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Industrial superfinishing is defined by a wide range of highly specialized processes – from grinding and honing to superfinishing, lapping, and polishing. With sister companies such as Nagel Technologies, Gehring Technologies, Gehring Diato, KADIA, FLP Microfinishing, O.ERRE.PI. and ELGAN, the Nagel Group brings together this full spectrum of technologies in a uniquely comprehensive portfolio.
In theory, this setup enables seamless coverage of the entire superfinishing value chain – from grinding and honing to superfinishing, lapping, and polishing. Tooling plays a pivotal role: companies such as Gehring Diato and ELGAN develop cutting and abrasive tools based on diamond, CBN, or ceramic materials, each tailored to the specific technology and machining task. The portfolio ranges from grinding wheels for machining hard-coated brake discs to advanced cutting materials designed to generate friction-optimized surfaces.
One roof, many technologies – and the freedom to choose the best solution
The real strength of the Nagel Group, however, lies not only in its technological breadth, but in the structured interaction between its sister companies. Machines, tools, process expertise, and component know-how remain integrated within a single system. For users working with sensitive components – in industries such as automotive, hydraulics, defense, e-mobility, and aerospace – this translates into shorter coordination paths, significantly reduced project complexity, and clear overall responsibility for the machining result, even across multiple technologies.
Process integration in practice: how users benefit from end-to-end solutions
How this technological breadth translates into real-world applications becomes particularly evident in implemented projects across various industries. What matters is not the individual technology, but the targeted combination aligned with specific component requirements.
A case from the aerospace sector illustrates this approach: an international airline group relocated the maintenance of selected axial piston pumps into its own production. The technical focus was on machining function-critical components, particularly the interaction between raceways and pistons. The solution was realized through the coordinated interplay of honing technology from KADIA and superfinishing processes from Nagel Technologies. By directly linking both processes, a stable and reproducible surface quality was achieved – without additional interfaces.
A comparable approach can be seen in the automotive sector at a leading manufacturer of automatic transmissions. Here, too, the process chain is based on the combination of KADIA honing and Nagel superfinishing. In addition to the precise alignment of machining steps, peripheral systems such as cooling and filtration technology were jointly utilized. This integrated process design enabled cost-efficient series production while meeting demanding requirements in terms of dimensional accuracy and surface functionality.
In the bearing industry, the breadth of the portfolio becomes particularly evident. Grinding processes from O.ERRE.PI. are combined with superfinishing technologies from Nagel Technologies to ensure reliable machining of critical components such as inner and outer rings. Additional process steps can be integrated within the group, enabling the mapping of nearly the entire mechanical process chain for bearing production.
Across all examples, one key insight emerges: technical performance is not the result of isolated processes, but of their intelligent integration – precisely aligned with the component, its function, and the production environment.
Technology Diversity as a Modular System for Precision Process Solutions
How this technological breadth translates into high-performance process solutions becomes evident at the machine level—and, above all, in the interaction of individual technologies:
FLP Microfinishing GmbH demonstrates at the GrindingHub, with its new HE series—particularly the HE540—how multiple superfinishing processes can be integrated into a single machine. Fine grinding, lapping, and polishing are combined within a compact architecture specifically designed for thin-walled and geometrically demanding workpieces. By linking planetary processing systems with fine grinding technology, an exceptionally uniform material removal is achieved alongside superior surface quality.
For users, the decisive factor is not only precision but process stability: multiple machining steps can be realized within minimal space, without additional interfaces or part transfers. At the same time, the machine is fully geared toward connected production. End-to-end interfaces enable the acquisition and integration of process data across the entire machining chain. Combined with data-driven and AI-supported analytics, this creates a self-learning system that not only monitors processes but continuously optimizes them—a clear advantage for high-volume manufacturers with stringent requirements for transparency and reproducibility.
In the field of honing, Gehring Technologies presents the Deephone 2000, a horizontal honing machine designed for internal diameters ranging from 20 to 600 mm. The combination of internal cooling supplied directly to the point of engagement and in-process measurement—supported by a specially adapted control system (GHC – Gehring Honing Control)—ensures thermally stable machining with continuous process monitoring.
For large, repeatable production volumes, the adapter rod can optionally be equipped with an air supply system. In interaction with the tool, this enables continuous measurement via air back-pressure sensing, with real-time comparison against the honing control system and immediate corrective action where necessary. The key differentiator lies in the closed control loop: tool, machine, metrology, and digital analytics are seamlessly interconnected so that deviations are not only detected but instantly compensated. For users, this results in significantly reduced process variation and greater planning reliability in series production.
KADIA Produktion GmbH + Co. KG complements this spectrum with the second generation of the E line. This ultra-compact precision honing machine targets applications requiring economically efficient high-performance honing. At its core is the LH2x honing spindle with three direct drives, whose high rigidity enables both powerful and highly precise machining.
In combination with the HMC100 measurement and control technology, a fully regulated process is achieved, including continuous bore scanning. With up to 500 measurement values per millimeter, form deviations can be detected and compensated immediately. For users, this means high dimensional and geometrical accuracy alongside reduced cycle times and minimal tool wear. Expanded workspaces, integrated coolant systems, and optional additional processes such as deburring further enhance operational flexibility.
With solutions such as EcoHone flex, EASYHONE VRX, and the NaShaft Eco superfinishing platform, Nagel Technologies demonstrates how flexible manufacturing concepts can be implemented in practice. Modular machine architectures, standardized interfaces, and short setup times allow rapid adaptation to changing components and batch sizes. Adaptive process controls ensure consistently high surface quality while reducing friction, emissions, and energy consumption of the machined components—delivering clear benefits in both efficiency and sustainability.
In grinding, the sister company O.ERRE.PI. S.r.l. expands the portfolio with the MTD 610 DR-R double-sided surface grinding machine. The system operates with two opposing slides driven by Siemens brushless motors and guided on high-precision roller systems. The grinding spindles are powered by a 30 kW water-cooled asynchronous motor, ensuring constant power output with high thermal stability.
Flexible dressing systems and an automated loading solution guarantee consistent quality and continuous material flow. The Siemens One control system, featuring a large operator panel, is designed for reproducible processes—an essential factor in high-volume production with tight tolerances.
Tool technology plays a central role throughout the entire process chain. Sister companies such as ELGAN Diamantwerkzeuge GmbH & Co. KG and Gehring Diato develop and manufacture diamond and CBN tools as well as precisely matched interface solutions tailored to machine, material, and machining task.
These tools are not standard components but integral parts of the overall process solution. This close coordination creates a deep interlinking of tool and process, which has a decisive impact on process stability, repeatability, and component quality—especially in applications with tight tolerances and high production volumes. Across all sister companies, tools and cutting media are continuously refined and adapted to specific requirements.
The key point: these technologies do not exist in isolation. They can be selectively combined depending on the application—aligned with material, geometry, tolerance requirements, and production volume. “We don’t have to sell a single product,” explains Sören Pöhlsen of the Nagel Group. “Within the group, we select the solution that best fits the customer—both technically and economically.”
For users, this means that instead of being limited to a predefined solution, they benefit from an optimized combination drawn from the entire portfolio. Machine, tool, and process function as an integrated system—an essential prerequisite for stable
results in the micron range, high repeatability, and consistently controlled series production.
Manufacturing Expertise as the Key to Stable Series Production
A key differentiator compared to many market players lies in the consistent manufacturing expertise of the Nagel Group. Machines, tools, and cutting media are not merely supplied—they are specifically developed, adapted, and precisely aligned with the respective machining task. This provides customers with deep process know-how that extends far beyond the individual machine.
In practice, this advantage is most evident in process stability: variations are reduced, operator influence is minimized, and repeatability is significantly increased. At the same time, tools and processes can be rapidly adapted—for example, when introducing new components, changing materials, or meeting higher quality requirements. “Others adapt their process to an existing tool,” says Sören Pöhlsen. “We can modify the tool so that it perfectly fits the process.”
Especially in complex series production environments with tight tolerances, high volumes, and increasing demands for efficiency and sustainability, this capability creates a clear competitive advantage: processes become more robust, ramp-up phases shorter, and total cost of ownership sustainably reduced.
Clear Value for the Industry
For technical professionals, the benefit is clear: the Nagel Group combines technological diversity with deep expertise in precision and process engineering—exactly where it matters most in machining. The result is a coordinated portfolio that enables the realization of precisely the solution that makes the difference in each specific application.
The Nagel Group and its sister companies can be found at Grinding Hub, Hall 10, Booth C.40.
www.nagel.com
