glossary
Spark Out — Industry Glossary Entry
Definition of spark-out in industrial blade grinding: the final pass at zero infeed that removes residual stress and produces a stable surface finish.
Spark Out is the final pass of a grinding cycle at zero infeed, where the wheel continues to contact the rotating workpiece but does not advance further. Spark-out removes the residual stress left by the last infeed pass and produces a stable, repeatable surface finish.
How to use spark-out
- Always include 2–3 spark-out passes at the end of any grinding cycle
- On a precision slitter, increase to 4–6 passes for the cleanest finish
- Spark-out does not extend grinding time meaningfully — a 2-second spark-out is 2 seconds
- Skip spark-out only on roughing passes where finish does not matter
See also.
