Meister Abrasives has introduced a remarkable new hybrid bonding technology for rotary diamond products used to dress CBN grinding wheels. New hDD (hybrid diamond dressing) tools combine the toughness of metal bonding with the natural porosity of a vitrified bond structure, comparable to porosity found in vit CBN grinding wheels. The many advantages of this new combination include more efficient dressing cycles that lead to more consistent CBN grinding wheel performance, increased intervals between dresses resulting in longer grinding wheel life, improved longevity of the dressing tool itself, and total elimination of the need to change out the dressing tool for re-conditioning.
One of the secrets of this new technology is a proprietary manufacturing process that both mechanically and chemically bonds the diamond particles within the tool to insure that they will be held securely. As a result, metal posts or “bridges” that attach to the diamond crystals in the bonding matrix can be slender, allowing for large pores to be naturally distributed between the crystals.
The improved porosity means that hDD rotary dressing tools are freer cutting, carrying more material and heat away from the CBN wheel with every revolution. This creates a better surface condition on the CBN wheel and does it faster. More efficient dressing means that CBN grinding wheels last longer, because less superabrasive needs to be removed, less often, to return the wheel to optimal condition.
The porosity and thin metal bond-posts also allow each crystal to stand out proudly for exceptional sharpness. When the diamond ultimately wears to the level of the metal matrix, the thin posts fracture, allowing the crystals to readily break away from the bond, thus revealing new layers of thoroughly exposed diamond.
Since the dressing tool remains consistently sharp without ever needing to be removed for conditioning, the surface of the CBN wheel is restored to the same condition after every dressing cycle. This gives the manufacturer a more consistent grinding process from beginning to end.