Saint-Gobain Abrasives Introduces New Grinding Wheel Technology

Saint-Gobain Abrasives has combined a new engineered abrasive grain and manufacturing process to control grinding wheel structure, create a porous and permeable grinding tool with unsurpassed abrasive grain spacing. According to the company's press release, Vortex technology can achieve optimum grain spacing without artificial pore inducers and delivers wheels that excel in grinding applications when applied to vitrified products with large contact areas. Wheels are designed for heat sensitive porous grinding, including creepfeed grinding, gear and surface griding--especially on difficult-to-gridn materials like nickel-based alloys. In addition, the Votrex technology doesn't require use of artificial pore inducers (chemicals). Vortex enables users to improve their manufacturing processes such as about 50% high maximum MRR (Metal Removal Rate) at a constant power, grind at about 20% lower power at a constant MRR, 90% reduction in scrap and 335% reduction in diamond dresser cost. These increased material removal rates and extended wheel wear result from optimizing the abrasive and porosity distribution. Test applications of new wheels in the aerospace, automotive, tools and gear indistries document cycle reduction time up to 50%, together with two or three times the number of pieces ground. Primary tool features include a high performance, engineered fused-alumina grain; a highly porous and permeable face for face gear grinding.