For manufacturers working in the world’s most demanding industries and grinding the most complex parts in history, forging effective partnerships with suppliers and OEMs is key to success. Bringing together a team of experts to create optimized processes can be a chore, however, so a ready-made partnership can be a huge help. And at Meister Abrasives, we’re proud to work with Supfina Machine Company Inc. to help customers achieve outstanding quality with high-precision grinding applications.
Naturally, as a company specializing in advanced abrasive solutions, Meister has had numerous occasions to collaborate with Supfina, which offers a range of abrasive machining solutions for manufacturers that need incredibly precise and fine surface finishes. But this partnership is far closer than the occasional consultation on a new process. Perhaps the best illustration of how closely Meister and Supfina work together is the addresses of their U.S. headquarters: Meister is at 201 Circuit Drive, and Supfina is a short walk down the road – next door in fact – at 181 Circuit Drive.
This close proximity is no accident – when Meister began its search for a new location in the late 90’s, Supfina’s German management suggested the site next door to its own new branch in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. If a Supfina engineer needs to consult with Meister on an abrasive solution that’s well-suited for a tough superalloy, it’s a quick meeting between neighbors. In fact, it’s often a quick meeting between classmates, as both companies are staffed by engineers trained at local schools like the University of Rhode Island.
“The partnership has truly stood the test of time over the decades, and our resolute collaboration has helped our customers achieve even more success,” said Dan Weiner of Supfina. “In fact, collaboration is a big part of our process. Early on, when we’re quoting a test or a new machine, we’ll bring Meister in when we believe their specific application expertise will help our customers meet their manufacturing goals.”
In recent years, Supfina and Meister have had particular success with their collaboration on Supfina’s fine grinding solutions. These specialized machines offer micron-scale part finishes with outstanding throughput for high-volume parts ranging from ceramic bearings for aerospace manufacturers to steel pump components for fuel injection manufacturers. 
Fine grinding machines like Supfina’s Spiro F5, F7 and F12 provide this level of productivity thanks to processing areas that use large-diameter grinding wheels for precise plane parallelism – as well as abrasive solutions designed by their partners at Meister.
For fine grinding applications, Meister has developed numerous vitrified bonds for the various materials that have been encountered in fine grinding projects. Whether tough advanced ceramics that demand a porous diamond wheel or a hardened steel component that requires a very fine surface finish utilizing CBN, Meister’s technology allows for custom solutions to match the customer’s needs.
The partnership works in both directions, naturally. “Because of their proximity and our close relationship, we’re often able to develop a process together in-person. This increases the level of support Meister engineers are able to supply to the customer after the machine has been delivered.” said Patrick Roberts, sales manager at Meister. “We’ve even collaborated for our IMTS booths, with Supfina fine grinding machines fitted with Meister wheels, and we’re excited that our companies are developing the grinding technology of the future for these demanding industries.”
To learn more about Supfina and its fine grinding technology, visit www.supfina.com/us. And visit the Meister website to learn more about the abrasive solutions that ensure shops get the best results from their advanced machines.
