When it comes to your operation, choosing the right abrasive wheel for your grinder will make your job easier! Choosing the right abrasive wheel will help to have well prepared joints, welds that are not cross contaminated and lasting wheels.

Material

There is an abrasive wheel that ensured optimal grinding results for all operations. The first step would be to determine the right wheel material for the job.

  1. Aluminium Oxide – Suitable for ferrous metals and high-tensile strength alloys
  2. Zirconia – For high torque grinders and heavy removal. Ferrous metal and high tensile strength alloys
  3. Silicon Carbide – Non ferrous metals (copper, aluminium, bronze) and low tensile strength materials (cast iron, ductile iron)

Hardness of Material

The second consideration would be the hardness of material. During grinding, dulled grains in the abrasive wheel create friction and heat that melt the resin, which releases the dulled grain and expose new sharp ones.

Soft grade abrasives allows the material to be release more quickly than a hard abrasive – resulting in higher stock removal and less heat generation.

A hard grade abrasives would hold the grains till it is dull and shreds slower, resulting in less stock removal but longer lasting life.

Shape

There are mainly 4 kind of shapes of abrasive wheels

Type 27 – Depressed Centre Wheels

Type 41 – Flat Wheels

Type 42 – Semi Flexible WHeels

Type 11 – Cup Wheels

 

Safety

Always match the wheel size and revolutions per minute (RPM) to your grinder. For optimal performance and safety, never use a wheel that is smaller or larger than the grinder manufacturer specifies.

Always verify that the RPM of the grinder doesn’t exceed the RPM marked on the wheel. For example, a 14-inch chop-saw wheel will fail explosively if installed on a 14-in., gas-powered saw.

Moreover, don’t even think about running an oversized wheel on a grinder with the guard removed. It’s dangerous to run any grinder without proper guarding installed.

(Source: http://www.thefabricator.com/article/cuttingweldprep/selecting-the-right-abrasives-for-your-operation)

 

Unsure of what wheels to use? Do feel free to contact your local abrasive specialist today!

Victory Hardware Co.
tel: +65 62947588
fax: +65 62970893