ZHENGZHOU ENGLAU NEW MATERIAL TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD
What Are You Looking For?
Abrasive wheels are wheels, cones or cups that have abrasive particles like grit that are bonded with either inorganic or organic substances like resin.
These bonds are cured at low temperatures. They’re shock-resistant, self-dressing, and tough. These materials are more suited to applications that don’t need a lot of precision such as cutting off or fettling.
Organic bonding substances are used for handheld and portable tools and machines. Inorganic bonding substances are usually used for grinding applications that require precision. These have a strong, hard, yet brittle structure and hold their shape. Inorganic bonds require a lot of heat for curing and are furnace-fired.
Because there are so many different abrasive wheels, they’re defined by their characteristics, including:
Abrasive wheels are used to modify or prepare surfaces (either internal or external). They use abrasive cut-off, face grinding or periphery grinding. They can also be used for cutting, polishing, sanding, deburring and finishing.
The relative resistance, toughness, friability (how self-sharpening they are) and hardness are decided by the type of abrasive material the wheel contains. Some abrasive particles include aluminium, boron and silicon.
The coating or bonding material (organic/inorganic) determines the shape and structure of the abrasive wheel. The bonding material needs to withstand the forces the wheel is subjected to, including centripetal force, shock, friction and high temperatures.
The structure of the abrasive wheel determines the grade and grain spacing as well as the volume. Hard abrasive wheels are usually used on softer materials, while softer abrasive wheels are typically used on harder materials.
Users select the abrasive wheels according to certain criteria. This includes:
As we’ve already mentioned, abrasive wheels can cause devasting injuries and even death. Anyone who uses an abrasive wheel, whether at home or in the workplace, is exposed to a number of risks and dangers.
These include:
Due to the dangers present, abrasive wheels need to be inspected.
There are many reasons why abrasive wheels cause injuries. Here, we’ll explore the most commonly occurring problems.
Abrasive wheels rotate at speed, and as a result they will cause a severe injury if they are in contact with flesh. This is more likely for handheld tools like angle grinders as their abrasive wheels rotate at exceptionally high speeds.
If an abrasive wheel breaks while in use, this can cause horrific injuries and even death. This is because the wheel is turning at a high speed, which means if it were to break, fragments of it would be ejected at that speed. Ejection speeds can be as high as 100 miles per hour.
Abrasive wheels wear down and shed particles as they do so. Usually, you’ll see this as sparks. Sparks can cause skin damage. They’re also really dangerous if they get into the eyes and can cause blindness. It’s also possible for a workpiece to be ejected at high speed.
Anything that comes into contact with the abrasive wheel can get caught in it and drawn in. If this is the operator’s clothing like a sleeve or a tie, they can be drawn into the machine and injured.
Unfortunately, lots of accidents happen with abrasive wheels and most of them are due to wheel contact or wheel breakage. The breakage risk is there in every abrasive wheel but there are regulations for design, manufacturing and testing to keep this likelihood down. It’s also important for users to inspect abrasive wheels before using them and whilst using them.
Lots of machines use abrasive wheels.
These include:
Angle grinders might also be called disc grinders or side grinders. They’re a type of handheld power tool that’s used for abrasive cutting and polishing. Originally, they were only used with rigid abrasive discs but now there are all sorts of attachments and cutters available.
These tools are either powered by compressed air or an electric motor. They’re used for removing excess material and are used widely in construction, metalwork, emergency rescues, and even bicycle theft.
Chops saws are power tools that are used to make a straight cut in wood. Some chop saws have features that mean you can measure and cut angles in the wood – this would then be called a mitre saw. A chop saw looks like a circular saw, but these are faster and more precise.
Bench grinders are a permanently installed type of grinder. They’re used in workshops to perform rough grinding.
Petrol cut-off saws are also known as steel chop saws. They’re hand-operated machines that are used to cut small areas of steel, stone, asphalt and concrete. They’re often the go-to cutting machine in the construction industry.
Table saws are also known as bench saws. They’re a tool used with woodwork. The abrasive wheel protrudes through the bench. The bench supports the material as it’s being cut.
Since abrasive wheels are very dangerous, it’s important that the right one is used. There are different types of wheels designed for different machines and purposes.
Here are some abrasive wheel types.
These are the most common abrasive wheels, and you’ll find them on bench grinders.
These have a wide and long surface but don’t have mounting supports in the centre. They’re used in vertical or horizontal spindle grinders to make a flat surface.
Tapered wheels are the same as a straight grinding wheel, but they taper outwards and are wider in the centre than they are at the edges. They’re used for gear teeth or thread.
Straight cup wheels are used to make flat surfaces and for sharpening tools in cutter grinders. They’re shaped like a cup, as you might expect from the name.
A dish cup wheel is used to cut slots and crevices and is very thin. It’s shaped like a dish cup and has a flat centre that points outwards towards the edge.
Saucer grinding wheels are used for milling cutters and twist drills. These are flatter than dish wheels.
You might see the abrasive wheel types listed with numbers:
Abrasive wheels regulations require them to have markings as per Annex A of British Standard EN 12413 and British Standard ISO 5255.
Wheel markings are important as they show you which wheel you should use for the type of machinery and task. If the wrong wheel is used, it could cause injury or death.
When workers are required to replace abrasive wheels, they need the right knowledge, which is why employers need to follow abrasive wheel training legal requirements.
All abrasive wheels must have the following markings:
All abrasive wheels with organic bonding to be used with a handheld tool have an expiry date that’s three years after manufacture.
This is a traceable number that indicates the wheel’s manufacturing details.
When an abrasive wheel has a diameter greater than 80 mm, the maximum operating speed needs to be marked on the wheel. The speed should be written in RPM (revolutions per minute) as well as m/s (metres per second).
When wheels are under 80 mm, it’s not practical for them to be marked because of their small size. However, the maximum speed for these should be written somewhere on a workshop notice where it is clearly visible.
When speeds are 50 m/s or more, there will be a colour-coded stripe on the wheel.
Typically, the first letter means the type of abrasive, then there’ll be a number that denotes the size of the grain. After, you’ll have a letter that details the bond hardness and then some letters for the type of bond. It isn’t a standardised procedure though, as all manufacturers have their own way of doing things.
By pressing the button “Subscribe”, you confirm that you have read and are agreeing to our Terms of Use regarding the storage of the data submitted through this form.
Tel : +86 1856-9819-515
Email : asher.twintrade@gmail.com
Email : eric.twintrade@gmail.com
WhatsApp : +86 1856-9819-515
