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What are Abrasive Wheels?
The first thing we need to know is what are Abrasive Wheels? They are kind of powered wheels used in grinder machines in workshops. Abrasive Wheel is made of small abrasive particles like that of grit.
Grit or similar particles are used to make them stick together by a special bonding material to form wheel structures of different thickness.
What all to consider before using Abrasive Wheels?
Before using a grinder, there are a few things; it should consider which. These factors are:
Speed Rating: The running speed of a grinder should always be checked from that of a wheel. As the grinder's running speed should never be more than the wheel’s maximum speed, it may cause damage to the wheel.
Abrasive Wheels Course: It is better to be well versed in the knowledge of abrasive wheels handling the environment.
Wheel Integrity: Every wheel should be checked properly before making it operational.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): The safety of the individual is of foremost concern, so the individual has to wear protective goggles and safety mask when the machine is in use.
What are the benefits of Abrasive Wheels?
By grinding, we understand it as the usage of solid abrasive wheels to shape or finish a particular material. The main benefits of using abrasive wheels are:
It can cut hardened steel.
It can produce smooth finishes.
The time taken is less.
It can maintain accuracy in each case.
It requires very little pressure.
These grinding machines are aptly suited for cutting high-quality alloy steels.
Increased Grinding productivity.
What is the specification?
A typical grinding wheel specification consists of the grit type, the grit size, the hardness, the structure and the bond. A typical grinding wheel specification would be A60-I10-VS. 'A' is the grit type (aluminium oxide), '60' is the grit size, 'I' is the relative hardness, '10' is the structure, and 'VS' is the type bond.
What is the grit type?
Grit type is aluminium oxide (white, pink, ruby red, brown, grey, etc.) silicon carbide (black or green), ceramic (blue and pink) or any combination of these. Grit types are sometimes mixed in combination for achieving certain cutting characteristics. Aluminium oxide is friable (white) or semi-friable (pink, brown and grey, red, etc.). Friable grit breaks down more easily and is useful for cutting harder materials.
What is grit size?
Grit size typically runs from coarse (16 -24 grit), medium (36 - 60 grit) and fine (80-120 grit). Superfine grits run from 150 and higher. Grinding wheels usually will be between 24 and 100 grit. Honing stones and jointing stones and other polishing abrasives will be 150 grit and higher. Use a coarse grit for fast, aggressive stock removal and finer grits for less stock removal but better surface finish.
What is the hardness?
Hardness is rated from A-Z with 'A' being the weakest bond and 'Z' being the strongest. A weak bond is preferred for grinding harder materials while a stronger bond is desired for softer materials. A typical weak bond for steel would be in the 'F, G or H' range. A medium hardness would be in the 'I, J or K' range. And stronger bonds in the 'L, M, or O' range. Hardness is dependent on the grit type, the material being ground, the amount of stock removed, and a number of other factors.
What is the structure?
Structure is basically the spacing between abrasive grains. An open structure would be 12 or higher while a closer structure would be 6 or so. Here again, the structure depends on a variety of factors, not the least of which is how difficult the material is to grind.
What is the bond type?
There are various bond types but the most common are vitrified and resin. Vitrified wheels are commonly used for bench, surface and tool room applications such as surface grinding while resin wheels are commonly seen in cut-off wheels, centerless wheels and super abrasive wheels (diamond & CBN).
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