Norton | Saint-Gobain Abrasives Solutions Optimize Metal Removal Rates

Norton | Saint-Gobain Abrasives is highlighting a range of abrasive grinding products and technology. Its Norton RazorStar belts, quick-change and fiber discs feature engineered, shaped ceramic grain, a technology that is said to optimize performance and metal removal rates when performing off-hand applications and/or automated grinding. Its combination of razor-sharp grains in an upright position, along with a supersized grinding aid, can help to reduce heat generation for cooler cuts and longer life on a range of materials such as carbon steel, aluminum, stainless steel, nickel alloys and other hard-to-grind metals. In addition to impact grinding and off-hand applications, RazorStar belts can be used for robotic applications in markets such as aerospace, automotive, oil and gas and general machining. RazorStar belts, as well as other abrasive products, are being shown on a dual-head Yaskawa robot in the booth.

Norton Quantum Prime grinding wheels, which feature nano-crystalline ceramic grain, are said to optimize productivity gains across a wide range of applications. The Quantum Prime grain can deliver high grinding efficiency and part quality, as well as extended wheel life. Wheels are available in a range of types including OD, ID, gear grinding, toolroom, disc grinding, mounted wheels, surface grinding, creepfeed and flute grinding.

The Norton Abrasive Process Solutions (APS) Program is also being highlighted. The program can provide custom grinding expertise by helping customers determine the most optimal grinding or finishing solutions for the application at hand, ranging from simple to complex, off-hand or automated.  The APS team can provide abrasive process development, optimization, automation and in-house testing. APS services can encompass the testing and optimization of new abrasives, improving quality and/or throughput, and exploring customized processes.

Additional key Norton grinding technologies being showcased include:

• Paradigm Plus Diamond Wheels, fearing custom, premium grain technology that can complement a brittle metal bond to deliver high grinding performance on carbide round tools and periphery grinding on carbide and cermet inserts. This technology, together with an advanced lightweight core, can produce lower specific cutting energy with a 25% to 50% higher metal removal rate (MRR), and can improve wheel life.
• Gear grinding solutions, featuring a custom high-performance bond. These are designed for gear grinding in extreme, tight tolerance environments. The portfolio of gear grinding products is tailored by category to provide higher profile accuracy, form holding and burn-free grinding in worm, profile and bevel applications.
• NORaX N889 micro-structured abrasive belts, which are designed to be precise and flexible in order to produce consistent, fine part finishes for a range of industry applications such as medical, aerospace, automotive, marine, metal fabrication and general metalworking. According to the company, the belts have up to 30% better performance compared with other belts in their class.
• Vitron7 CBN grinding wheels, designed for the external grinding of cam and crankshafts and internal grinding applications in automotive and bearing industries. They are said to feature a high-precision vitrified bond.