Wide-belt grinding machine having a grinding belt which is led over a grinding roll and a tensioning roll, wherein the tensioning roll is adjustable in its position by means of an actuator in such a way that the grinding belt assumes a predetermined position on the grinding roll, the position of an edge of the grinding belt is detected by a position detector, the position detector is configured to generate a continuous measured signal depending on the position of the grinding belt, wherein the wide-belt grinding machine is configured to feed the signal to a closed-loop controller, which controls the actuator continuously in such a way that the grinding belt maintains a predetermined position on the grinding roll, characterized in that an open-loop controller is configured to generate an oscillating signal which is supplied as a reference variable (w) to the closed-loop controller of a control loop, and in that the closed-loop controller is configured to control the actuator in such a way that the grinding belt changes its position in accordance with the time profile of the reference variable (w) in order to produce a predefined grinding pattern on a surface of a workpiece that is constantly moved forward, wherein the workpiece is moved under the grinding roll and the grinding roll presses the grinding belt onto the workpiece to be ground, wherein, as a result of a constant forward movement of the workpiece, a grinding pattern is produced on its surface which, in the settled state of the control loop, follows the time profile of the reference variable (w) to a close approximation, wherein the open-loop controller comprises a programmable function generator, which is configured to generate periodic and non-periodic signals which form the oscillating signal as a reference variable (w), and wherein a plurality of grinding patterns and the associated signal profiles for the oscillating signal are stored in a memory and, when one of the grinding patterns is selected, the open-loop controller feeds the associated signal profile to the closed-loop controller as the reference variable (w). wherein the tensioning roll is adjustable in its position by means of an actuator in such a way that the grinding belt assumes a predetermined position on the grinding roll, the position of an edge of the grinding belt is detected by a position detector, the position detector is configured to generate a continuous measured signal depending on the position of the grinding belt, wherein the wide-belt grinding machine is configured to feed the signal to a closed-loop controller, which controls the actuator continuously in such a way that the grinding belt maintains a predetermined position on the grinding roll, characterized in that an open-loop controller is configured to generate an oscillating signal which is supplied as a reference variable (w) to the closed-loop controller of a control loop, and in that the closed-loop controller is configured to control the actuator in such a way that the grinding belt changes its position in accordance with the time profile of the reference variable (w) in order to produce a predefined grinding pattern on a surface of a workpiece that is constantly moved forward, wherein the workpiece is moved under the grinding roll and the grinding roll presses the grinding belt onto the workpiece to be ground, wherein, as a result of a constant forward movement of the workpiece, a grinding pattern is produced on its surface which, in the settled state of the control loop, follows the time profile of the reference variable (w) to a close approximation, wherein the open-loop controller comprises a programmable function generator, which is configured to generate periodic and non-periodic signals which form the oscillating signal as a reference variable (w), and wherein a plurality of grinding patterns and the associated signal profiles for the oscillating signal are stored in a memory and, when one of the grinding patterns is selected, the open-loop controller feeds the associated signal profile to the closed-loop controller as the reference variable (w).