Why Is Truing and Dressing a Diamond or CBN Wheel Important?
Truing and Dressing a Diamond or CBN wheel is a necessary function to maintain efficiencies and precision. Like sharpening a knife—continued use of these wheels reduces their sharpness and efficiency, compromising the precision and finish of the final product. Dressing restores the wheel to its original sharpness so that it can continue to operate at peak efficiency. Learn more about wheel truing and dressing and why your diamond or CBN wheel requires this process.
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What Is a Diamond or CBN Wheel?
Diamond or CBN wheels consist of diamond or CBN (Cubic Boron Nitride) particles that are bonded together with various types of bonding material on a wheel core. Depending on the application both the grit (how many diamonds or CBN in a square inch) and hardness of the bond material will vary. Over time and the diamonds or CBN bonded to the wheel will become dull or dislodge altogether. When this happens, it’s time to true and dress your wheel.
What is Wheel Truing and Dressing?
Truing and dressing are often mentioned interchangeably, but the terms refer to two distinct operations. Wheel truing is performed on newly installed wheels to straighten them along a rotational axis to establish concentricity or to introduce form or shape into a wheel. Wheel dressing occurs periodically and focuses on sharpening the abrasives, meeting requirements for surface finish, and correcting accuracy. Truing should be scheduled according to the wheel’s frequency of use as it helps to correct uneven wear and return the wheel to its required shape.
Dressing exposes the cutting crystals to optimize grinding. The dressing process removes dull crystals and exposes fresh crystals. Dressing also removes clogs and excess bonding material so that the wheel operates with less vibration. As a result, you can restore the wheel to its original efficiency level without having to replace the entire wheel.
Dressing machines are preferred over hand-operated tools because they are highly accurate, easy to operate, and cost-effective.
How to dress a diamond or CBN Wheel
Here’s how to dress a diamond or CBN wheel:
- Using the appropriate spindle or adapter, mount the grinding wheel onto the grinding wheel spindle.
- Mount the recommended dressing wheel onto the dressing wheel spindle.
- Using the Rush Machinery truing parameters calculator set the dressing machine to the recommended parameters.
- Start by adjusting the dressing wheel position and oscillation limits in relation to the dressing wheel. Once the dressing wheel is at the appropriate position you can begin dressing.
- Turn both dressing and grinding wheel spindle motors on to the recommended RPMs.
- Once the wheels are up to speed you can begin traversing the dressing wheel across the grinding wheel.
- After dressing is completed verify the measurements are correct using RushVision. Repeat steps 4-6 above until the wheel profile matches the profile shown on the RushVision monitor.
- Repeat steps 4-7 for any other wheels in a wheel pack.
- Once all wheels in the pack have been dressed and trued according to the required profiles, the grinding wheel pack can be removed from the grinding wheel spindle and put back into service.
High-Quality Dressing and Truing Solutions From Rush Machinery
Rush Machinery provides affordable, high-quality dressing and truing machinery that improves the consistency of your grinding equipment and makes it last longer. Since 1983, we’ve produced innovative solutions that help people manufacture more accurately and efficiently. Our products primarily support industries that use CBN, diamond, carbide, and other hard materials. Contact us for more information about our products and services, or get an instant quote.