In order to choose the right wheel material and structure, several factors should be considered:
1 Material to be ground - type and hardness
1.1 Type of Material-Steels (Aluminum Oxide), Low tensile strength materials and non metallic materials (Silicon Carbide)
1.2 Hardness of Material
1.2.1 Hard materials-Finer grit sizes, Friable abrasives, Softer grade wheels, Sharper Abrasives,
1.2.2 Soft materials- Coarse grit sizes, General purpose abrasives, Harder grade wheels
2 Stock to be removed
2.1 Light stock removal-Friable grains, Finer grit sizes, Softer grade wheels
2.2 Heavy stock removal- Tougher grains, Coarser grit sizes, Harder grade wheels
3 Workpiece geometry and surface finish
3.1 Flat/Uninterrupted surface (no form)- Finer grit sizes, Softer grade wheels, Open Structures,
3.2 Form/Interrupted surface- Coarser grit sizes, Harder grade wheels, Tighter structures
3.3 Surface Finish-
3.3.1 Better finish- Finer grit sizes, Harder grade wheels, Less friable abrasives
3.3.2 Worse finish- Coarser grit sizes, Softer grade wheels, More friable abrasives
4 Grinding machine - type, horsepower condition
4.1 Higher horsepower-Harder grade wheels, Tougher abrasives
4.2 Lower horsepower- Softer grade wheels, Friable abrasives
5 Wheel speeds and feeds
5.1 Wheel Speed
5.1.1 Faster wheel surface feet per minute- Softer grade wheels
5.1.2 Slower wheel surface feet per minute -Harder grade wheels
6 Grinding contact area
6.1 Large contact area-Softer grade wheels, Coarser grit size, Friable abrasives
6.2 Small contact area- Harder grade wheels, Finer grit size, Tougher abrasives
7 Grinding fluid - wet or dry
7.1 Wet-Harder grade wheels, Tougher abrasives, Open structures
7.2 Dry- Softer grade wheels, Friable abrasives, Tighter structures
8 Severity of operation
9 Dressing method
