Grinding wheel
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A grinding wheel is an expendable wheel that carries an abrasive compound on its . These wheels are used in grinding machines.
The wheel is generally made from a matrix of coarse particles pressed and bonded together to form a solid, circular shape, various profiles and cross sections are available depending on the intended usage for the wheel. They may also be made from a solid steel or aluminium disc with particles bonded to the surface.
Materials used are generally silicon carbide and diamond.
The manufacture of these wheels is a precise and tightly controlled process, due not only to the inherent safety risks of a spinning disc, but also the composition and uniformity required to prevent that disc from exploding due to the high stresses produced on rotation.
Grinding wheels are self sharpening to a small degree, for optimal use they may be sharpened by the use of grinding dressers.
The wheel type (eg:- cup or plain wheel below) fit freely on their supporting arbors, the necessary clamping force to transfer the rotary motion being applied to the wheels side by identically sized flanges (metal discs). The paper blotter shown in the images is intended to distribute this clamping force evenly across the wheels surface.
Safety
Safety is extremely important at all times, especially when grinding wheels are involved. They are a mainstay of the engineering and construction industry and the risks involved with them may tend to be taken for granted. Safety awareness and an understanding of the materials and processes involved is essential. Appropriate safety gear must be worn and all safety procedures must be followed. Always err on the side of caution.Contact with a spinning grinding wheel will produce a cut. Because of the heat generated in the grinding process, a burn might also be produced. Wood should never be ground on a wheel, as it can clog the wheel's pores and cause the wheel to burst, with fatal results.
Cup wheel
A cup wheel as pictured to the right is predominantly used in Tool and Cutter grinders where orientation of the wheel and a slim profile are required. These wheels are used (and dressed) on the side face and have the advantage of producing a truly flat surface on the side of lathe tools
Straight wheel
To the left is an image of a straight wheel. These are by far the most common style of wheel and can be found on bench or pedestal grinders. They are used on the periphery only and therefore produce a slightly concave surface (hollow ground) on the part. This can be used to advantage on many tools such a chisels.
Diamond wheel
Diamond wheels are grinding wheels with industrial diamonds bonded to the periphery.
They are used for grinding extremely hard materials such as carbide tips, gemstones or concrete. The saw pictured to the right is a slitting saw and is designed for slicing hard materials, typically gemstones.
Cut off wheels
Cut off or parting wheels are self-sharpening wheels that are thin in width and often have radial fibres reinforcing them. They are often used in the construction industry for cutting reinforcement steel (rebar), protruding bolts or anything that needs quick removal or trimming. Most handymen would recognise an angle grinder and the discs they use.
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