This work deals with grinding effects on thin wall ductile iron plates. Residual stresses, shape distortion and surface roughness were measured on thin wall plates of different nodule count, ferritised and afterwards dry ground under several grinding conditions. In all cases, tensile residual stresses are maximum at the surface, and their profile decreases with depth until becoming compressive. No phase transformations can be observed at depths of up to 30 μm below surface, although plastic deformation is visible through nodules and grains enlargement. Distortion increases when the depth of cut and nodule count increase and the workspeed decreases. The mean stresses of the profile tensile zone also increase when the nodule count increases. Surface roughness improves slightly as nodule count increases and workspeed decreases. This tendency is more noticeable when depth of cut decreases. The arithmetic mean roughness (Ra) values obtained were always below 0.8 μm.