A glass act: General Industry Coverage
Similar to cutting tool technology leapfrogging machine tool technology and vice versa, grinding wheels can trail the capabilities of grinding machines before gaining ground. To keep pace with grinder technology, Norton/Saint-Gobain has developed the Norton-brand Vitrium3 grinding wheel.
Similar to cutting tool technology leapfrogging machine tool technology and vice versa, grinding wheels can trail the capabilities of grinding machines before gaining ground. To keep pace with grinder technology, Norton/Saint-Gobain has developed the Norton-brand Vitrium3 grinding wheel.
The core of the technology is the wheel’s glass, or vitrified, bond, which is the company’s strongest, according to Jim Gaffney, senior product manager for Norton/Saint-Gobain. “We’re trying to stay in step with or be ahead of the machine builders,” he said, noting the wheel is suitable for grinders with spindle speeds up to 80 m/sec.
Courtesy of Norton/Saint-Gobain
The Norton Vitrium3 grinding wheel features a strong glass bond to enhance grinding efficiency.
The strength of the glass enables the company to produce wheels with less of it than previous offerings while still maintaining grain adhesion, Gaffney noted. The grain type ranges from conventional aluminum oxide to Norton Quantum ceramic alumina, depending on the application.
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May 2013
He explained that the lower bond-to-abrasive ratio, or having less glass, improves coolant flow, opens the wheel’s porosity and increases exposure of the abrasive grains to enable the wheel to more efficiently discharge swarf and grind at a higher metal-removal rate. The increased grain exposure also reduces grinding forces up to 25 percent, which minimizes part deflection and grinding burn, Gaffney added. This is especially critical when grinding heat-sensitive materials, such as nickel-based superalloys, tool steels and chromium molybdenum. Applications for the wheel include grinding automotive crankshafts and camshafts and jet engine vanes and turbine blades.
In addition to grinding more efficiently, the Vitrium3 wheel’s stronger bond increases wheel life compared to conventional bonds, Gaffney said. “Just by changing the glass, we’re seeing about a 30 percent improvement in wheel life.”
He added that it took the company about 3 years to develop the wheel and bring it to market, with a formal launch scheduled for May.
For more information, contact Norton/Saint-Gobain, Worcester, Mass., at (508) 795-2183 or visit www.nortonindustrial.com.
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