Usually, when we are carrying out surface grinding, the workpiece can be installed on the rectangular worktable with reciprocating linear motion, or on the circular worktable with circular motion. When the peripheral grinding mode of grinding wheel is adopted, the grinding machine spindle is arranged horizontally; When the grinding wheel end face grinding method is adopted, the grinding machine spindle is arranged vertically. According to the combination of table shape and spindle layout, common surface grinding machine can be divided into the following four categories:

①Vertical spindle circular table surface grinding machine On this machine tool, the grinding wheel rotates as the main motion, the circular worktable rotates as the circular feed motion, and the grinding wheel holder rotates as the continuous radial feed motion and intermittent vertical cut in motion. In addition, the rotary center line of the workbench can be adjusted to the inclined position to facilitate the grinding of the cone surface.②Vertical spindle circular table surface grinding machine On this machine tool, the grinding wheel rotates as the main motion, the circular table rotates as the circular feed motion, and the grinding wheel rack performs intermittent vertical cutting motion.③ Horizontal wheelbase surface grinding machine in this machine tool, the workpiece is held by a rectangular electromagnetic worktable. The grinding wheel makes the main rotary motion, the workbench makes the longitudinal reciprocating motion, and the grinding wheel holder makes the intermittent vertical cut in motion and cross feed motion.④ Vertical shaft torch table surface grinding machine On this machine tool, the grinding wheel makes the main rotary motion, the rectangular worktable makes the longitudinal reciprocating motion, and the grinding wheel rack makes the intermittent vertical cutting motion.

Among the four surface grinding machine mentioned above, the surface grinder with grinding wheel end grinding is more efficient than the surface grinder with wheel flange grinding. However, due to the difficulty in cooling, it is difficult to remove chips, so the roughness and accuracy of machining are poor. Compared with the rectangular table surface grinder, the circular table surface grinder has higher production efficiency, but it can only grind small parts, while the rectangular table surface grinder can grind various common parts, including annular parts whose diameter is smaller than the width of the rectangular table.