FIVE TIPS FOR GRINDING CERAMICS WITH DIAMOND WHEELS

Grinding shops commonly treat ceramic grinding in the same fashion as hardened steels or carbide. Understanding the differences can save a great deal of grief (and scrap too).

1.) Generally speaking, ceramics are not heat conducting materials. Maximize the removal of heat from the grinding zone by using an ample supply of water based coolant.

2.)  Use a diamond wheel that has been designed to grind ceramics. A tougher and stronger diamond crystal is typically required to stand up to the hardness of ceramics.

3.) Make sure the wheel has been sufficiently cleaned and trued before grinding ceramics, especially if the machine has been used to grind other materials.

4.) Make sure you understand the specific type of ceramic you are grinding. Alumina based ceramics are generally very easy to grind.  However, it is not uncommon for alumina to be mixed with various metals (like titanium or nickel) or even a wide variety of other types of ceramic material (such as zirconia).

5.) Start grinding by using very conservative in-feeds to develop a feeling for how the machine handles the grinding load and to avoid generating too much heat on the part.