HVOF grinding with Meister’s Vit bonded diamond wheel technology yields 30-50% cycle time improvements vs resin bonded wheels
Today, perhaps as never before, manufacturers are being challenged to meet incredible demands to reduce costs, improve cycle times and master some of the hardest materials known to man…. tungsten carbide, silicon carbide, zirconia, alumina, and other advanced ceramics. A case in point are the super tough HVOF coatings used in aerospace parts manufacturing.
HVOF (High Velocity Oxygen Fuel) thermal spray coating processes are used to produce extremely dense, hard coatings with a very strong bond to the part. The coatings provide significant wear and corrosion resistance, while adding very little weight. The downside, however, is that the spray’s rough deposit requires aggressive machining to bring the irregular surface to final geometry and finish tolerances. Furthermore, the spray coating can be irregular; Coverage tends to over-spray the edges of the target zone, and is often heavier in those areas as well, requiring a high removal rate.
To master these challenging parts, manufacturers are investing in sophisticated CNC grinding equipment to improve cycle times. In making this investment, however, they may not realize that replacing their standard resin-bonded diamond wheels with vitrified bonded wheel technology can dramatically improve their payback. Those who do are routinely experiencing 30-50% cycle time improvements after changing their process to incorporate the Vit bonded diamond wheels.
What makes Vitrified Technology different?
click to enlarge
The typical resin bonded abrasives are packed in a dense substrate, which degrades cutting performance of the crystals. The unique open structure of Meister’s Vit bonded diamond technology enables the wheel to cut more aggressively, dramatically reducing cycle time while still hitting the same surface requirements. In a nutshell, the wheels provide:
- Maximized abrasive crystal exposure
- Lower cutting forces
- Better work piece geometry
- Larger chip loads for faster material removal rates
- Minimal bond / work-piece interaction
In addition, Vit bond diamond wheels can be rotary dressed on the machine unlike resin bonded diamond wheels. This eliminates the need for separate machines or wheels for roughing or finishing. And where a capital investment is not on the table, the advanced design of Meister’s hDD single point stationary dressers will dress vitrified diamond wheels as well.
If you are up in the air about fueling an expansion of your HVOF business, talk to a Meister Applications Engineer. Together we’ll get you on the right flight path.
