How to Buy a Grinding Wheel?

When it comes to grinding applications in metalworking, you will find a wide variety of products to choose from. Choosing the wrong one can easily cost you time and money, so make sure you’ve covered everything before making that purchase.


When looking to buy a grinding wheel in particular, first consider the material that you intend to use it on. This will tell you the type of abrasive that you’ll need in the wheel. Take a look at the information about the top grinding wheels, see page now.


For example, if you’re grinding steels and their alloys, you can use either aluminum oxide or zirconia alumina. Non-ferrous metals and cast iron, along with non-metals, are best ground using a silicon carbide abrasive.


Hard and brittle materials often need a wheel that has a fine grit size and a softer grade. Hard materials contradict the force of abrasive grains, dulling them pretty quickly.


In other words, when you combine a finer grit and a softer grade, fresh and sharp cutting points become available as the abrasive grains become dull and separate. If the material you want to grind is ductile and easily penetrable, you should go for a wheel with a coarse grit and a hard grade.


Another consideration for buying a grinding wheel is the amount of stock to be taken out. With coarser grits, penetration is deeper and cuts are heavier, which means stock removal is quicker as well. But if the material is too tough, you can use a slightly finer grit wheel, which has more cutting points, for faster cuts. Read more about grinding wheel machine.


Faster cuts can be achieved using a wheel with vitrified bonds. For smaller stock removal or if finish requirements are higher, choose resin, shellac or rubber bonds.


When picking a wheel bond, also consider the wheel speed in operation. Vitrified wheels should only run at a maximum of 6,500 surface feet per minute or the bond could break. Organic bond wheels enjoy the most demand, running anywhere from 6,500 to 9,500 surface feet per minute.


If a higher speed is needed, wheels can be custom-made for the specific purpose. In any case, never go faster than the safe operating speed - probably expressed in rpm or sfm - stated on the wheel or its blotter.


Yet another consideration to be made when buying a grinding wheel is the contact area between it and the workpiece. A bigger area will necessitate a softer grade and a coarser grit, if only to ensure free gliding cutting action. Now check the grinding action severity (how much pressure is keeping the wheel and the material together). Keep in mind that the ability of abrasives to endure grinding conditions varies, depending on how they are made. Determine the best information about grinding wheel at https://www.ehow.com/how-does_5315080_surface-grinder-work.html. 


Lastly, check the grinding machine’s horsepower. Harder grade wheels are generally used with higher-horsepower machines. A softer-grade wheel is recommended when wheel diameter is larger than horsepower. Otherwise, use a higher-grade wheel.