Grinding is one of the most important industrial processes. Grinding wheels are used in plenty across wide array of industries. The grinding tool being employed for the various purposes are as good as the wheel fitted to them. For the abrasive machining operation purpose one will have a number of options to choose from – saucer wheel, tapered wheel, straight wheel, and diamond grinding wheel. If one is looking for the best among the lot, diamond grinding wheel should be the ideal choice. Embedded with industry grade diamonds, these wheels provide the best result and is used by almost every top manufacturing unit across the globe.
Types of diamond grinding wheels
Diamond grinding wheels are well known to provide the sharpest and the toughest grinding result, and also work with precision. As an added advantage over the other options, diamond grinding wheels are heavy duty and long lasting as well, making investment on them worthwhile. However, there are a variety of diamond grinding wheels available in the market. Classification of diamond grinding wheel is done based on its shape, grit size, bond, and concentration. While getting a diamond grinding wheel it is important to find the perfect one suiting the purpose.
If we look at the industrial preference, the diamond and CBN wheel tops the chart. There is further classification of this type of wheel as well. The variations include vitrified, resin, electro-plated, and metal. Depending on the type of grinding needed and purpose of application, different types of wheels are used.
The most popular among all types is the resin bonded diamond grinding wheels. A large number of production applications require this type of wheel and almost every tool room has this type of wheel. It has got wide range of usage and application.
Both vitrified and metal bond diamond grinding wheels are specialised variations and have specific usage. These are not used widely and are actually rare to come by. In general these types of grinding wheels are custom made to suit the specific need of the specific workshop. The price is also high for these types of wheels.
For the low demanding abrasive grinding processes, such as that of plastics, the electroplated bonded diamond grinding wheels are perfect. Cut-off wheels generally use electro-plated variations.
Various types of grinding wheels are present for various purposes. Most of the time one type of grinding wheel can only be used for a specific grinding purpose. If the perfect grinding wheel is not used, chances are high that the result will not be as per requirement. Surface, material, and quality of grinding needed defines the type of grinding wheel that will be used for the purpose. Having an in-depth knowledge about the application of each type of wheel available will better help in determining which type of wheel will suit the specific need.
Super abrasive variety of grinding wheel
CBN and Diamond wheels are the most widely used varieties and suit almost every purpose. However, if the grinding to be done is that of carbide, diamond wheels should be the choice. CBN wheels are suited in case of grinding of steel. There are manufacturers who provide unique grits which will suit both steel and carbide grinding. These are perfect for those who have a variety of grinding to do and do not wish to invest on various types of grinding wheels.
Factors to determine which type of grinding wheel to use
- Hardness of item
– The first thing to check will be the hardness of the item to be grinded. It is important to ensure that, the grinding wheel will be able to handle the hardness of the surface which will be grinded. For non-ferrous and hard metals (the ones besides iron and steel), if the requirement is to remove large amount of metal from the surface, best choice will be synthetic diamond grinding wheel. If grinding is to be dome of iron or steel, CBN grinding wheel should be used. For grinding of soft metals, alumina-zirconia grinding wheels should be chosen. - Rotation speed
–Having decided the hardness, it is important to check the speed of rotation of the wheel. Grinding apparatus comes with speed of rotation ratings, which is written in meters per second. It is important to check this and make sure that the bonding of the wheel will not come undone while being used. - Type of grinding
–The purpose of the grinding will require different type of grinding. So it is important to decide whether to opt for wet grinding or dry grinding. Wet grinding is for precision cutting. Moderate grinding can be achieved using the dry grinding method.
Coarseness of wheel
–Coarseness of the diamond grinding wheel needs to be checked while selecting. The coarseness gives the idea about the amount of metal that is going to be removed in the process of grinding. If the requirement is that of having a faster cutting, coarse grit should be the choice. In case of fine quality cut fine grit is necessary.
How to select the right grinding wheel manufacturer
After having made all the choices and finally arriving at the right type of diamond grinding wheel that will be needed, it is important to check for the right manufacturer. In many cases stock items do the job. However, there is requirement of specialised jobs at times which will need the diamond grinding wheels to be made specifically for the purpose. Not all manufacturers provide the finest quality custom made diamond grinding wheels. Also, the stock diamond grinding wheels available from every manufacturer is not of the highest standard or quality. Depending upon the requirement, it is best to find the right product from the right company which will be financially viable option as well as not compromise on the quality of output.
Experience of manufacturer – In the process of selection of the right diamond grinding wheel manufacturer the foremost thing to check is the years of service it has been providing. Long service along with high reputation is generally the mark of providing exceptional service and product over the years and makes them reliable. One of the best examples is Zhengzhou Forture Tools Co. Ltd. in China. Forture Tools have provided close to two decades of exceptional service in terms of providing the best abrasive tools to the various industries across the country. Their USP has been the high quality abrasive tools, such as diamond grinding wheels and others, being manufactured using world class techniques and ensuring superior finish and quality, which is much better than the ones manufactures locally. While not going over the top with the price, Forture Tools have actually made it possible for the local businesses to have international grade abrasive tools within affordable range.
Approach of manufacturer – A company which treats creating the diamond grinding wheel more like some form of art rather than a monotonous engineering process will always ensure that each piece is finely crafted and provides the best result. It is these companies which should be chosen while selecting the available options in the market.
Technology used by manufacturer – The equipments involved in creation of the diamond grinding wheels must be always of the finest quality to ensure that the product is perfect. State of the art facilities need to be employed. Not every company can ensure that every abrasive tool being manufactures by them will meet international standards. However, companies like Forture tools actually do so. Their rich client base, which also includes many from other countries, makes sure that their products meet the standards that are globally acceptable. Industrial standards can be checked at any point of time and the specifications should always be mentioned in the abrasive tool being sold. One should compulsorily check these specifications to ensure that it meets the standard requirements.
Special service provider check – Not all manufacturers provide custom jobs. However, with the changing needs of different industries and the need to have precision results, it is important that the different organizations use the tools which will perfectly suit their specific purposes. Even diamond grinding wheels need to be manufactured depending upon the surface to be grinded. However, if the material being grinded is custom made, there is high probability that stock diamond grinding wheels will not serve the purpose or provide the quality that is being needed. For that purpose it is essential to give the right specifications to the abrasive tool manufacturer and get the diamond grinding wheel made to specification. Forture Tools have been providing excellent customised diamond grinding wheels and other abrasive tools for years to various industries.
Types of diamonds used in manufacturing
Technology is ever changing and developing every industry. Even in case of diamond grinding wheel manufacturing, the diamonds being used itself is changing properties. This is not the usual changing of the diamonds being used. Technology has reached the stage wherein it is possible to produce diamonds artificially of the required standards. Globally 80% of the diamonds being mined does not meet the standards needed for ornamental purpose. Thus, these are separated from the lot and put to other use. Hardness of diamond and the precision cutting property has made it highly popular in the abrasive tool manufacturing industry. These diamonds are utilised for the production of grinding wheels and many more abrasive tools. Besides this, to bring down the cost, artificial diamonds are also being made for industrial use. High Pressure High Temperature Diamonds or HPHT Diamonds are quite well known across the industry, which are prepared artificially and replaces the natural diamond, thereby reducing the cost of manufacturing the tools.
Hyper diamond variety
Benefits of modern technology in diamond grinding wheel
Since newer and better technology almost always helps in cutting down overall cost and time in finishing any job, even in case of selecting the company manufacturing abrasive tools it is better to opt for the company which employs most recent technologies in the manufacturing of its tools.
Forture Tools have made its name in the global market as one of the best manufacturers of diamond grinding wheels and other abrasive tools. Product variety is also pretty high and ensures availability of all types of batch products which will suit the needs of the various industries.
It is not only in the interest of the industries to use diamond grinding wheels and tools, even in case of grinding required for domestic purpose diamond grinding wheels are the best. Foremost benefit is that diamond grinding wheels will generate far less dust as compared to concrete or other type of grinding wheels. Precision grinding is always ensured and finish is perfectly smooth. It also offers versatility to the user. There is also very little allergen associated with this type of grinding wheel. Since the work is being done within domestic premise health is always a major concern. Having allergen free grinding wheel ensures safety. Lastly, but not any less important, is the fact that diamond grinding wheels require very less maintenance. This effectively reduces the cost of using one of these.
So, take the smart decision and get the right diamond grinding wheel.