Grinding
Machine (Machines)
I first built a machine for grinding and figuring mirrors
according to the directions in the There are directions for a machine available
on the web.(2) The machine worked, but it was gutless and took a very long time
to polish out a 6" blank. I was in a hurry and decided to build a more powerful
version of a Wig machine. The turntable tended to skip in the initial version,
so I decided to drive the table directly. Pictures of this second grinding machine
are shown below. It used a 200000 RPM motor from Herbach and Rademan.(3) The motor
is geared down from 325 RPM, to a turntable speed of 24 RPM. The overarm stroke
is about 9 Ronnie. These rates can be adjusted by changing pulleys in the drive
chain. I have made a number of mirrors with it this new machine.
Cylinder
wheels, type number 2, may be arranged for grinding on either the periphery or
side of the wheel.
Tapered
Tapered wheels, type number 4, take tapered
safety flanges to keep pieces from flying if the wheel is broken while snagging.
Straight Cup
The straight cup wheel, type number 6, is used primarily
for surface grinding, but can also be used for offhand
I gradually
became aware of three limitations of this machine: the table rocked, and the stroke
length was not continuously adjustable. The table rocked because I was resting
it on three wheels for support which is one of the trademarks of a machine, but
I was driving it with a central shaft, and the two support systems were not perfectly
aligned. When I made the connection to the central shaft so that it would flex,
the support by the three wheels worked very well. The turntable would hold lots
of weight, but when sideways force was applied to Buffing Abrasives
Buffing
abrasives are comparatively fine and are often made up in the form of paste, sticks,
or cakes; the abrasive being bonded together by means of grease or a similar vehicle.
The abrasive sizes for buffing are 280, 320, 400, 500, and 600. Some manufacturers
use letters and numbers to designate grain size such as F, 2F, 3F, 4F, and XF
(from fine to very fine). Pumice, rottenstone, and rouge are often used as buffing
abrasives.
Lapping Abrasives
Only the finest abrasives are used
for lapping. These may be either natural or artificial. Abrasives for lapping
range from No. 220 to No. 600 or No. 800 which are very fine flours. Lapping compounds
are generally mixed with water or oil so that they can be readily applied to the
lap.
the table (i.e. when polishing) the table tended to rock and
table base lifted up off one of the wheels. This made me very nervous about putting
much force on the machine when polishing, and I suspect it also introduced zones
on the mirror surfaces. The machine polished out blanks nicely, but the surfaces
needed lots of hand work to clean them up.
I rebuilt the machine when I
became aware of this machine had two features that attracted my attention: a continuously
adjustable clutch, and a turntable supported by a central shaft. I rebuilt my
machine to include these two features. The rebuilt Corbett clutch follows the
design except I made mine out of aluminum rather than plywood. I used cork gasket
material as the clutch contact surface. The clutch works great, and was not hard
to make.
The turntable rests on a 12" pulley, and I set mine up with
a thrust bearing to support the weight. The 3/4" steel shaft extends about
1" above the pulley, and the turntable has a 3/4 bronze sleeve epoxide into
a hole in the center. Between support from the pulley and the shaft-sleeve contact,
the turntable does not rock. I have polished out one 13" mirror on the newest
version of the machine, and it worked very nicely. Pictures of the rebuilt grinding
machine are shown below.
grinding of flat surfaces. Plain
or beveled faces are available.
Flaring Cup
The flaring cup wheel,
type number 11, is commonly used for tool grinding. With a resinoid bond, it is
useful for snagging. Its face may be plain or beveled.
Dish
Chapter
15
GRINDING MACHINES
The grinding machine is used for roughing and finishing
flat, cylindrical, and conical surfaces; finishing internal cylinders or bores;
Grinding is the process of removing metal by the application of abrasives which
are bonded to form a rotating wheel. When the moving abrasive particles contact
the workpiece, they act as tiny cutting tools, . It is a common error to believe
that grinding abrasive wheels remove material by a rubbing action; actually, the
process is as much a cutting action as drilling, milling, and lathe turning. These
are in addition to those safety precautions described in Chapter 1.
The
grinding machine supports and rotates the grinding abrasive wheel and often supports
and positions the workpiece in proper relation to the wheel.
forming and
sharpening cutting tools; snagging or removing rough projections from castings
and stampings; and cleaning, polishing, and buffing surfaces. Once strictly a
finishing machine, modem production grinding machines are used for complete roughing
and finishing of certain classes of work. (Ring Test Figure 5-11) before mounting.
Grinding machines have some special safety precautions that must be observed.
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
GRINDING MACHINE SAFETY
Grinding machines
are used daily in a machine shop. To avoid injuries follow the safety precautions
listed below. each particle cutting a tiny chip from the workpiece
Wear goggles for all grinding machine operations.
Check grinding wheels
for cracks
Never operate grinding wheels at speeds in excess of the recommended
speed.
Never adjust the workpiece or work mounting devices when the machine
is operating
Do not exceed recommended depth of cut for the grinding wheel
or machine.
Remove workpiece from grinding wheel before turning machine
off.
Use proper wheel guards on all grinding machines.
On bench
grinders, adjust tool rest 1/16 to 1/8 inch from the wheel.
TYPES
OF GRINDING MACHINES
From the simplest grinding machine to the most complex,
grinding machines can be classified as utility grinding machines, cylindrical
grinding machines. and surface grinding machines. The average machinist will be
concerned mostly with floor-mounted and bench-mounted utility grinding machines,
buffing machines, and reciprocating surface grinding machines.
UTILITY
GRINDING MACHINES
The utility grinding machine is intended for offhand grinding
where the workpiece is supported in the hand and brought to bear against the rotating
grinding abrasive wheel. The accuracy of this type of grinding machine depends
on the operator's dexterity, skill, and knowledge of the machine's capabilities
and the nature of the work. The utility grinding machine consists of a horizontally
mounted motor with a grinding abrasive wheel attached to each end of the motor
shaft.
The electric-motor-driven machine is simple and common. It may be
bench-mounted or floor-mounted. Generally, the condition and design of the shaft
bearings as well as the motor rating determine the wheel size capacity of the
machine. Suitable wheel guards and tool rests are provided for safety and ease
of operation. Grinding machines come in various sizes and shapes as listed below.
Floor Mounted Utility Grinding Machine
Grinding wheel travel - 7 l/2-inch
vertical.
Grinding wheel travel - 5 1/2-inch horizontal.
Table travel
- 6 inches.
Slitting saws with attachment - 12-inch diameter.
Distance
between centers - 14 inches.
Swing on centers (diameter) - 4 l/2-inch diameter.
Swing in work head (diameter) - 4 l/2-inch diameter.
The
typical floor-mounted utility grinding machine stands waist-high and is secured
to the floor by bolts. The floor-mounted utility grinding machine shown in Figure
5-1 mounts two 12-inch-diameter by 2-inch-wide grinding abrasive wheels. The two
wheel arrangement permits installing a coarse grain wheel for roughing purposes
on one end of the shaft and a fine grain wheel for finishing purposes on the other
end this saves the time that would be otherwise consumed in changing wheels.
Each
grinding abrasive wheel is covered by a wheel guard to increase the safety of
the machine. Transparent eyeshields, spark arresters, and adjustable tool rests
are provided for each grinding wheel. A tool tray and a water pan are mounted
on the side of the base or pedestal. The water pan is used for quenching carbon
steel cutting took as they are being ground. Using the 12-inch wheel, the machine
provides a maximum cutting speed of approximately 5,500 SFPM. The 2-HP electric
motor driving this machine has a maximum speed of 1,750 RPM.
Bench Type
Utility Grinding Machine
Like the floor mounted utility grinding machine,
one coarse grinding wheel and one fine grinding wheel are usually mounted on the
machine for convenience of operation. Each wheel is provided with an adjustable
table tool rest and an eye shield for protection. On this machine, the motor is
equipped with a thermal over-load switch to stop the motor if excessive wheel
pressure is applied thus preventing the burning out of the motor. The motor revolve
at 3,450 RPM maximum to provide a maximum cutting speed for the 7 inch grinding
wheels of about 6,300 surface feet per minute (SFPM).
Bench-Type
Utility Drill Grinding Machine
The bench-type drill grinding machine is
intended for drill sharpening. The accuracy of this type of grinder is not dependent
on the dexterity and skill of the operator because the drill is placed in a holding
device. The holding device places the drill in the correct position for the clearance
and included angle. For more information on this machine refer to chapter 4.
Bench-Type
Utility Grinding and Buffing Machine
The bench-type utility grinding and
buffing machine is more suitable for miscellaneous grinding, cleaning, and buffing
It is not recommended for tool grinding since it contains no tool rests, eyeshields,
or wheel guards. This machine normally mounts a 4 inch-diameter wire wheel on
one end. The wire wheel is used for cleaning and the abrasive wheel is used for
general grinding. One of the two wheels can be removed and a buffing wheel mounted
in its place for buffing and polishing. The 1/4-HP electric motor revolves at
a maximum of 3,450 RPM. The maximum cutting speed of the 4-inch-diameter wheel
is approximately 3,600 SFPM.
Bench-Type Tool and Cutter Grinder
The bench-type tool and cutter grinder, see Figure 5-4, was designed primarily
to grind end mills. It can also grind a large variety of small wood and steel
cutters as well as slitting saw cutters up to 12 inches in diameter using the
saw grinding attachment. Capacity of the typical bench-type tool and cutter grinder
is as follows:
Nonspecialized cylindrical grinding machines
in the Army maintenance system include the tool post grinding machine and the
versa mil attachment.
Tool Post Grinding Machine
The tool post grinding
machine, see Figure 5-5, is a machine tool attachment designed to mount to the
tool post of engine lathes. It is used for internal and external grinding of cylindrical
workpieces. Refer to Chapter 7 for a description of this machine.
Milling
and Grinding Lathe Attachment
Also called a Versa-Mil this attachment is
a versatile machine tool attachment that mounts to the carriage of a lathe. It
performs internal and external cylindrical grinding among its other functions.
Refer to Chapter 9 for a description of this machine.
SURFACE GRINDING
MACHINE
The surface grinding machine is used for grinding flat surfaces.
The workpiece is supported on a rectangular table which moves back and forth and
reciprocates beneath the grinding wheel. Reciprocating surface grinding machines
generally have horizontal wheel spindles and mount straight or cylinder-type grinding
abrasive wheels.
Grinding Plain Milling Cutters
Plain milling cutters
with saw-tooth type teeth are sharpened by grinding the lands on the periphery
of the teeth. The lands may be ground using a straight grinding wheel or a cup-shaped
grinding wheel.
The important consideration when grinding this type of
cutter is the primary clearance angle or relief angle of the land (Figure 5-19).
If the primary clearance angle is too large, the cutting edge will be too sharp
and the cutter will dull quickly. If the primary clearance angle is too small,
the cutter will rub rather than cut and excessive heat will be generated.
The
primary clearance angle (Figure 5-19) should be between 3° and 5° for
hard materials and about 10° for soft materials like aluminum. For cutters
under 3 inches in diameter, a larger clearance angle should be used: 7° for
hard materials and 12° for soft materials.
The clearance angle for
end and side teeth should be about 2° and the face of these cutters should
be ground 0.001- or 0.002-inch concave toward the center to avoid any drag.
To
grind the lands of milling cutter teeth to primary clearance angle, the teeth
are positioned against the grinding wheel below the wheel's axis (Figure 5-20).
GRINDING WHEELS
STANDARD TYPES OF GRINDING WHEELS
Grinding
wheels come in many different sizes, shapes, and abrasives (Figure 5-7). Some
of the various types are listed below.
Straight
Straight
wheels, numbers 1, 5, and 7, are commonly applied to internal, cylindrical, horizontal
spindle, surface, tool, and offhand grinding and snagging. The recesses in type
numbers. 5 and 7 accommodate mounting flanges. Type number 1 wheels from 0.006-inch
to l/8-inch thick are used for cutting off stock and slotting.
Cylinder
The chief use of the dish wheel, type number 12, is in tool work.
Its thin edge can be inserted into narrow places, and it is convenient for grinding
the faces of form-relieved milling cutters and broaches.
Saucer
The
saucer wheel, type number 13, is also known as a saw gummer because it is used
for sharpening saws.
ABRASIVE MATERIALS
The abrasive grains are the
cutting took of a grinding wheel. They actually cut small pieces or chips off
the work as the wheel rotates. The shape of each grain is irregular with several
sharp cutting edges. When these edges grow dull, the forces acting on the wheel
tend to fracture the abrasive grains and produce new cutting edges.
ABRASIVES
Most grinding wheels are made of silicon carbide or aluminum oxide, both
of which are artificial (manufactured) abrasives. Silicon carbide is extremely
hard but brittle. Aluminum oxide is slightly softer but is tougher than silicon
carbide. It dulls more quickly, but it does not fracture easily therefore it is
better suited for grinding materials of relatively high tensile strength.
ABRASIVE
GRAIN SIZE
Abrasive grains are selected according to the mesh of a sieve
through which they are sorted. For example, grain number 40 indicates that the
abrasive grain passes through a sieve having approximately 40 meshes to the linear
inch. A grinding wheel is designated coarse, medium, or fine according to the
size of the individual abrasive grains making up the wheel.
RECIPROCATING
SURFACE GRINDING MACHINE
The reciprocating surface grinding machine is a horizontal-type
surface grinding machine. Workpieces are fastened to the table and can be moved
beneath the grinding abrasive wheel by hand or power feed. A magnetic chuck may
be used for fastening the workpiece to the table. This grinding machine has an
internal pump and piping network for automatic application and recirculation of
a coolant to the workpiece and wheel. The grinding abrasive wheel, mounted to
the horizontal spindle is straight and cuts on its circumferential surface only.
Grinding wheel speeds are adjustable. BONDING MATERIAL
Bond
The abrasive
particles in a grinding wheel are held in place by the bonding agent. The percentage
of bond in the wheel determines, to a great extent, the "hardness" or
"grade" of the wheel. The greater the percentage and strength of the
bond, the harder the grinding wheel will be. "Hard" wheels retain the
cutting grains longer, while "soft" wheels release the grains quickly.
If a grinding wheel is "too hard" for the job, it will glaze because
the bond prevents dulled abrasive particles from being released so new grains
can be exposed for cutting. Besides controlling hardness and holding the abrasive,
the bond also provides the proper safety factor at running speed. It holds the
wheel together while centrifugal force is trying to tear it apart. The most common
bonds used in grinding wheels are vitrified, silicate, shellac, resinoid, and
rubber.
Vitrified
A vast majority of grinding wheels have a vitrified
bond. Vitrified bonded wheels are unaffected by heat or cold and are made in a
greater range of hardness than any other bond. They adapt to practically all types
of grinding with one notable exception: if the wheel is not thick enough, it does
not withstand side pressure as in the case of thin cutoff wheels.
Silicate
Silicate bond releases the abrasive grains more readily than vitrified
bond. Silicate bonded wheels are well suited for grinding where heat must be kept
to a minimum, such as grinding edged cutting tools. It is not suited for heavy-duty
grinding. Thin cutoff wheels are sometimes made with a shellac bond because it
provides fast cool cutting.
Resinoid
Resinoid bond is strong and
flexible. It is widely used in snagging wheels (for grinding irregularities from
rough castings), which operate at 9,500 SFPM. It is also used in cutoff wheels.
Rubber
In rubber-bonded wheels, pure rubber is mixed with sulfur.
It is extremely flexible at operating speeds and permits the manufacture of grinding
wheels as thin as 0.006 inch for slitting nibs. Most abrasive cutoff machine wheels
have a rubber bond.
GRADES OF HARDNESS
The grade of a grinding wheel
designates the hardness of the bonded material. Listed below are examples of those
grades:
A soft wheel is one on which the cutting particles break away
rapidly while a hard wheel is one on which the bond successfully opposes this
breaking away of the abrasive grain.
Most wheels are graded according to
hardness by a letter system. Most manufacturers of grinding abrasive wheels use
a letter code ranging from A (very soft) to Z (very hard). Vitrified and silicate
bonds usually range from very soft to very hard, shellac and resinoid bonds usually
range from very soft to hard, and rubber bonds are limited to the medium to hard
range.
The grade of hardness should be selected as carefully as the grain
size. A grinding abrasive wheel that is too soft will wear away too rapidly, the
abrasive grain will be discarded from the wheel before its useful life is realized.
On the other hand, if the wheel is too hard for the job, the abrasive particles
will become dull because the bond will not release the abrasive grain, and the
wheel's efficiency will be impaired.
Figure 5-8 illustrates sections of three
grinding abrasive wheels with different spacing of grains. If the grain and bond
materials in each of these are alike in size and hardness, the wheel with the
wider spacing will be softer than the wheel with the closer grain spacing. Thus,
the actual hardness of the grinding wheel is equally dependent on grade of hardness
and spacing of the grains or structure.
GRINDING WHEEL ABRASIVE
ABRASIVE WHEEL STRUCTURE
Bond strength of a grinding wheel is not wholly
dependent upon the grade of hardness but depends equally on the structure of the
wheel, that is, the spacing of the grain or its density. The structure or spacing
is measured in number of grains per cubic inch of wheel volume.
MARKINGS
Every grinding wheel is marked by the manufacturer with a stencil or a small
tag. The manufacturers have worked out a standard system of markings, shown in
Figure 5-9.
For an example use a wheel marked A36-L5-V23. The A
refers to the abrasive which is aluminum oxide. The 36 represents the grain size.
The L shows the grade or degree of hardness, which is medium. The 5 refers to
the structure of the wheel and the V refers to the bond type.
STANDARD
SHAPES OF GRINDING WHEEL FACES
Figure 5-10 illustrates standard shapes of
grinding wheel faces. The nature of the work dictates the shape of the face to
be used. For instance, shape A is commonly used for straight cylindrical grinding
and shape E for grinding threads.
SELECTION OF GRINDING WHEELS
Conditions under which grinding wheels are used vary considerably, and a wheel
that is satisfactory on one machine may be too hard or soft for the same operation
on another machine. The following basic factors are considered when selecting
grinding wheels, though it should be understood that the rules and conditions
listed are flexible and subject to occasional exceptions.
Tensile Strength
of Material
The tensile of material to be ground is the main factor in
the selection of the abrasive to be used. Two types of abrasives are suited to
different materials as shown below.
Silicon Carbide
Gray
and chilled iron
Brass and soft bronze
Aluminum and copper
Marble and other stone
Rubber and leather
Very hard alloys
Cemented carbides
Unannealed malleable iron
Aluminum
Oxide
Carbon steels
Alloy steels
High speed steels
Annealed malleable iron
Wrought iron
Hard bronzes
Factors Affecting the Grain Size
Grain size to be chosen when selecting
a grinding wheel depends upon the factors described below.
The softer
and more ductile the material, the coarser the grain size.
The larger the
amount of stock to be removed, thecoarser the grain size.
The finer the
finish desired, the finer the grain size.
Factors Affecting the Grade of
Hardness
The factors described below will determine the proper grade of
hardness of the grinding wheel.
The harder the material, the softer
the wheel.
The smaller the arc of contact, the harder the grade should
be. The arc of contact is the arc, measured along the periphery of the wheel,
that is in contact with the work at any instance. It follows that the larger the
grinding wheel, the greater the arc of contact and, therefore, a softer wheel
can be used.
The higher the work speed with relation to the wheel speed,
the milder the grinding action and the harder the grade should be.
The
better the condition of the grinding machine and spindle bearings, the softer
the wheel can be.
Factors Affecting the Structure
The structure or
spacing of the abrasive grains of wheel depends upon the four factors described
below.
The softer, tougher, and more ductile the material, the wider
the grain spacing.
The finer the finish desired, the closer, or more dense,
the grain spacing should be.
Surfacing operations require open structure
(wide grain spacing).
Cylindrical grinding and tool and cutter grinding
are best performed with wheels of medium structure (medium grain spacing).
Factors Affecting Bonding Material
The factors described below affect the
selection of bonding material for the wheel desired.
Thin cutoff wheels
and other wheels subject to bending strains require resinoid, shellac, or rubber
bonds.
Solid wheels of very large diameters require a silicate bond.
Vitrified
wheels are usually best for speeds up to 6,500 SFPM and resinoid, shellac, or
rubber wheels are best for speeds above 6,500 SFPM.
Resinoid, shellac,
or rubber bonds are generally best where a high finish is required.
Selection
Refer to Table 5-1 in Appendix A for specific requirements for typical
grinding and materials (grinding wheel selection and application).
INSPECTION
OF GRINDING WHEELS
When a grinding wheel is received in the shop or removed
from storage, it should be inspected closely for damage or cracks. Check a small
wheel by suspending it on one finger or with a piece of string. Tap it gently
with a light nonmetallic instrument, such as the handle of a screwdriver (Figure
5-11).
Check a larger wheel by striking it with a wooden mallet. If the
wheel does not give a clear ring, discard it. All wheels do not emit the same
tone; a low tone does not necessarily mean a cracked wheel. Wheels are often filled
with various resins or greases to modify their cutting action, and resin or grease
deadens the tone. Vitrified and silicate wheels emit a clear metallic ring. Resin,
rubber, and shellac bonded wheels emit a tone that is less clear. Regardless of
the bond, the sound of a cracked wheel is easy to identify.
MOUNTING GRINDING
WHEELS
The proper mounting of a grinding wheel is very important. An improperly
mounted wheel may become potentially dangerous at high speeds.
The specified
wheel size for the particular grinding machine to be used should not be exceeded
either in wheel diameter or in wheel width. Figure 5-12 illustrates a correctly
mounted grinding wheel.
The following four items are methods and
procedures for mounting grinding wheels:
Note that the wheel is mounted
between two flanges which are relieved on their inner surfaces so that they support
the wheel only at their outer edges. This holds the wheel more securely with less
pressure and with less danger of breaking. For good support, the range diameter
should be about one-third of the wheel diameter.
The spindle hole in the
wheel should be no more than 0.002 inch larger than the diameter of the spindle,
since a loose fit will result in difficulty in centering the wheel. If the spindle
hole is oversize, select another wheel of the proper size. If no others are available,
fit a suitable bushing over the spindle to adapt the spindle to the hole.
Paper
blotters of the proper size usually come with The grinding wheel. If the proper
blotters are missing, cut them from heavy blotter paper (no more than 0.025-inch
thick:) and place them between the grinding wheel and each flange. The blotters
must be large enough to cover the whole area of contact between the flanges and
the wheel. These blotters serve as cushions to minimize wheel breakage.
When
installing the grinding wheel on the wheel spindle, tighten the spindle nut firmly,
but not so. tight that undue strain will be put on the wheel.
WHEEL DRESSERS
Grinding wheels wear unevenly under most general grinding operations due
to uneven pressure applied to the face of the wheel when it cuts. Also, when the
proper wheel has not been used for certain operations, the wheel may become charged
with metal particles, or the abrasive grain may become dull before it is broken
loose from the wheel bond. In these cases, it is necessary that the wheel be dressed
or trued to restore its efficiency and accuracy.
Dressing is cutting the
face of a grinding wheel to restore its original cutting qualities. Truing is
restoring the wheel's concentricity or reforming its cutting face to a desired
shape. Both operations are performed with a tool called an abrasive wheel dresser
(Figure 5-13).
Mechanical Dresser
The hand-held mechanical
dresser has alternate pointed and solid discs which are loosely mounted on a pin.
This dresser is used to dress coarse-grit wheels and wheels used in hand grinding
operations.
Abrasive Stick Dresser
The abrasive stick dresser comes
in two shapes: square for hand use, and round for mechanical use. It is often
used instead of the more expensive diamond dresser for dressing shaped and form
wheels. It is also used for general grinding wheel dressing.
Abrasive Wheel
Dresser
The abrasive wheel dresser is a bonded silicon carbide wheel that
is fastened to the machine table at a slight angle to the grinding wheel and driven
by contact with the wheel. This dresser produces a smooth, clean-cutting face
that leaves no dressing marks on the work.
Diamond Dresser
The diamond
dresser is the most efficient for truing wheels for precision grinding, where
accuracy and high finish are required.
A dresser may have a single diamond
or multiple diamonds mounted in the end of a round steel shank. Inspect the diamond
point frequently for wear. It is the only usable part of the diamond, and is worn
away it cannot dress the wheel properly.
Slant the diamond 3° to 15°
in the direction of rotation and 30° to the plane of the wheel as shown in
Figure 5-14 to prevent chatter and gouging. Rotate the diamond slightly in it's
holder between dressing operations to keep it sharp. A dull diamond will force
the abrasive grains into the bond pores and load the face of the wheel, reducing
the wheel's cutting ability.
When using a diamond dresser to dress
or true a grinding wheel, the wheel should be turning at, or slightly less than,
normal operating speed never at the higher speed. For wet grinding, flood the
wheel with coolant when you dress or true it. For dry grinding, the wheel should
be dressed dry. The whole dressing operation should simulate the grinding operation
as much as possible. Whenever possible, hold the dresser by some mechanical device.
It is a good idea to round off wheel edges with a handstone after dressing to
prevent chipping. This is especially true of a fine finishing wheel. Do not round
off the edges if the work requires sharp corners. The grinding wheel usually wears
more on the edges, leaving a high spot towards the center. When starting the dressing
or truing operation, be certain that the point of the dressing tool touches the
highest spot of the wheel first, to prevent the point from digging in.
Feed
the dresser tool point progressively, 0.001 inch at a time, into the wheel until
the sound indicates that the wheel is perfectly true. The rate at which you move
the point across the face of the wheel depends upon the grain and the grade of
the wheel and the desired finish. A slow feed gives the wheel a fine finish, but
if the feed is too slow, the wheel may glaze. A fast feed makes the wheel free
cutting, but if the feed is too fast, the dresser will leave tool marks on the
wheel. The correct feed can only be found by trial, but a uniform rate of feed
should be maintained during any one pass.
BUFFING AND POLISHING WHEELS
Buffing and polishing wheels are formed of layers of cloth felt or leather
glued or sewed together to form a flexible soft wheel.
Buffing wheels are
generally softer than polishing wheels and are often made of bleached muslin (sheeting),
flannel, or other soft cloth materials. The material is cut in various diameters
and sewed together in sections which are put together to make up the buffing wheel.
The buffing wheel is often slotted or perforated to provide ventilation.
Polishing
wheels are made of canvas, felt, or leather sewed or glued together to provide
various wheel grades from soft to hard. The harder or firmer wheels are generally
used for heavier work while the softer and more flexible wheels are used for delicate
contour polishing and finishing of parts on which corners and edges must be kept
within rather strict specifications.
Buffing and polishing wheels are charged
with abrasives for operation. The canvas wheels are generally suitable for use
with medium grain abrasives, while felt, leather, and muslin wheels are suitable
for fine grain abrasives. Buffing abrasives are usually made in the form of cakes,
paste, or sticks which are applied to the wheel in this form. Polishing abrasives
are fixed to polishing wheels with a glue.
WIRE WHEELS
A wire wheel
consists of many strands of wire bound to a hub and radiating outward from the
hub in the shape of a wheel. The wire wheel is used in place of a grinding wheel
for cleaning operations such as removal of rust or corrosion from metal objects
and for rough-polishing castings, hot-rolled steel, and so forth. The wire wheel
fastens to the wheel spindle of the grinding machine in the same manner as a grinding
wheel.
LAYING OUT AND MOUNTING WORK
LAYING OUT WORK
There are
no special rules for laying out work for grinding operations. Most layout requirements
will be dictated by the specific grinding machine to be used. In many cases, the
workpiece will be turned on a lathe or machined in some other manner before grinding.
The grinding is in preparation for the final finishing of the workpiece to the
desired dimensions.
GRINDING ALLOWANCE
In planning work to be ground,
the amount of metal to be removed should be based on the capabilities of the grinding
machine. If the grinding machine is modern and in good condition, leave as much
as l/32-inch or even more on large machine steel parts, but generally not more
than l/64-inch on small machine parts.
Cylindrical Grinding
If cylindrical
grinding is to be performed, such as grinding of workpieces mounted in the grinding
may be done with the workpiece set up between centers, held in a chuck and supported
by a center rest, or clamped to a faceplate as in lathe setups.
MOUNTING
WORKPIECES
General
Offhand grinding requires no mounting of the workpiece.
Mounting for cylindrical, surface, and tool and cutter grinding is described below.
Mounting Workpiece for Cylindrical Grinding
Cylindrical grinding
may be done with the workpiece setup between centers, held in the chuck and supported
by a center rest, or clamped to the faceplate as in lathe setups.
Use the
following methods when mounting the workpiece between centers:
Use
a dead center in the tailstock spindle. This method is preferred because it eliminates
any error caused by wear in the machine's spindle bearings. Before grinding check
the accuracy and alignment of centers and correct if necessary.
To grind
the centers, follow the procedures for grinding lathe centers in Chapter 7.
After
the centers are accurate, align the centers by one of the methods prescribed for
aligning lathe centers.
Position the workpiece between the centers, and
use a lathe dog to revolve the workpiece.
Use the following methods and procedures
when mounting the workpiece for concial grinding.
Workpieces for conical
grinding can be set up in a chuck or between centers.
The table is swiveled
to the required taper by means of the graduations on the end of the table (Figure
5-15).
Since the table on a universal grinder is limited as to the degree
that it can be swiveled, steep conical tapers are normally ground by swiveling
the headstock to the angle of the taper desired (Figure 5-15).
Remember
when a workpiece is to be conically ground, the workpiece axis and the grinding
wheel axis must be at the same height. Otherwise, the workpiece will not be ground
at the correct angle.
Workpiece Mounted for Internal Grinding
Listed
below are the proper procedures and methods to perform internal grinding.
Internal
grinding is done with the universal tool and cutter grinder with an internal grinding
attachment (Figure 5-16). Note that the belt and pulleys are exposed; during actual
operation, this area should be covered with a guard. Since internal grinding uses
small grinding wheels, the spindle and quill must operate at a high speed to get
the required SFPM. Most internal grinding attachments come with several sizes
of quills. Use the largest one possible for the hole being ground. The smaller
quills tend to spring away from the work easily and produce tapers and irregularities.
One condition that is more pronounced in internal grinding than
in external grinding is that the larger area of contact may cause the wheel to
load and glaze quickly which in turn causes vibration and produces poor surface
finishes. Therefore, it is important to pay particular attention to the condition
of the wheel and to use either a coarser grain wheel to provide more chip clearance
or a softer grade wheel that will break down more easily. During grinding, let
the grinding wheel run out of the end of the hole for at least one-half the width
of the wheel face but not more than two-thirds. If the wheel clears the work each
time the table reciprocates, it will grind bell-mouthed hole because of spring
in the quill.
Internal conical tapers can also be ground on a universal
grinding machine, using a combination of the rules for external conical grinding
and those for straight internal grinding. The main thing to remember is to be
sure that the axis of the quill is at center height with the axis of the work.
Mounting Workpiece for Surface Grinding
A workpiece for surface
grinding is usually held to the reciprocating worktable by a magnetic chuck. It
may also be held in a vise or clamped directly to the table.
The two types
of magnetic chucks are permanent magnet and electric. The electric chucks are
built in larger sizes and are more powerful. However, the permanent-magnet chucks
are less dangerous, since accidental release of work (due to power failure) is
not likely to occur.
Mounting Workpiece for Tool and Cutter Grinding
Listed
below are methods for mounting workpieces when using the tool and cutter grinder:
A workpiece for tool and cutter grinding is usually held between centers
or on a fixture clamped to the table.
The workpiece is mounted in the same
manner as for cylindrical grinding, except the lathe dog if not used.
When
a fixture is used, the workpiece is placed in the fixture and the fixture is clamped
to the table.
GENERAL GRINDING OPERATIONS
GENERAL
Efficient grinding
depends primarily upon the proper setup of the machine being used. If the machine
is not securely mounted, vibration will result, causing the grinder to produce
an irregular surface. Improper alignment affects grinding accuracy, and it is
good practice to check the security and plumb of the machine every few months.
It is advisable to place a strip of cushioning material under the mounting flanges,
along with any necessary aligning shims, to help absorb vibration.
When
a grinding wheel is functioning properly, the abrasive grains cut very small chips
from the workpiece and at the same time a portion of the bond of the wheel is
worn away. As long as the bond is being worn away as fast as the abrasive grains
of the wheel become dull, the wheel will continue to work well. If the bond is
worn away too rapidly, the wheel is too soft and will not last as long as it should.
If the cutting grains wear down faster than the bond, the face of the wheel becomes
glazed and the wheel will not cut freely.
CLASSES OF GRINDING
Precision
and semiprecision grinding may be divided into the following classes:
Cylindrical
Grinding
Cylindrical grinding denotes the grinding of a cylindrical surface.
Usually, "Cylindrical grinding" refers to external cylindrical grinding
and the term "internal grinding" is used for internal cylindrical grinding.
Another form of cylindrical grinding is conical grinding or grinding tapered workpieces.
Surface Grinding
Surface grinding is the grinding of simple plain
surfaces.
Tool and Cutter Grinding
Tool and cutter grinding is the
generally complex operation of forming and resharpening the cutting edges of tool
and cutter bits, gages, milling cutters, reamers, and so forth.
The grinding
wheel for any grinding operation should be carefully chosen and the workpiece
set up properly in the grinding machine. Grinding speeds and feeds should be selected
for the particular job. Whenever practical, a coolant should be applied to the
point of contact of the wheel and the workpiece to keep the wheel and workpiece
cool, to wash away the loose abrasive, and to produce a better finish.
GRINDING
SPEEDS AND FEEDS
In grinding, the speed of the grinding wheel in SFPM and
the feed of the grinding wheel are as important as, and sometimes more important
than, proper wheel selection. Occasionally, the grinder spindle should be checked
with a tachometer to make sure it is running at its specified RPM. Too slow a
speed will result in waste of abrasive, whereas an excessive speed will cause
a hard grinding action and glaze the wheel, making the grinding inefficient. The
feed of the grinding wheel will determine to a certain extent the finish produced
on the work and will vary for different types and shapes of grinding wheels.
Factors
Governing Speed
WARNING
If a wheel is permitted to exceed the
maximum safe speed, it may disintegrate and cause injury to the operator and damage
to the grinding machine
The various factors governing the speed in SFPM
of a grinding wheel are as described below.
Safety
The grinding
wheel should never be run at speeds in excess of manufacturer's recommendations.
Usually, each grinding wheel has a tag attached to it which states the maximum
safe operating speed.
Condition of the Machine
Modern grinding machines
and machines that are in good condition can safely turn a grinding wheel at speeds
greater than machines that are older or in poor condition. Most grinding machines
are equipped with spindle bearings designed for certain speeds which should not
be exceeded. Poor quality will result from vibrations caused by inadequate rigidity
or worn bearings that are not in the best condition. High speeds will intensify
these defects.
Material Being Ground
The material being ground will
generally determine the grain, grade, structure, and bond of wheel to be selected.
For example, if the wheel is too soft for the material being cut, an increase
in speed will make the wheel act harder. Conversely, if the wheel is too hard,
as lower speed will make the wheel act softer.
Type of Grinding Wheel
The type of grinding wheel employed for a particular operation is one of the major
considerations in the proper selection of cutting speed. In general practice,
the wheel will be selected for the material to be cut. The recommended cutting
speed can then be determined by the wheel type, bond, and grade of hardness (Table
5-1 in Appendix A).
Calculating Wheel Size or Speeds
Both cutting
speeds in SFPM and rotational speed in RPM must be known to determine the size
wheel to be used on a fixed-speed grinding machine. To determine the grinding
wheel size, use the following formula:
Where SFPM = Cutting speed
of wheel
(In surface feet per minute).
RPM = Revolutions per minute of
wheel.
D = The calculated wheel diameter (in inches).
To obtain the
cutting speed in SFPM when the wheel diameter and RPM are given, use the same
formula in a modified form:
To obtain the rotational speed in RPM
when the wheel diameter and desired cutting speed are known use the formula in
another modified form:
NOTE: As a grinding wheel wears down and
as it is continually trued and dressed, the wheel diameter decreases, resulting
in loss of cutting speed. As this occurs, it is necessary to increase the rotational
speed of the wheel or replace the wheel to maintain efficiency in grinding.
Work
Speed for Cylindrical Grinding
In cylindrical grinding, it is difficult
to recommend any work speeds since these are dependent upon whether the material
is rigid enough to hold its shape, whether the diameter of the workpiece is large
or small, and so forth. Listed below are areas to consider when performing cylindrical
grinding:
The larger the diameter of the workpiece, the greater is
its arc of contact with the wheel. The cutting speed suitable for one diameter
of workpiece might be unsuitable for another.
The highest work speed that
the machine and wheel will stand should be used for roughing.
The following
cylindrical work speeds are only typical: steel shafts, 50 to 55 FPM; hard steel
rolls, 80 to 85 FPM; chilled iron rolls, 80 to 200 FPM; cast iron pistons, 150
to 400 FPM; crankshaft bearings, 45 to 50 FPM; and crankshaft pins, 35 to 40 FPM.
Higher work speeds increase the cutting action of the wheel and may indicate
that a harder wheel and a smaller depth of cut be used to reduce wheel wear.
Work Speed for Surface Grinding
Surface grinding machines usually have
fixed work speeds of approximately 50 SFPM or have variable work speed ranges
between 0 and 80 SFPM. As with cylindrical grinding, the higher work speeds mean
that more material is being cut per surface foot of wheel rotation and therefore
more wear is liable to occur on the wheel.
Feeds
The feed of the
grinding wheel is the distance the wheel moves laterally across the workpiece
for each revolution of the piece in cylindrical grinding or in each pass of the
piece in surface grinding. The following methods are recommended for determine
feeds:
The feed should be proportional to the width of wheel face
and the finish desired. In general, The narrower the face of the wheel, the slower
must be the traverse speed; the wider the wheel face the faster can be the traverse
speed.
For roughing, the table should traverse about three quarter the
wheel width per revolution or pass of the workpiece.
For an average finish,
the wheel should traverse one-third to one-half the width of the wheel per revolution
or pass of the workpiece.
In surface grinding with wheels less than 1 inch
in width, the table traverse speed should be reduced about one-half.
Depth
of Cut
Methods for determining depth of cuts are recommended for determining
feeds.
In roughing, the cut should be as deep as the grinding wheel
will stand, without crowding or springing the work. The depth of cut also depends
on the hardness of the material. In cylindrical grinding, in addition to these
factors, the cut depends on the diameter of the work. In any case, experience
is the best guide. Generally, a cut of 0.001 to 0.003 inch in depth is used, depending
on the size and condition of the grinding machine.
For finishing, the depth
of cut is always slight, generally from 0.0005 inch to as little as 0.00005 inch.
An indication of the depth of cut is given by the volume of sparks thrown
off. Also, an uneven amount of sparks indicates that the workpiece or wheel is
not concentric.
COOLANTS
Most grinding machines are equipped with coolant
systems. The coolant is directed over the point of contact between the grinding
wheel and the work. This prevents distortion of the workpiece due to uneven temperatures
caused by the cutting action. In addition, coolant keeps the chips washed away
from the grinding wheel and point of contact, thus permitting free cutting.
Clear
water may be used as a coolant, but various compounds containing alkali are usually
added to improve its lubricating quality and prevent rusting of the machine and
workpiece.
An inexpensive coolant often used for all metals, except aluminum,
consists of a solution of approximately 1/4 pound of sodium carbonate (sal soda)
dissolved in 1 gallon of water.
Another good coolant is made by dissolving
soluble cutting oil in water. For grinding aluminum and its alloys, a clear water
coolant will produce fairly good results.
OFFHAND GRINDING
Offhand
grinding is the process of positioning and feeding the workpiece against a grinding
wheel by hand. Offhand grinding is used for reducing weld marks and imperfections
on workpieces, and general lathe tool, planer tool, shaper tool, and drill grinding.
Deciding depth of cut and feed is based on the operator's knowledge of grinding.
Offhand grinding is performed on utility grinding machines which generally
have fixed spindle speeds and fixed wheel size requirements, so that the cutting
speed of the wheel is constant and cannot be changed for different materials.
Therefore, the operator must use care in feeding and not overload the wheel by
taking too heavy a cut, which would cause excess wear to the grinding wheel. Similarly,
he must be careful not to glaze the wheel by applying excessive pressure against
the wheel.
The one variable factor in most offhand grinding is the selection
of grinding abrasive wheels, although limited to one diameter. For example, a
softer or harder wheel can be substituted for the standard medium grade wheel
when conditions and materials warrant such a change. Lathe tool grinding is described
in Chapter 7. Drill sharpening and drill grinding attachments and fixtures are
described in Chapter 4.
TOOL AND CUTTER GRINDING
Grinding Milling
Cutters
Milling cutters must be sharpened occasionally to keep them in
good operating condition. When grinding milling cutters, care must be exercised
to maintain the proper angles and clearances of the cutter. Improper grinding
can result in poor cutting edges, lack of concentricity, and loss of form in the
case of formed tooth cutters. Milling cutters cannot be sharpened by offhand grinding.
A tool and cutter grinding machine must be used.
Bench-Type Tool and Cutter
Grinding Machine
The bench-type tool and cutter grinding machine described
here is typical of most tool and cutter grinding machines. It is designed for
precision sharpening of milling cutters, spot facers and counterbores, reamers,
and saw blades. The grinding machine contains a l/4-HP electric motor mounted
to a swivel-type support bracket which can be adjusted vertically and radically
on the grinder column. The column is fixed to the grinder base which contains
T-slots for attaching grinder fixtures used to support the tools that are to be
ground.
The motor shaft or wheel spindle accepts grinding wheels on each
end. One end of the spindle contains a wheel guard and tool rest for offhand grinding
of lathe tools and so forth. Cup, straight, and 15º bevel taper abrasive
grinding wheels are used with this machine. Fixtures used for grinding tools and
cutters include a center fixture for mounting reamers, taps, and so forth between
centers; an outside diameter fixture for chucking arbor-type milling cutters and
shanked peripheral cutting edge tools; and an end mill fixture for supporting
end cutting tools to the grinder base.
Grinding Formed Milling Cutters
Use the following methods and procedures when grinding formed milling cutters.
Formed milling cutters are usually ground with a cup or dish grinding
wheel of medium grain (36 to 60 grain).
It is important that formed cutters
be ground only on the face, never on the land. Grinding the land destroys the
shape of the cutter. Also important, the face must be ground so that the exact
rake angle is retained or the cutter will cut unevenly.
Formed cutters
are ground by radial grinding. Correctly ground cutter teeth are shown at A and
B, Figure 5-17. At A, the tooth is ground without rake; only cutters originally
shaped without rake should be reground without rake. At B, a correctly ground
tooth is shown with positive rake. Rake angles are commonly between 10° and
15° from the radius passing through the cutting edge, 12° being the most
commonly used angle. The tooth shown at C, has excessive positive rake this tooth
will gouge, making an excessively deep cut, and the cutting edge will dull rapidly
with hard materials. The tooth shown at D, Figure 5-17 has negative rake; this
tooth will drag and make a shallow cut.
On new cutters, the back (Figure
5-17) of each tooth should be ground accurately before grinding the face. This
procedure is recommended so that an accurate reference surface is provided for
the index finger of the grinding machine attachment. Another method of assuring
this alignment is by mounting another cutter containing the same number of teeth
on the same arbor with the cutter being ground. With the second cutter properly
aligned and locked in place, the index finger can be used against the second cutter's
teeth.
NOTE: A positive rake angle is a rake angle that increases the keenness
of the cutting edge. A negative rake angle is one that decreases or makes the
cutting edge more blunt.
The grinding wheel should be set up so that the
wheel traverse is aligned with the face of one tooth (Figure 5-18). The alignment
should be checked by moving the grinding wheel away from the cutter, rotating
the cutter, and rechecking the traverse on another tooth. After this alignment
is accomplished, the depth of cut, is regulated by rotating the cutter slightly,
thus maintaining the same rake angle on the sharpened cutter. The depth of cut
should never be obtained by moving the cutter or grinding wheel in a direction
parallel to the wheel spindle. Doing this would change the rake angle of the cutter.
To obtain the primary clearance angle when grinding with
a straight wheel, lower the indexing finger or raise the grinding wheel a distance
equivalent to 0.0088 times the clearance angle times the diameter of the grinding
wheel. For example, to find the distance below center of the indexing finger (Figure
5-20) for a cutter with a 5° clearance angle, being ground by a straight wheel
6 inches in diameter, the calculation is as follows: 0.0088 x 5 x6 = 0.264 inch.
The indexing finger would then be set 0.264 inch below the wheel axis. The milling
cutter axis should also be 0.264 inch below the wheel axis.
To obtain the
primary clearance angle when grinding with a cup wheel, the formula for a straight
wheel is used except that instead of wheel diameter being used in the formula,
the cutter diameter is used. In this case, the index finger is set to the calculated
distance below the axis of the milling cutter (Figure 5-20) instead of below the
axis of the wheel.
Table 5-3 in Appendix A is provided to save time in
calculating distances below center for primary clearance angles. The same figures
can be used for straight wheel or cup wheel grinding, substituting the wheel diameter
for the cutter diameter or vice versa.
The land of each tooth (Figure 5-19)
should be from 1/32 to 1/16-inch wide, depending upon the type and size of the
milling cutter. As a result of repeated grinding of the primary clearance angle,
the land may become so wide as to cause the heel of the tooth to drag on the workpiece.
To control the land width, a secondary clearance angle (Figure 5-19) is ground.
This angle is usually ground to 30°, although the exact angle is not critical.
Generally, an angle between 20° and 30° is sufficient to define the land
of the tooth.
Grinding End Milling Cutters
The peripheral teeth
of end milling cutters are ground in the same manner as the teeth of a plain milling
cutter. When grinding the end teeth of coarse-tooth end milling cutters, the cutter
is supported vertically in a taper sleeve of the end mill fixture and then tilted
to obtain the required clearance angle. The end mill fixture is offset slightly
to grind the teeth 0.001 to 0.002 inch lower in the center to prevent dragging.
A dish-shaped grinding wheel revolving about a vertical spindle is used to grind
end milling cutters.
Removing the Burrs
After the milling cutter
is ground, the cutting edges should be honed with a fine oilstone to remove any
burrs caused by grinding. This practice will add to the keenness of the cutting
edges and keep the cutting edges sharper for a longer period of time.
CYLINDRICAL
GRINDING
Cylindrical grinding is the practice of grinding cylindrical or
conical workpieces by revolving the workpiece in contact with the grinding wheel.
Cylindrical grinding is divided into three general operations: plain cylindrical,
conical grinding (taper grinding), and internal grinding. The workpiece and wheel
are set to rotate in opposite directions at the point of contact (Figure 5-21).
Plain Cylindrical Grinding
The step-by-step procedure for
grinding a straight shaft is given below. The shaft has been roughly turned prior
to grinding.
Check and grind headstock and tailstock centers if necessary.
Check drilled centers of workpiece for accuracy.
Place a grinding
wheel of the proper grain, grade, structure, and bond on the wheel spindle.
Place
wheel guards in position to cover the wheel adequately.
Set the proper
wheel speed on grinding machine (Table 5-2 in Appendix A).
Place the diamond
dresser and holder on the machine table and true and dress the grinding wheel.
Mount the headstock and footstock on the table.
Attach the proper
size drive dog on the headstock end of the workpiece.
Mount the workpiece
between headstock and tailstock centers. Use lubricant (oil and white lead mixture)
on tailstock center. Make sure centers fit drill center holes correctly with no
play.
Set the proper rotational work speed on the wheel head. The general
range of work speed for cylindrical grinding is 60 to 100 SFPM. Heavy rough grinding
is sometimes performed at work speeds as low as 20 or 30 SFPM. Soft metals such
as aluminum are sometimes ground at speeds up to 200 SFPM.
Position the
table trip dogs to allow minimum table traverse. The wheel should overlap each
end of the workpiece not more than one-half the wheel width to assure a uniform
straight cut over the length of the workpiece.
Calculate the table traverse
feed using this formula.
TT = (WW x FF x WRPM) ÷ 12
Where TT
= Table travel in feet per minute
WW = Width of wheel
FF = Fraction
of finish
WRPM = Revolutions per minute of workpiece
12 = Constant (inches
per foot)
The fraction of finish for annealed steels is 1/2 for rough
grinding and 1/6 for finishing; for hardened steels, the rate is 1/4 for rough
grinding and 1/8 for finishing.
For example, a l-inch-wide wheel is used
to rough grind a hardened steel cylinder with a work RPM of 300.
Table
travel =
(1 x 1/4 x 300) ÷ 12 = (75) ÷ 12 = 6.25 FPM
After
the calculations have been completed, set the machine for the proper traverse
rate, turn on the table traverse power feed, and grind the workpiece.
Check
the workpiece size often during cutting with micrometer calipers. Check the tailstock
center often and readjust if expansion in the workpiece has caused excessive pressure
against the drilled center in the workpiece.
The finishing cut should be
slight, never greater than 0.001 inch, and taken with a fine feed and a fine grain
wheel.
If two or more grinding wheels of different grain size are used
during the grinding procedure, each wheel should be dressed and trued as soon
as it is mounted in the grinding machine.
Conical Grinding
Most
conical grinding is performed in the same manner as plain cylindrical grinding.
Once the grinding machine is set up, the table is swiveled until the correct taper
per inch is obtained. Steep conical tapers are normally ground by swiveling the
headstock to the angle of taper. Whichever method is used, the axis of the grinding
wheel must be exactly at center height with the axis of the work.
INTERNAL
GRINDING
The internal grinding attachment is bolted to the wheel head on
the universal tool and cutter grinder. The RPM is increased by placing a large
pulley on the motor and a small pulley on the attachment.
The workpiece
should be set to rotate in the direction opposite that of the grinding wheel.
The following step-by-step procedure for grinding the bore of a bushing is outlined
below as an example.
Set up the workpiece in an independent chuck
and check and adjust its alignment.
Mount the internal grinding attachment
to the wheel head and adjust its position so that the grinding wheel is centered
vertically with the mounted workpiece.
True and dress the grinding wheel.
Set the proper wheel speed on the grinding machine by adjusting the pulleys
and belts connecting the wheel spindle to the drive motor shaft.
Set the
proper rotational work feed. The speed should be 60 to 100 SFPM.
Be sure
sufficient clearance is allowed when setting the traversing speed so that the
grinding wheel will not strike any part of the workpiece or setup when the wheel
is fed into and retracted from the workpiece.
If two or more grinding wheels
are used to complete internal grinding, true each wheel after mounting it to the
spindle of the internal grinding attachment.
SURFACE GRINDING
Surface
grinding or grinding flat surfaces, is characterized by a large contact area of
the wheel with the workpiece, as opposed to cylindrical grinding where a relatively
small area of contact is present. As a result, the force of each abrasive grain
against the workpiece is smaller than that applied to each grain in cylindrical
grinding. In surface grinding the grinding wheel should be generally softer in
grade and wider in structure than for cylindrical grinding.
OPERATION
The following sequence is provided as a step-by-step example of a typical surface
grinding operation.
Adjust the surface grinding machine so that grinding
head and worktable are absolutely parallel.
Place a grinding wheel of the
proper grain, grade, structure, and bond on the wheel spindle.
Place the
guard over the wheel and check security of all adjustable members of the grinding
machine for rigidity and lack of backlash.
True and dress the grinding
wheel.
Mount the workpiece to the worktable. Make sure the surface to be
ground is parallel to the worktable and the grinding wheel.
Adjust wheel
speed, work speed, and work feed.
Proceed with grinding, adjusting depth
of cut as necessary. Check for accuracy between each cut and determine that the
workpiece is square and the wheel is not out of alignment. If it is necessary
to use more than one grinding wheel to complete the grinding, each wheel should
be trued and dressed after it is mounted.
SPECIAL OPERATIONS ON GRINDING
MACHINES
CLEANING
A wire wheel mounted to a utility grinding machine
is used for cleaning operations such as removing rust, paint, or dirt from metal
objects. If the utility grinding machine on which the wire wheel is to be mounted
is equipped with wheel guards and tool rests, these parts should be removed or
swung out of the way so that the objects to be cleaned can be brought against
the wheel without interference.
To clean objects with a wire wheel, place
the object firmly against the wire wheel. Work the object back and forth across
the face of the wheel until all traces of rust, paint, or dirt are removed. Avoid
excessive pressure against the face of the wire wheel to prevent spreading the
steel wires. Keep the point of contact below the center of the wheel to avoid
kickback of the workpiece.
POLISHING, BUFFING, AND LAPPING
Polishing,
buffing, and lapping are three closely related methods for finishing metal parts.
The three different methods of finishing are listed below.
Polishing
Polishing
is an abrading process in which small amounts of metal are removed to produce
a smooth or glossy surface by application of cushion wheels impregnated or coated
with abrasives. Polishing may be used for reduction or smoothing of the surface
to a common level for high finish where accuracy is not important, or it may be
employed for removing relatively large amounts of material from parts of irregular
contour. Rough polishing is performed on a dry wheel using abrasives of No. 60
grain (60 grains per linear inch) or coarser. Dry finish polishing is a similar
process where No 70. grain to No. 120 grain abrasives are used. Oiling is the
term applied to polishing with abrasive finer than No. 120 grain. In this process,
the abrasive is usually greased with tallow or a similar substance.
Buffing
Buffing is a smoothing operation which is accomplished more by plastic
flow of the metal than by abrading. The abrasives are generally finer than those
used in polishing and instead of being firmly cemented to the wheel are merely
held by a "grease cake" or similar substance. Buffing is used to produce
a high luster or color without any particular regard to accuracy of dimension
or plane. Cut down buffing produces a rapid smoothing action with fast-cutting
abrasives and relatively hard buffing wheels. It is accomplished with high speeds
and heavy pressures to allow a combined plastic flow and abrading action to occur.
Color buffing is the imparting of a high luster finish on the workpiece by use
of soft abrasives and soft buffing wheels.
Lapping
Lapping, like
polishing, is an abrading process in which small amounts of material are removed.
Unlike polishing, however, lapping is intended to produce very smooth, accurate
surfaces, and is never used instead of polishing or buffing when clearance is
the only consideration. Lapping is accomplished by charging metal forms called
laps with flour-fine abrasives and then rubbing the workpiece with the lap. The
lap may be of any shape and may be designed to fit into most power machine tools.
The only requirements of the lap are that it be of softer material than the material
being lapped, and that it be sufficiently porous to accept the imbedded abrasive
grain. Common materials for laps are soft cast iron, copper, brass, and lead.
Some laps are flat and others are cylindrical to fit on steel arbors for internal
lapping of bores. A cutting oil is recommended for most lapping operations.
Polishing
and Buffing Speeds
The proper speed for polishing and buffing is governed
by the type of wheel, workpiece material, and finish desired. For polishing and
buffing in general where the wheels are in perfect balance and correctly mounted,
a speed of approximately 1,750 RPM is used for 6-inch to 8-inch wheels; up to
6-inch wheels use 3,500 RPM. If run at a lower rate of speed, the work tends to
tear the polishing material from the wheel too readily, and the work is not as
good in quality.
Polishing Abrasives
The abrasive grains used for
polishing must vary in characteristics for the different operations to which they
are applied. Abrasive grains for polishing are supplied in bulk form and are not
mixed with any vehicle. The abrasives, usually aluminum oxide or silicon carbide,
range from coarse to fine (1 to 20 grains per inch).