New Grinding Wheel Emphasizes Operator Comfort
Repetitive motions, especially those involving hand tools, can lead to worker fatigue and even carpal tunnel syndrome. The less tiring you make a job, the more productive employees will be.
Share
ECi Software Solutions, Inc.
Featured Content
View MoreAutodesk, Inc.
Featured Content
View MoreTakumi USA
Featured Content
View MoreImproving workplace ergonomics pays dividends by minimizing operator fatigue and providing more time devoted to completing the task at hand. That’s especially true with hand grinding operations such as deburring and eliminating welding seams. It also stands to reason that a grinding wheel is easier to use because it’s removing material efficiently and retaining its abrasive qualities longer.
Although the new Norton Quantum3 (NQ3) depressed center grinding wheel from Saint-Gobain Abrasives has additional features as well, I found it interesting that operator comfort was listed as one of its primary attributes. This is accomplished, the company says, by using a proprietary grain along with a tougher bond system containing a unique combination of fillers and bonding agents that allow for much better mix quality in manufacturing. As a result, the wheel provides substantially faster grinding for more metal removal and longer tool life with less operator fatigue, at the same time significantly increasing grinding output. In fact, tests conducted against competitive wheels indicated that NQ3 removed almost twice the amount of carbon steel at 5-minute intervals.
The new wheels are offered in 12 Type 27 all-purpose grinding application SKUs, one Type 28 all-purpose and two Type 27 SKUs for foundry applications. Sizes range from 4" × ¼" × 3/8", to 9" × ¼" to 7/8". Watch this video of the NQ3 in action in addition to downloading a white paper and product brochure, and read this article about Norton’s efforts to enable gear manufacturers to grind large, high-quality gears directly from a blank.
Related Content
-
4 Commonly Misapplied CNC Features
Misapplication of these important CNC features will result in wasted time, wasted or duplicated effort and/or wasted material.
-
How to Successfully Adopt Five-Axis Machining
While there are many changes to adopt when moving to five-axis, they all compliment the overall goal of better parts through less operations.
-
5 Tips for Running a Profitable Aerospace Shop
Aerospace machining is a demanding and competitive sector of manufacturing, but this shop demonstrates five ways to find aerospace success.