Best 6" Cut-Off Wheel Test Results 3

[DP68]

Project began here:

http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=342359

And here are the results. All just FYI, but I found it interesting, and in the long run...a cost savings project for my company.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AvFsDgmkMscMdE1Od2xkWW5oMnplbzNzYU43VlZIa3c&usp=sharing

 

[ornerynorsk]

Very interesting, thanks for the info. Would be nice to see the cost per cut, though. The amount of labor/downtime to change a wheel would also play into the equation, although the wheels that can only make ~5 or 10 cuts before being changed wouldn't be economical even if they were free.

It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all.

 

[DP68]

Yes sir...we factored in changing the wheel time. Actually had 4 of us changed wheels, and averaged that time. Believe me, we crunched the numbers...and it became obvious that even a $5 dollar wheel that lasted 100 times longer than a $1 wheel is a no brainer. I forget the exact figure, but it was something like...our winner of the cost per cut would have to cost like $20 ea to be non cost effective. Which, it is not even close.

Thanks for the input!

 

[geneiusxie]

Can you test metal cutting wheels with teeth? Like saw blades? Supposedly those cut much faster, make an almost mirror finish, and last 20x longer than abrasive wheels.

Can you also test cutting aluminum rods and carbon fiber too? I feel like silicon carbide might be a better material for cutting that stuff.

I feel like "gravity fed" might introduce variations on the pressure exerted, which could impact the efficiency/durability of the cutting wheel.

 

[racookpe1978]

No, gravity feed would mean a uniform downward force into the uncut metal: I read that as saying that the grinder was pivoted (to stay true to the cut) but the only downward force as metal was worn away is the weight of the grinder. True, the little bitty weight of the slowly changing grind wheel goes down, but that is very small compared to the weight of the grinder. 1/2 oz for a 0.045 inch wheel compared to 2 to 5 lbs pounds for the grinder and motor and clamp.

 

[geneiusxie]

Ok, can you try a carbide saw blade like this though?

http://www.amazon.com/D0748F-Diablo...id=1390604163&sr=8-2&keywords=metal+saw+blade

 

[DP68]

We did try a couple of the steel wheels, this one for example:

http://www.grainger.com/product/DIAMOND-X-Abrasive-Diamond-Blade-6TMN5?s_pp=false

And it was horrible. Slow and VERY loud. Dont get me wrong, this thing would probably be great in a stationary saw doing some production work of some sort...but in an angle grinder for general cutting, we didnt like it all. I also can not attest to the longevity of it, as we only tried it for a few minutes...it may very well last a long time, not sure.

The gravity fed system we used was set up exactly the same for all the wheels. So, even if we were using too much or too little pressure (we think we had it set just right though)...it was equal to all, thus we considered it "fair" for all the discs we used.

 

[kingnero]

very extensive testing. Nice of you for sharing your results.
We are currently trying to do a similar thing, but for grinding away material (with thicker discs) instead of cutting discs.

Our application is repair welding of Hadfield (manganese) steel, which work hardens easily.
So far we have tested about 6 different types of two brands, it's amazing what differences there are, but we cannot find a test stand that creates the same conditions for each test.
We grind manually for 10 minutes and try to measure the amount of ground away material. Which is a rather questionable test method, I am aware.

We are always open for suffestions!

 

[TomDOT]

Star for you!

 

[DP68]

Kingnero-

Check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7k8m163xEg

https://www.pferdusa.com/products/206a/206a01/206A010901P.html

It's PFERD's CC Grind Solid (dumb name eh) but these little beauty's are bad ass. Matter of fact, while watching that video, my shop foreman walked in my office and said the exact same thing. I sent a few down to our shop and they love them. They really do remove metal and a remarkable rate...WAY faster than a regular grinding disc, of any type, that I've found. Less vibration and less noise, as advertised, is also true.

Supposedly they will replace grinding wheels (or at least this technology...someday)..not sure about all that, but they are pretty sweet...fyi...

 

[kingnero]

Now that is some great information. I will order some of those today, and I'll keep you updated about their performance.

I really like the way you did your tests, I am still looking for a similar, equal-to-all, test set-up. When we find something, we'll try to do the same thing you did, as this is a very important (and time-consuming) application to our weldors.