current IPG employee who was employed at the original Centerless Grinding Company and at IPG today.
Jeff Stidd has been a part of Team Precision for over 35 years. Most of his time has been spent setting up and operating centerless grinding machines. Jeff shared that learning how different types of material and hardness specifications perform while being processed through centerless grinding has been one of the key points of emphasis for him. “If parts have any warpage at all when we receive them here at IPG for centerless grinding, they will present challenges for you during grinding,” Jeff shared.
What Types of Centerless Grinding Does IPG Still Offer Today?
Today Indiana Precision Grinding offers 3 main types of centerless grinding: thru-feed centerless, in-feed centerless, and centerless bar grinding. IPG currently has 3 thru-feed grinding machines, 3 in-feed grinding machines, and 1 bar grinding machine. Although we have expanded our grinding services over the past 46 years, centerless grinding is still a vital part of our operations today.
In Conclusion:
IPG strives to support many manufacturing industries with world-class precision grinding services. We are very grateful for our humble beginning on Chadwick Street, and we aspire to continue to grow our knowledge of centerless grinding, along with other services we provide to central Indiana and across our entire country. The entrepreneurial vision that launched Centerless Grinding Company still breathes today at IPG. We are excited to continue our journey with a vision towards becoming an innovative world-class leader in the aerospace industry.
