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Chapter 1
Abrasive Tools and Bonding Systems
Mark J. Jackson and Michael P. Hitchiner
Abstract The manufacture of high performance gri nding wheels is heavily
dependent upon the selecting the correct abrasive grain in terms of cutting ability,
fracturing ability and the shape of the grain that controls metal removal rate,
dressing interval, coolant delivery to the wheel-workpiece interface and chip
evacuation. This chapter explains the recent developments in abrasive grains and
bonding systems and should allow the reader to better select the correct abrasive
grain and bonding system to economi cally machine materials.
Keywords Abrasive tools Bonding Grinding wheels
1.1 Abrasive Grain Characteristics
1.1.1 Grain Shape
Grain shape makes an enormous impact on grain strength, grinding performance,
and packing characteristics that impact wheel formulation and manufacture. Shape
will affect the r term in the undeformed chip thickness calculation t
0
¼ {[Vw/
(VsCr)](d/De)
1/2
}
1/2
where r is the ratio of undeformed chip width to chip depth.
This in turn impacts grinding power, finish and force/grit. Shape and size are
interlinked especially for particles of indeterminate shape i.e. not perfectly
spherical, cubic, etc. For synthetic diamond particles, for example, there exists an
M.J. Jackson and J.P. Davim (eds.), Machining with Abrasives,
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4419-7302-3_1,
#
Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2011
1
M.J. Jackson (*)
MET, College of Technology, Purdue University, 401 North Grant Street, West Lafayette,
IN 47907, USA
e-mail: jacksomj@purdue.edu