Tool Grinding
Grinding Blackalloy™ '525'™ Spitfire Tools
Blackalloy™ tool compound '525'™ requires a grinding technique that is not difficult. Several easy precautions are necessary to prevent cracking and checking.
- Select the proper grinding wheel. The chart below shows our recommendations for grinding wheel selection.
- Operate the wheel in the recommended speed range. Use our simple cross reference chart to translate your wheel/motor RPM combination to surface speed.
- Avoid local overheating by traversing the work continually with respect to the wheel.
- Use either a generous coolant supply or none at all. Cutoff wheels must be run dry.
- Dress the wheel frequently to keep it free cutting.
- Don't quench the tool after grinding.
- Don't use excessively hard wheels. Common aluminum oxide wheels are more than suitable.
- Don't use too heavy pressure.
Recommended Grinding Wheel Selection @ 3800-4200 SFPM | ||||
Method | Abrasive | Grain Size | Grade | Structure |
Hand Roughing | Aluminum Oxide | 60 | K | 6 |
Hand Finishing | Aluminum Oxide | 60 | I | 6 |
Machine Roughing | Aluminum Oxide | 60 | I | 8 |
Machine Finishing | Aluminum Oxide | 60 | I | 6 |
Machine Forming | Aluminum Oxide | 100 | I | 6 |
Note: Tools must be completely flushed with coolant or used dry. Intermittent or insufficient coolant can cause tool failure. |