The phenomenon of mechanical vibration is critical for the operational efficiency of a planer grinding machine. In the present research, we show how to apply the finite element method to analyze the dynamic characteristics of a grinding machine during the design stage. The process of analysis can be divided into three parts: first of all, each component is analyzed by the finite element method separately, the dynamic characteristics of different designs are compared and the better one is chosen; secondly, the various finite element models for each component are assembled into a single model for the whole machine, the normal mode analysis is performed and the validation of model is confirmed; finally, the frequency response function of the relative displacement between cutter and specimen due to cutting force is calculated, which can be used to evaluate the dynamic rigidity and cutting stability of the grinding machine.