So how do you choose the right abrasive for specific tasks? Glad you asked. Look at these tips and at the table here to make the right choices and use your grinding wheels and discs safely.

Right Choices Matter –What is the Right Choice for Your Operation?

Abrasive products come in various levels of performance, which Norton conveniently labels “good,” “better” and “best.”

Which should you choose? Your choice involves balancing the results you want with the cost you’re willing or able to pay. If initial price is your primary consideration, choose good abrasives, but be aware that a lower purchase price up front may not end up being economical in the long run. When you’re running high-productivity applications and have to keep initial abrasive prices in mind, it’s time for better abrasives. Consider the best abrasive products when maximum productivity and lowest total cost are critical to your operation.

When testing abrasive products to determine the best solution for your operation, there are three objective measurements to consider; one of which must remain constant between products being tested. These measurements are time, material removed, and product wear. By holding one of these constant and measuring the other two, you can come up with an objective comparison between multiple products. For example, you could grind for 10 minutes with each product, and measure how much material was removed and how much of the abrasive products were lost; this is often measured by weight. Alternatively, you could run each product to the end of its life, while measuring how much material it removed, and how long it lasted. Finally, you could remove a set amount of material while measuring the time and abrasive wear. Each business has unique priorities; following these test methods will allow you to select the right choice to meet yours.

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1. Ceramic Alumina – Ceramic abrasives provide the longest life & fastest cut rate of all coated abrasives. They are the newest grain innovation and represent the ultimate in performance, providing an aggressive, consistent cut under moderate to high pressure. Ceramic is usually red or orange in color. Used primarily on metal applications.  Ceramic is available in grits 24-120.
2. Zirconia Alumina– Zirconia Alumina is commonly referred to as Zirc or Zirconium.  Zirc is ideal for coarse to medium grit applications on metal (best choice for abusive applications).  Zirc is usually green or blue in color.  Works best under high pressure (which is required for the grain to fracture exposing new sharp edges).  It has large fracture planes and it self-sharpens as it cuts.  Zirc is available in grits 24-180.
3. Aluminum Oxide– Aluminum Oxide is the most common & least expensive. Good starting point for most metal and wood applications.  Aluminum Oxide is usually brown or reddish in color, but can be blue, green or yellow (which usually indicates the presence of a grinding aid/lubricant). It is durable with tough cutting edges, but it dulls during use.  Aluminum Oxide is available in grits 24-600.

LESS COMMON GRAINS

4. Silicon Carbide– Silicon Carbide is good for grinding glass, plastic, rubber, paint, wood products, titanium alloys and cast iron.  Silicon Carbide is black in color. It is a sharp, hard synthetic abrasive. Its friable grains fracture to continually expose new cutting edges and permit fast stock removal.
5. Crocus– Crocus is reddish brown in color. It is a soft material made from iron oxide. It is the finest natural grain produced. Its applications include cleaning and extremely fine polishing of soft materials such as gold.
6. Emery– Emery is a dark gray round-shaped natural grain. It is better used as a polishing grain than a cutting grain. It is used for cleaning and polishing metals.
7. Garnet– Garnet is a reddish brown natural grain. It is relatively sharp and has a medium hardness. Its durability cannot be compared to that of synthetic abrasives (aluminum oxide) and thus is not used much any longer. It is used for finishing applications in soft woods such as fir or pine.

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Proper abrasive levels mean that the size distribution of abrasive cleans the work faster and more effectively.  The proper size distribution of shot means there is a mixture of new larger media with smaller media particles.  This mixture allows for the best coverage or scattering of impacts on the work.  When a proper distribution of media is thrown at the work, the cleaning is much more effective which in turn allows for faster line speeds and consequently higher productivity.  When abrasive levels are low the distribution of particle sizes is tilted to the smaller end of particle sizes.  The absence of larger particles effects the size distribution resulting in slower line speed or decreased productivity.  A tell tale sign that abrasive levels are not proper is when the operator notices it is taking longer to clean the work.  Simply put; running the machine faster and therefore for less time decreases overall machine operating cost.

An operating mix that is heavily weighted to fine particles and abrasive dust is more abrasive to the blast equipment than a properly maintained operating mix associated with full media hoppers.   Fine particles and dust act less like high velocity media impacting the work and more like sandpaper working to wear the blast wheels and reclaim system in the equipment.  In a low hopper condition it will take longer to clean thereby allowing more time for the abrasive dust to work on the machines wear components, particularly with the blast wheel.

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