Is Continental Diamond Tool ISO 9001 Certified?

Quality Management

ISO 9001 Certification

Continental Diamond Tool Corporation in New Haven, Indiana, USA, underwent its most recent ISO audit in April 2024, conducted by IsoTec Alliance. A similar recertification audit at Continental Diamond Tool Limited in Kinmel Bay, Rhyl, U.K., was completed in February 2023 in collaboration with BM Trada. The comprehensive review covered all processes and documentation, with a particular emphasis on control plans, training records, and employee interviews across various departments. Following the rigorous four-day assessment, the auditor granted recertification for ISO 9001:2015, highlighting the company's steadfast commitment to maintaining superior quality management practices.

The ISO program mandates meticulous review of all processes, establishment of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), work instructions, and control plans, along with comprehensive training sessions for employees at all levels to ensure familiarity with ISO procedures. The Stage 1 audit, typically lasting one day, serves as an initial assessment by IsoTec Alliance to gauge readiness for Stage 2. Upon successful completion of Stage 1 with no issues detected, IsoTec recommends progression to Stage 2. Stage 2 entails a thorough four-day audit, during which auditors scrutinize all facets, including documentation and processes, to validate adherence to prescribed practices. This includes thorough examination of control plans, training records, and interviews with employees across various departments. Following the Stage 2 audit, a closing meeting is convened to assess the company's compliance, and if deemed satisfactory, certification for ISO 9001:2015 is granted. The official certificate is then issued to the company several days after the audit's conclusion.

Recertification audits are obligatory every three years to maintain ISO 9001:2015 status. These audits serve to ensure continued adherence to the stringent requirements outlined by the ISO program, underscoring the company's ongoing dedication to operational excellence and continual improvement.

The Evolution of Vitrified Grinding Wheels (Part 3)

Vitrified Superabrasive wheels use either diamond or CBN in a glassy or ceramic bond. Conventional grinding wheels use either Aluminum Oxide or Silicon Carbide, as with all grinding wheels, the bond imparts certain characteristics, making it better suited to some applications than others.

ADVANTAGES

• High strength structures with porosity for clearing chips and bringing coolant to grinding zone allow for reduced grinding cycle times.

• Porosity for coolant and chip removal efficiently remove heat and reduce work piece thermal damage and stresses.

• Efficient chip removal reduces wheel dressing frequency thus prolonging wheel life thus lowering machine down time for wheel changes and lowering waste removal costs.

• High wheel stiffness, long wheel life, and minimal heat generation allow for excellent finish and dimensional tolerancing.

• Wheel specifications can be optimized for each specific application (machine, coolant, work piece, stock removal, dressing, etc…)

• High product uniformity and performance allows for continuous unmanned grinding operations.

• Automated dressing and wheel conditioning.

LIMITATIONS

• Wheel manufacturing process controls need to be tight to ensure repeatability and product consistency (most sensitive of bond systems to process variations).

• Wheel designs need to be matched to the application (i.e. solid Vitrified wheels are limited to 80m/s operation, Vit wheels with steel cores can be rated for use up to 170m/s operation).

• Wheel prices may seem high when compared with conventional or other Superabrasive grinding wheel prices (need to look at all costs, not just wheel price).

• Significant capital investment in terms of equipment to maximize cost benefits of higher concentration CBN and Diamond Vit wheels for high volume applications.

• Generally requires knowledge of complete grinding process to maximize grinding performance. Grinding application support is necessary in many applications

• Difficult to cross reference competing manufacturers wheel specifications

APPROPRIATE APPLICATIONS

Vitrified CBN grinding wheels are ideal for high volume applications where productivity is paramount such as Automotive applications like Cam & Crank shaft grinding, and Aerospace engine component grinding. Recent advances in bonds and wheel specifications has led to the development of wheel structures for use on older less suitable grinding equipment and applications like surface and cylindrical grinding in mold and die shops.

Vitrified diamond grinding wheels are most suited for grinding of very hard Ceramic and Carbide materials. Applications include grinding of PCD and PCBN cutting toolings, structural ceramic components, and Carbides.

CURRENT RESEARCH

• Improved bond and wheel strength through continuing work with “Ceramic” bonds.

• Abrasive grit customization for better chemical and mechanical bonding in existing and new “Ceramic” bonds.

• Improved understanding and modeling of the grinding process.

STILL EVOLVING

Vitrified Diamond and CBN wheels compositions continue to evolve through the use of new chemistries and processing variables to enhance grinding wheel structures and performance. When it comes to grinding hard to grind materials, there are no better abrasives than Superabrasives; Diamond and CBN. Vitrified structures combined with Superabrasives often times allows for the best compromise between wheel life and grinding performance, thus giving the lowest overall costs in grinding.

The Evolution of Vitrified Grinding Wheels (Part 2)

Any review of vitrified grinding wheel development should cover both the abrasive materials and the bond medium. Part 1 of this series addressed materials; here we turn to the bond.

THE BOND MEDIUM

Grinding wheels probably originated in ancient Egypt where they were likely cut from sandstone. They also appear in sketches by Leonardo da Vinci and it's thought Belgian gem-polishers were using a cast iron wheel impregnated with diamond powder during the late 1700's, but little else is known until the early nineteenth century.

Around this time the first solid-bonded abrasive wheels appeared. These were made in India for hand-grinding gems and used emery or corundum abrasive in a gum resin shellac binder.

Rubber bond grinding wheels were introduced around 1860, again using corundum.

The first Vitrified (glass) bond wheels were commercialized about ten years later. What are today known as Resin (plastic) bonded wheels didn't appear until 1923. Metal bonds for diamond grinding wheels weren't introduced until the early 1940's.

CREATING A VITRIFIED BOND GRINDING WHEEL

The term “Vitrified" in its simplest form means “glassy” or “glass bond." Abrasive Materials such as Aluminum Oxide, Silicon Carbide, Diamond, and CBN are mixed with glass frit (ground glass) and other ceramic materials (clays, feldspars, fluxes, etc…). More recent advances in “Vitrified” bonds has led to the development of “Ceramic” bonds. In general terms, Ceramic bonds are those in which some or all of the glass phase has been converted to a crystalline phase to enhance certain material properties (i.e. higher strengths). Blended grinding wheel compositions are then formed either by “Hot Pressing” or “Cold Pressing” processes.

In Hot Pressing, the blended wheel materials are placed into a suitable mold and simultaneously pressed and sintered (baked). In sintering, the glass & ceramic components are fused and melted together forming the hard Vitrified Bond that holds the abrasive materials in place. Because the grinding wheel is simultaneously pressed and sintered at high temperatures, mold material selection has to withstand the processing temperature. Hot Pressed Vitrified wheels usually have low porosity levels and are very different in their use applications when compared with Cold Pressed Vitrified grinding wheels.

In Cold Pressed Vitrified Products, an extra material called a binder is blended into the wheel composition. The purpose of the binder is to provide handling strength to grinding wheels that are pressed in molds at room or low temperature and then removed for subsequent and separate sintering in kilns (high temperature ovens). In the sintering process, the temporary binder is removed at a low temperature and the glass is fused together at a high temperature forming the rigid hard Vitrified bond. Cold Pressed Vitrified grinding wheels generally have high levels of porosity in their structures.

Grinding wheel properties are adjusted by varying the percentage of abrasives, size of abrasives, blends of abrasives, different bonds and bond types, manufacturing process, etc… Varying the amount of the abrasive in Superabrasive Grinding wheels is referred to as the “Concentration”. Higher Concentrations contain more material and in general provide longer grinding wheel life as there are more Diamond or CBN cutting points to remove material.

CREATING POROSITY IN VITRIFIED GRINDING WHEELS

Porosity carries coolant through the grinding zone and provides space for chip clearance. By providing space to remove grinding swarf (used grinding wheel and removed work piece material), the grinding wheels are able to grind faster, provide better surface finishes (especially if the grinding fluid is filtered to remove the debris). Because open spacing in a wheel structure brings liquid coolants to the grinding zone, they are also known to grind cooler. In so doing, Vitrified Grinding wheels can remove the heat generated during grinding much more efficiently thus allowing faster grinding cycle times and less thermal damage to sensitive materials like Steels and Aerospace Alloys.

Porosity in wheels structures can be created by a variety of methods. In cold press and sinter manufacturing, the wheels are pressed to limited densities and sintering is controlled to limit shrinkage and densification. Another method for creating porosity in grinding wheel structure is through the use of additives in the wheel compositions that are then removed in the sintering stage, thus leaving voids (porosity) where the material once resided. Additional porosity can be generated by adding constituents to wheel compositions that remain within the wheel through manufacturing but are initiated when used. For example, some wheel compositions include material that doesn’t melt in processing but is dissolved in coolant upon use (i.e. Salt). Another example of induced porosity would be the use of hollow microspheres which upon use are broken open, leaving the open void as a pore.

Stay tuned for part 3 of this series where we will explore the advantages and limitations of vitrified diamond and cbn wheels in various grinding applications.

New Master Surface Finisher at CDT

Photo credit: www.pfonline.com/articles/40-under-40-class-of-2020

CDT is proud to announce that Jordan Donnelly, Plating Research and Development, has been named a Master Surface Finisher (MSF).

The MSF is the highest designation given by the National Association for Surface Finishing. Master Surface Finishers must demonstrate mastery of essential finishing processes, as well as knowledge in specialized processes and environmental stewardship.

In July 2020, Jordan Donnelly was recognized as one of the top "40 under 40" in the surface finishing industry by Products Finishing Magazine.

Excerpt from article:
"Jordan has been in the finishing industry for 15 years. He recently completed the AESF Foundation’s Certified Electroplater-Finisher program and the CAF – Airline and Aerospace certification. He is working towards Master Surface Finisher certification."
Full article: www.pfonline.com/articles/40-under-40-class-of-2020

We are proud of Jordan for his drive, determination, and dedication to his craft, and we're happy to have him on our team.

The Evolution of Vitrified Grinding Wheels (Part 1)

The vitrified bond grinding wheel first appeared 150 years ago, and continues to become ever more valuable. While some products reach a kind of developmental plateau where there's no potential for further improvement, research continues to uncover ways of making vitrified wheels cut faster and last longer.

When it comes to shaping hard materials quickly, accurately, and cheaply the vitrified superabrasive grinding wheel has few rivals. Low wear, high heat stability, combined with a free-cutting nature and excellent ‘dressability’ mean very high material removal rates and less downtime.

Understanding how this tool evolved yields some fascinating insights into its use in manufacturing. This begins with an overview of grinding wheels and abrasive materials, covers the production process, and explores where the technology might be heading.

HISTORY OF GRINDING WHEELS

Any review of grinding wheel development needs to cover the two primary components: the abrasive materials and the bond medium.

ABRASIVE MATERIALS

It is thought that sandstone was the first abrasive material. Probably used for putting a sharp edge on axes, compacted quartz embedded in the rock grains proved an effective way of removing material, (much like sandpaper today.) However, as a natural material sandstone has the disadvantage that the quartz particles vary in size and shape, resulting in unpredictable performance.

An alternative material, emery, was known to the Greeks and Romans as an abrasive and is still mined on what is today the Greek island of Naxos. Emery is a form of corundum, the second hardest naturally occurring material, is the crystalline form of Aluminum Oxide containing traces of Iron, Titanium, and Chromium.

As an abrasive emery had two problems: it was expensive to extract and ship to the manufacturing centers in the UK and USA, and its performance was unpredictable due to variance in raw materials that are mined. Spotting an opportunity, entrepreneurs set about developing alternatives. The results included synthetic or manmade Silicon Carbide and synthetic Aluminum Oxide (Corundum). These materials are generally known as “Conventional Abrasives."

INTRODUCING SUPERABRASIVES

Natural Diamond, has been used for grinding since at least the seventeenth century when Belgian gem-polishers used Diamond powder embedded in cast iron. Cost and variability of natural Diamond held back wider use until the creation of synthetic Diamond changed the equation in the 1950s.

As the hardest known substance, Diamond makes an excellent abrasive in most instances. There are certain Ferrous, Cast Iron, and Aerospace alloy materials, however, that produce a chemical reaction with Diamond causing it to wear rapidly and to alter the properties of the material. To address this problem, in 1969 General Electric introduced a crystalline material they had developed with a hardness approaching that of Diamond: Cubic Boron Nitride (CBN).

Despite having a lower hardness than Diamond, CBN doesn’t react with Ferrous and Aerospace alloys when grinding and has an even higher temperature stability. Therefore, it offers better grinding performance when grinding these particularly tricky materials.

Diamond and CBN are generally known as “superabrasives" for their unique, highly effective, grinding capabilities.

In part 2 & part 3 of this series, we will look specifically at the vitrified bond medium and its advantages and limitations in various grinding applications.

Grit Size And Its Impact On The Grinding Process

Shop for sandpaper in the hardware store and you'll see a numbering system indicating roughness. A coarse 80 grit grade removes material quickly but leaves the surface rough while a fine 400 grit won't take much off but leaves a smooth finish.

Superabrasive grinding wheels are no different. The size or coarseness, of the grit is indicated numerically in the wheel identification code, and guides the user in how that particular wheel should be used. Diamond is available in grit sizes from 40 to 8,000 mesh while CBN comes in the range of 50 to 8,000 mesh. As with sandpaper, a smaller number signifies the abrasive particles are larger.

RELATING GRIT TO SIZE

Grit numbers are derived from mesh sizes, mesh being the standard way of grading powder. The general principle is that of sieving: the finer the mesh the smaller a particle must be to pass through the gaps between the wires. Mesh size is indicated in gaps per inch, so a mesh of 16 has 16 gaps per inch.

When referring to powders mesh size is actually shown by two numbers, such as 50/60. The first number is the sieve through which most of the powder grains would pass, and the second is the mesh size that traps most of the grains. For simplicity, in the superabrasives industry the grit number refers to the larger size mesh, the one through which most particles would pass, so powder with a mesh size of 50/60 is referred to as 50 grit.

On average, in a 50 grit powder the particles are around 300 microns or 0.011 inches in diameter. That's roughly the size of grains of beach sand, although it's important to note that sieving result s in a distribution of sizes and shapes.

IMPACT ON GRINDING PERFORMANCE

As with sandpaper, larger abrasive particles, (a smaller grit number,) remove material faster but leave a coarser finish. With a finer grit, (larger number,) each particle removes less material. The removal rate will be lower but the surface finish will be smoother.

Grit size only approximately correlates to surface finish: machine condition and the type of workpiece make a big difference. Grit size, concentration, bond type plus hardness, and the grinding process (machine, wheel speed, coolant, work-piece) all greatly impact the surface finish achieved. Our engineers take all of these factors into consideration when optimizing custom grinding tools for our clients. Contact CDT for engineered superabrasive grinding solutions.

Reducing the Cost of Innovation with World-Class Grinding Lab

Continental Diamond Tool is thrilled to announce its much anticipated R&D grinding lab to customers and the industry this month. The new grinding lab offers a turnkey research and development solution that will expedite innovation for CDT and its customers based on their specific industry applications.

Innovation Without the Risk

Through this research and development lab, CDT will be working to expand industry understanding of current bond technology and explore new abrasive materials. “Now our engineers can investigate their ideas extensively before ever introducing them to our customers. This takes the guess work out of innovation and eliminates the risk to our customers in pursuing new and improved technology,” says Shane Vardaman, VP of Sales at CDT.

United Grinding showcased the CDT grinding lab in their customer feature in February 2021.

Product testing in the grinding lab will provide several direct benefits to CDT customers:

• Faster product development
  New product trials no longer have to compete with production time.

• Cost-savings and reduced risk
  Products can be optimized in simulations rather than expensive trials.

• Opportunities to innovate
  We can explore a variety of product types and coolant delivery methods.

• Valuable data
  Sensors are set up to monitor and record all aspects of the grind.

• Remote product testing
  Customers can see and hear live trials from anywhere in the world.

Years in the Making

“The R&D grinding lab completes the final phase of our latest expansion project that was started in 2017,” says Nick Viggiano, President of CDT. “It is the culmination of a substantial effort by our engineers and many vendors to customize a laboratory environment perfectly suited to the testing of innovative grinding products that will further enhance our customers’ manufacturing productivity.”

Continental Diamond Tool celebrated the grand opening of its 130,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility and corporate headquarters in August 2018. The R&D grinding lab, which has been in the works since the new building’s completion, occupies 925 sq. ft. of the complex. Wrapping up construction of the lab, several pieces of high-tech machinery were delivered and installed last month from well known manufacturers in the grinding industry including Ebbco, DCM Tech, Blaser Swisslube, Supfina Machine Company, and United Grinding.

Custom Capabilities

This new grinding lab is designed with ultimate flexibility and customization in mind. For example, the Walter machine from United Grinding required a few adjustments to achieve all the new testing services that CDT customers require:

“We wanted to do more than make an endmill. The high-speed workhead for cylindrical type grinding allows us increased flexibility in products we can test,” explains Jeffrey Wirth, Engineering Manager and lead on the R&D grinding lab project. "We can also explore multiple types of coolant delivery and collect other useful data from sensors that monitor all aspects of the grind. Plus, with expanded connectivity features, our engineers can run tests remotely with a secure network that allows our customers to see and hear the test in action from anywhere in the world."

With the help of United Grinding’s team, CDT has pushed the bounds of the possible in this revolutionary, world-class grinding lab. United Grinding showcased the CDT grinding lab in their customer feature this month: see video here.

With such technology behind them, CDT engineers are eager to start testing many new product possibilities. The lab is already being utilized in several customer projects. For anyone interested in taking advantage of this research and development opportunity, please call 800-443-6629 or complete our contact form to request more information.

Grinding Lab Technology

The CDT Grinding Lab includes three types of grinding machines specially outfitted with sensors that allow for the measurement and study of the grinding process. This allows CDT to simulate the grinding conditions for many applications and to develop optimal products and processes for specific materials and customers.

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Walter Helitronic Power 400 Cutting Tool Grinder

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Supfina Spiro Double-Disc Grinder

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DCM Tech Vertical Spindle Surface Grinder

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Micronfilter Coolant Delivery and Filtration System for the Supfina Spiro Double-Disc Grinder

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Ebbco Coolant Delivery and Filtration System for the Walter Helitronic Power 400

Why We Chose the Walter Machine for Our Grinding Lab

Lapping the Competition in Face Grinding

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Quality and precision are essential in complex, face-grinding operations. Whether your job requires fine grinding, double disc grinding, blanchard grinding, flat honing, rotary surface, or insert grinding wheels, you need a high performance tool. The right wheel will minimize costs while providing superior results.

With a custom fixed abrasive grinding wheel, you should expect:

• Decreased Cycle Times

• Scrap Reduction

• Increased Production

• Reduced Spindle Wear

• Versatility

Cycle time reduction means cost savings for your business. Your processes will be more efficient with less scrap. Your team can produce more output for the same effort. Plus, we'll work to extend the life and functionality of your tools. Often you can grind a broader range of materials with the same wheel. Download brochure.

How do we do it?

At Continental Diamond Tool, our engineers work with your manufacturing team to design, test, and build custom tools specific to your industry's process. We calculate the best grit size, bond type, and grain type to optimize the performance of your machine. The grit size of the diamond and CBN abrasive grains used in our wheels is based on the application and required surface quality. We also use grain types that differ in their characteristics (friable, blocky, free cutting, etc.) to achieve the most superior performance.

With more than 45 years experience in superabrasive manufacturing, we supply products that are compatible with all of industry's most popular machines: Stahli, Peter Wolters/Lapmaster, Viotto, Koyo, Blanchard, Gardner, Agathon, Wendt, Supfina, DCM, EWAG, Coborn, and more.

CDT's fixed abrasive wheels in diamond and CBN can be produced with grit sizes from 80 to 800. Bonds available include resin, cold-pressed vitrified, metal, and hybrid. Our state-of-the-art equipment and expertise allow us to produce some of the tightest tolerances in the industry. We also adhere to stringent quality control standards to ensure that your grinding wheels match or exceed the quality of life of your current tooling, guaranteed.

Our customer service team is available to talk through your face grinding project and provide a free quote through our website online form or call 800-443-6629.

5 Factors for Best Dressing Performance

The intricacies of selecting the ideal rotary diamond dresser for your unique application depend on many factors like tolerance, surface finish, configuration of form, grinding machine type, and grinding wheel specification. Continental Diamond Tool (CDT) has extensive experience in designing and crafting dressing solutions that perfectly suits your needs. Customization is key. Read on to discover how tailoring a diamond rotary dresser to your process can improve grinding performance.

Plunge dressing vs. Traverse dressing

Traverse dressing and plunge dressing are two methods that employ diamond rotary dressers in precision grinding applications. Each dressing technique requires a different form to serve its unique purpose.

Traverse dressers are designed to move across the surface of a grinding wheel, gradually shaping and refreshing its profile to maintain consistent performance and geometric precision. This method is ideal for applications where maintaining a constant wheel profile is crucial, such as in high-precision cylindrical grinding.

On the other hand, plunge diamond rotary dressers are employed to create specific, intricate profiles or contours in a grinding wheel. By plunging the dresser directly into the wheel, they generate complex shapes and features with precision. These dressers are particularly valuable in applications requiring customized workpiece forms, like gear grinding or aerospace components.

Both methods play a vital role in the manufacturing industry, ensuring the optimal condition and shape of grinding wheels. This, in turn, guarantees the quality and accuracy of the finished workpieces.

DIAMOND ROTARY DRESSER TYPEs

The diamonds in Diamond Rotary Dressers are what give this technology its cutting edge. There are four unique processes that can be used to adhere the diamonds to the dresser form:

• REVERSE PLATED - Reverse Plated Dressers are best suited for applications where high accuracy of profile and a correspondingly high quality surface finish on the component are required.

• HANDSET SINTERED - Handset Sintered Dressers are our most commonly used type of Rotary Diamond Dresser. They cover applications where robustness is required and the general tolerance is open.

• CVD SINTERED - CVD Sintered Dressers are highly resistant to chipping and fracture, and they wear evenly over the dresser’s entire length. They also have outstanding thermal stability in use.

• RANDOM SET SINTERED - Random Set Sintered Dressers are perfect for applications requiring openness, tight form, and improved surface finish. They can be delivered quickly to meet urgent demand.

Sometimes called Truers or Rollers, how do you know which of these will be the best diamond rotary dresser type for your application? Especially when each of these categories contain many further variables of appropriate diamonds and setting patterns.

5 factors for proper dresser selection

Proper dresser selection starts with investigating these five factors. Every well designed dressing tool must meet the specific requirements of these areas:

• TOLERANCE - Tolerance refers to the allowable deviation or variation from a specified measurement or dimension in a workpiece. In the context of dressing tools, it's essential to consider the level of precision or accuracy required in the dressing process to meet the desired workpiece tolerances.

• SURFACE FINISH - Surface finish pertains to the quality and texture of a workpiece's surface after the grinding or machining process. When designing a dressing tool, you need to account for the desired surface finish, which can range from rough to smooth, as it influences the choice of abrasive grains and dressing techniques.

• CONFIGURATION OF FORM - Configuration of form relates to the specific shape, contour, or profile that the dressed grinding wheel should have. It encompasses the design and geometry of the wheel, which needs to be precisely replicated by the dressing tool to achieve the desired workpiece shape or finish.

• GRINDING MACHINE TYPE - The type of grinding machine used in a particular application, such as cylindrical, surface, or centerless grinding, significantly impacts the dressing tool's design. Different machines require specific dressing techniques and tools to optimize performance and precision.

• GRINDING WHEEL SPECIFICATION - This factor involves the characteristics and properties of the grinding wheel to be dressed. It encompasses details like wheel diameter, abrasive type, grain size, bonding material, and other specifications. The dressing tool must be compatible with these wheel specifications to ensure effective and efficient dressing.

Considering these factors when designing a dressing tool is crucial to achieving the desired precision, surface finish, and workpiece quality in various grinding applications. Correct specification involves the appropriate design, selection and placement of diamonds in a way that takes into account all the factors affecting the individual customer's application. It cannot be achieved by choosing from a small range of general purpose dresser types. Customization is required.

Our team at CDT has decades of experience in specifying and manufacturing Rotary Diamond Dressers for individual applications is second to none. Our processes are what make the Consort Precision™ Diamond Rotary Dresser truly exceptional, winning awards in the industry. We now manufacture and ship our custom diamond rotary dressers from both Europe and North America. The best part? It you costs nothing to consult with us—so contact us first to find the very best fit for your project.

Custom Rotary Diamond Dressers in as little as 4 weeks: How do we do it?

Since 1984, Consort Precision Diamond has supplied diamond wheel dressing products to a broad range of industries including aerospace, aircraft, automotive, blade and knife, power generation, medical, cutting tools, tool & die, saw, gear, and bearing and many other applications. What all these grinding operations have in common is that they typically require some form of wheel dressing to re-establish the wheel profile and/or recondition the wheel face.

About Wheel Dressing or Conditioning

Wheel conditioning involves the sharpening and opening of the wheel face, while also removing dull abrasives, excessive bond, and workpiece material (loading). A sharp and open wheel face will allow maximum possible material-removal rates and reduced thermal stress on the workpiece.

Consort’s rotary dressers provide the ideal profile for your desired wheel topography, with superior materials and manufacturing technology. Because your dresser is custom manufactured, demanding and complex configurations are possible.

Diamond Roll Delivery in as Little as 4 Weeks

The question then turns to delivery and lead times. In business, time is money. Industry-standard lead times for custom rotary diamond dressers can take 8 weeks or more. That’s a long time to wait for a critical part in your manufacturing process. Consort has made a reputation for fast delivery with a standard lead time of 6-8 weeks.

Need a tool in a hurry? Customers can request “Expedited Service” for custom diamond roll delivery in as little as 4 weeks. With manufacturing, delaying maintenance can really add to your costs in the long run. When a job is expedited, we work with our customers to get them their tooling as soon as possible.

We pride ourselves on prompt service and communication. At any time, you can reach out to your Consort account representative to begin an order or find out its status. If you do not have an account rep, please reach out to our customer service through our website online form or call 800-443-6629.

Lead times should not be a hurdle in the proper maintenance of your grinding equipment. If you are looking for a better, faster diamond roll supplier, let our service techs help you get the process started.

6 Common Grinding Problems and How to Solve Them

Most grinding problems affect one of two categories: either appearance of the workpiece or productivity and return on investment. After verifying that the grinding machine isn’t at fault, there is one likely culprit causing your grinding problems: your grinding wheel.

Poor surface finish, chatter, and burning all affect the appearance of your product. Productivity issues like short wheel life, slow or inefficient cutting, or the wheel not cutting at all are also costly problems to have.

Let’s take these one at a time to see how a fix to your grinding wheel can solve some of your most challenging grinding issues.

1) Poor surface finish

Why your grinding wheel may be at fault:

In the appearance category, poor finish is a common complaint when your grinding wheel isn’t optimized. Grinding is a multi-point cutting process, but broken down to the microscopic level, it has similarities to a single point operation like turning. Viewed this way, it’s easy to see how surface finish is affected by the same factors: the more material removed by each grinding point, the bigger the individual chips and the rougher the surface. 

Solutions:

• Select a grinding wheel with a finer grit size

• Reduce the relative speed between the wheel and workpiece

Other possibilities:

• If grinding wet, the coolant may not be efficiently removing chips from the workpiece or wheel interface.

• It's also possible that the wheel is being dressed excessively, creating grinding points that are standing too proud of the wheel surface.

2) Chatter

Why your grinding wheel may be at fault:

Recognizable by a distinct, often audible, pattern on the workpiece, chatter has many causes. Wheel-induced chatter occurs when an out-of-true grinding wheel acts as an excitation source.

Solutions:

• In this case the wheel should be trued carefully.

• Also check that it isn’t slipping on its mount.

Other possibilities:

• If the problem is tracked down to a vibration in the machine — possibly some kind of resonance — the solution is to vary the grinding speed. Try going 10% faster or slower to remove the forcing excitation.

• A detailed discussion of chatter is available at the Abrasive Engineering Society website.

3) Burning

Why your grinding wheel may be at fault:

Machinists use the term “burning” to describe thermal damage. It can show up as cosmetic discoloration, changes in workpiece hardness, and possibly distortion-inducing internal tensile stresses. Burning can occur if the wheel is glazed or loaded, causing more rubbing and friction. This often occurs if the machinist is trying to push the wheel through the workpiece too quickly or using a wheel that’s too durable. 

Solutions:

• Dress the wheel with the correct dressing tool

• Reduce the feed rate or the relative velocity between wheel and workpiece.

Other possibilities:

• Burning is far more common when grinding dry, although can still be experienced in wet grinding if there isn't enough coolant flow to carry away the heat.

• See “Burn Awareness”, originally published in Cutting Tool Engineering, December 2000, for more information.

4) Wheel life too short

Why your grinding wheel may be at fault:

This costly issue can be caused by a wheel that's either too hard or too soft for the workpiece. When this is the case, the grinding wheel loads up or wears away too quickly.

Solutions:

• Try a grinding wheel manufactured with a different material that is better suited for your grinding operation.

Other possibilities:

• Insufficient coolant

• Dressing your grinding wheel too frequently

• Wheel speed too low

5) Wheel cutting slowly

Why your grinding wheel may be at fault:

This productivity issue is usually caused by feeds and/or wheel speeds that are too low. If you are using the wrong type of grinding wheel, you may be forced to cut slowly to avoid burning, but ultimately that’s not efficient for your process.

Solution:

The solution is to find a wheel that can grind as fast as possible without burning. A grinding wheel specialists can suggest alternatives that will increase speed for your specific operation.

6) Wheel not cutting at all

Why your grinding wheel may be at fault:

Most likely, this happen when the grinding wheel is glazed by truing.

Solution:

The solution is to dress the wheel lightly until the grit opens up. For dressing advice, consult with a grinding specialist.

OUR BEST ADVICE: THINK LOGICALLY

Most grinding problems can be solved by tracing the fault back to basic principles. With all grinding applications, imagine your material being removed by individual cutting points. Thinking from this perspective, a solution usually emerges.

Also, use your resources. The grinding experts at CDT are happy to discuss your cutting and grinding issues and offer solutions that will set your manufacturing operations on track to success.

The Hardest Materials Just Became EASY

Have you struggled to grind hard materials such as Silicon Carbide, Aluminum Oxide, Glass, Carbide, and others? With these substances, it has always been difficult to improve cycle times and reduce chipping and scrap ... until now.  

Significant Gains in Grinding Performance

CDT’s latest generation of Vitrified Diamond grinding wheels combines high bond strength with porosity levels that significantly improve the grinding process. Better yet, this wheel is optimized for grinding hard, problematic materials such as Silicon Carbide, Ceramics, CMC, PCD, and more. With our VIPER™ Bond Technology, customers have reported significant improvements to the grinding process and cost savings.

*Vitrified Diamond grinding wheels with the new VIPER™ Bond Technology have been found to reduce cycle times up to 70% when compared with conventional resin bond grinding processes. Cycle times were reduced 30% or more when compared with other vitrified grinding products.

The Science Behind VIPER™ Bond Technology

Vitrified Diamond grinding wheels already take the hardest known superabrasives held mechanically and chemically in a ceramic bond to form some of the most efficient grinding products available on the market. Our custom-engineered wheels use varying concentrations, porosity levels, and bond hardness to optimize performance specific to your grinding process. The payoff? Vitrified—Improved—Performance

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"With this new bond we saw cycle time reductions of 20% or more and the same amount of wear compared to our first generation vitrified wheel, which was already a vast improvement over a conventional wheel."

— Jim Elliott, Advanced Carbide

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If you thought you knew what to expect from your Vitrified Diamond grinding wheel, it may be time to take another look. Contact us today to see how VIPER™ Bond Technology might improve your tool's performance.

CDT Engineers Assist With NASA SpaceX Prototyping

This SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carries two astronauts in the Crew Dragon capsule on the Demo-2 mission to the International Space Station from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Date: 30 May 2020. Source: WikiMedia. Photo by: Daniel Oberhaus.

What do you do when you need a part that doesn’t exist to get your innovation off the ground, but your internal resources of time and talent are not skilled with this type of manufacturing or stretched too thin? You know where you’re headed, but you need help getting there.

That’s the question NASA asked themselves during their recent SpaceX project testing. They came to CDT with theoretical concepts, and our team of engineers ran with their ideas to make them a reality.

At CDT, we’ve had the capability to prototype products for a long time. Typically, we use our equipment when we’re working to optimize the performance of our products for different customer environments. For SpaceX, we assembled a team of engineers who had the sole purpose of turning ideas from NASA’s engineers into tools specific for their mission.

The biggest challenge? We were on a strict deadline. The laws of planetary motion won't wait for delays. From NASA's concepts, our Rapid Response Team had to design, develop, and deliver prototypes to be used in field tests in a matter of days.

"It was a pleasure for my team and I to work with the experienced engineers from Space X.  Assisting with tool designs for difficult and problematic projects is a key aspect to our daily routine. We look forward to more opportunities to work with the NASA and the SpaceX team," says Allen Meyer, CDT Plating Engineer.

Because we had the collective knowledge, experience, and tools right here at our disposal, our team was able to meet NASA’s deadline with no delay to the mission. It was a proud day seeing the recent launch of the Demo-2 Mission, knowing we played a small part in making that happen. We wish the astronauts a safe voyage and return!

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“The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible.”

–Arthur C. Clarke

What far out idea do you need to get off the ground? Our Rapid Response Team is ready to help you move your innovation forward. Contact us today!

Continental Diamond Tool Corporation COVID-19 Update

March 24, 2020
Dear Continental Diamond Tool Partner,

Continental Diamond Tool values our partnership and would like to keep you updated as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve.

Continental Diamond Tool will remain open in accordance with the  Department of Homeland Security’s “Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce” (https://www.cisa.gov/publication/guidance-essential-critical-infrastructure-workforce) dated March 18, 2020. 

As part of the “Critical Infrastructure Segment,” the products that Continental Diamond Tool provides are essential in several critical industries, including but not limited to: Food and Agriculture, Energy, Healthcare and Public Health, Communications, and Critical Manufacturing.

Continental Diamond Tool continues to take an abundance of caution to ensure the safety of our team members and to make sure production goes uninterrupted. Please send any questions to: info@cdtusa.net.  We thank you for your continued support. 

Sincerely,
Nick Viggiano
President
Continental Diamond Tool

Diamond or CBN?

Having decided to leave conventional grinding wheels in favor of superabrasives, buyers are confronted with a difficult choice: diamond or CBN abrasive?

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Both are extremely hard and offer the potential for greatly improved grinding productivity, but there are differences between the two. It's important to understand these and match the abrasive to the task if peak productivity, and lowest cost-per-piece are to be achieved.

A CHEMISTRY LESSON

Diamond is a crystalline form of carbon. Under heat and pressure carbon atoms link with adjacent atoms to create the hardest known material. This makes it an ideal cutting tool, or would do but for it's rarity and price. However, in the mid 20th century scientists figured out how to manufacture diamond, and today most diamond grit used in superabrasive grinding wheels is man-made.

Unlike diamond, cubic boron nitride (CBN) doesn't exist in nature and is synthesized from boron and nitrogen. When chemically bound together these two elements behave much like carbon in that they can create an immensely strong crystal lattice structure. Of the two, diamond is considerably harder at room temperature, (knoop hardness around 7,500 versus the 4,500 of CBN,) but CBN has better thermal and chemical stability, remaining inert at temperatures up to 1,000 oC, versus the 800 oC at which diamond begins to degrade.

CHEMISTRY DETERMINES APPLICATIONS

As the harder of the two, diamond is preferred for shaping extremely hard workpiece materials such as ceramics, carbides, stone and glass. It is not however suitable for use with steels. This is because carbon and iron have a strong affinity for one another, especially at elevated temperatures. This results in rapid erosion of the diamond grit, quickly destroying the grinding wheel.

CBN is better suited to grinding applications that generate high temperatures, meaning it can be used at higher speeds. And it's unreactive nature makes it the preferred choice for grinding most steels, such as tool steel and HSS.

IMPACT ON WHEEL CONSTRUCTION

The relatively low thermal limit of diamond also affects the type of wheel construction it can be used in. Vitrified wheels are made by firing a clay mix at very high temperatures: if the mix includes a proportion of diamond grit the firing temperature must be kept below 800 oC otherwise the diamond will start to react. For this reason, CBN is more common in vitrified grinding wheels.

TAKEAWAY

Use diamond on the hardest workpiece materials, but don't let it get too hot. Use CBN on ferrous workpiece materials to avoid the chemical reaction that will quickly wear diamond.

Continental Diamond Tool Acquires Jalsons International

New Haven, IN – Continental Diamond Tool Corporation (CDT), an industry leader in Diamond and CBN grinding wheels and tools, today announces their acquisition of Jalsons International Company, a manufacturer and supplier of Stationary Diamond Dressers located in North Canton, Ohio.

“CDT has had a great relationship with Jalsons for 20+ years. The acquisition allows us to increase our product offering and fits into our current Metal Bond Stationary and Rotary Diamond Dresser product line. Ultimately, it’s about giving our customer the best possible dressing option," says Nick Viggiano, President of CDT.

About CDT

Continental Diamond Tool, a private company located in New Haven, Indiana, is a leading producer in the global market for superabrasive grinding wheels and custom tooling. For more than 47 years, they have specialized in the design, manufacture and application of diamond and CBN cutting and grinding products and services. Their Plated, Resin Bond, Metal Bond, Vitrified Bond, Rotary Dressers, and GL™ Bond products serve a wide range of industries, including medical, oil & gas, automotive, aerospace, cutting tools, power generation, wood & saw, electronics, and many others.

About Jalsons International

Jalsons is a private company established in 1984 in North Canton, Ohio, by Pravin Shah as a specialized Diamond Dresser supplier to the Bearing, Automotive, and many other markets. Jalsons specializes in custom engineered tooling for their customers' applications to increase tool life, cost savings, and first-class customer service.

Diamond or CBN Grit with your Vitrified Grinding Wheel?

WHY USE A VITRIFIED GRINDING WHEEL

With a very hard and porous structure, vitrified grinding wheels are a popular choice amongst high productivity applications due to the great chip clearance and excellent coolant delivery. This type of grinding wheel has an extremely low wear rate and results in a high ratio of stock removal to wheel usage. The enhanced ability to dress a vitrified wheel allows for a larger layer depth with continual renewing of the grinding layer. The customization of this type of grinding wheels allows for the wheel to meet a wide range of customer applications, using either diamond or CBN as the abrasive. 

Compared to other product lines, the structure of a vitrified grinding wheel allows for no deflection as the wheel feeds into part. As the grit starts to take chips of material out of the part, the finished piece size is strongly controlled and an enhanced surface finish from any customer’s requirements. Vitrified wheels do not need to run as fast as other products in the industry and coupling that with the ability to flow coolant through the open structure, results in less heat generated and minimal thermal damage to the workpiece. 

REASONS FOR AND AGAINST DIAMOND GRIT TYPE 

With its exceptional hardness due to the symmetry of its structure, diamond seems the obvious choice for every grinding wheel operation. However, there are limitations on where diamond can be used in applications as it has a strong affinity for iron and hardened steel. Diamond is a pure crystal of pure carbon, and the carbon and iron molecules like to interact and bond when the heat is generated during a grind. As a result, this can potentially cause issues with the workpiece as well as increases the wear of the grinding wheel. 

ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST CBN

In the application where diamond cannot be used, cubic boron nitride (CBN) is the next best alternative. The two big strengths are its ability to cut at extremely high temperatures and refusal to react with iron and other hardened steels when grinding. This makes CBN ideal when grinding tools and high-speed steels. The biggest downside to CBN is that the structure is not nearly as hard as diamond, and as a result, this grit type must run at a higher speed to be able to reach the same cutting abilities as a vitrified diamond grinding. Overall, both vitrified diamond & CBN wheels are available for a wide range of applications and can yield great results on a workpiece for a customer.

How Long Does it Take to Get a Custom Grinding Wheel?

Customized superabrasive grinding solutions have many advantages over conventional grinding wheels — primarily in performance. Custom CBN and Diamond grinding wheels improve efficiencies, last longer, and produce better quality results. Once you transition to a custom grinding wheel, the value of the investment becomes clear.

The question then turns to delivery and lead times. In business, time is money. Industry-standard lead times for custom grinding wheels can take 8 weeks or more. That’s a long time to wait for a critical part in your manufacturing process. CDT has made a reputation for fast delivery with a standard lead time of 4 weeks.

Need a tool in a hurry? Customers can request our Rush Program to expedite service for custom grinding wheel delivery in as little as 2 weeks. With manufacturing, every minute a machine is down, you feel the pinch. When a job is a rush, we work with our customers to get them up and running as soon as possible.

We pride ourselves on prompt service and communication. At any time, you can reach out to your CDT account representative to find out the status of your order, or email customer service at info@cdtusa.net. We send tracking numbers via email with your invoice when your order ships. You can also request tracking information through customer service at 800-443-6629 or through our website contact form.

Once you have placed an order with us, your wheel specifications will be held on file for quick processing and delivery of reorders through your account rep or our customer service department.

Lead times do not have to be a hurdle for transitioning to custom superabrasives. If you are looking for a better, faster grinding wheel alternative, let our service techs help you get the process started.

Advantages of Metal Bond Grinding Wheels

Every superabrasive grinding wheel consists of diamond or CBN grit held in a supporting matrix material known as the “bond.” The main bonding systems are resin, vitrified, plated, and metal. Of these, metal bond grinding wheels are perhaps the best known thanks to their overall utility and the length of time they've been available.

CONSTRUCTION AND MANUFACTURE

Metal bond grinding wheels start life as a superabrasive grit mixed with a metal powder. Most often this is bronze, although other metals such as iron and nickel are sometimes used. The mixture is distributed evenly around the periphery of a metal grinding wheel form, then placed in an oven and heated to around 1,4000F (7600C.) At these temperatures the metal grains begin to melt and diffuse into one another. This creates a dense matrix that locks the abrasive grit in place more tightly than in resin or vitreous bond wheels.

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

The metal bond wheel structure offers a number of advantages.

• Metal bond grinding wheels last longer than those made by other methods. This boosts productivity by cutting down on dressing frequency and wheel changes.

• Complex forms can be created, and since wear rates are low they last longer than in other types of wheel.

• The metal structure is impervious to attack by alkaline coolants, (unlike resin grinding wheels which are susceptible to chemical attack, especially at elevated temperatures,) so is well-suited to use with grinding fluids.

• Has excellent impact resistance, (unlike a vitrified wheel,) thanks to the metal wheel form, so stands up well in interrupted cut applications.

• Heat is quickly dissipated through the metal core. This makes it appropriate for high material removal rate operations like creep feed grinding, (which are also helped by the ability to use coolant.)

One weakness to be aware of with metal bonded grinding wheels is that they are not easily dressed. Unlike resin and vitrified wheels, the bond material can't be cut away to release dull grit and expose new edges.

 MANY APPLICATIONS

 Metal bond grinding wheels can be used on a range of materials such as carbides and tool steels. However, their main application areas are those where coolant is needed to remove heat and chips, such as grinding or cutting glass, ceramics, granite, stone and concrete. They are usually recognizable by the presence of the metal core, but the 'M' at the end of the wheel identification code should remove any doubt.

 The main advantage of these wheels is their long life/low maintenance nature. This makes them ideal for use when productivity concerns are paramount. Their ability to dissipate heat and work with coolant means they are useful in situations where interface temperatures become high enough to cause burning or size control problems. They are particularly useful in creep feed and internal grinding and also find use in grinding complex forms as the shape is maintained over the course of a long production run.

 SEEK ADVICE

 Purchasing diamond or CBN grinding wheels is a significant investment, so it's important to select the type of construction most appropriate to the intended application. Metal bond grinding wheels are perhaps the best known type but it may be worth seeking advice from specialists at CDT before ordering.

Where to Get Grinding Wheels in Stock, on Demand

At CDT, we are often asked if we stock grinding wheels. As a custom grinding wheel manufacturer, our wheels are designed to specific manufacturing processes. Universal (stock) grinding wheels rarely match the performance of our custom superabrasives in unique manufacturing settings.

That said, we can help you design a grinding wheel that maximizes performance, and make sure that wheel is available when you need it. Or if there is a stock wheel you know works great, we can have that on hand for you, too. When you find a grinding wheel manufacturer that understands your process, reorders are easy.

Choosing Your Grinding Wheel Manufacturer

CDT, like most manufacturers, lists the grit type, grit size, wheel hardness, structure, and bond using a code for every grinding wheel produced. However, there is no standard among manufacturers defining what these codes mean — the specification alone does not tell the whole story. This makes it difficult to take a grinding wheel from one manufacturer and substitute it for another grinding wheel of equal marking.

What if you are unhappy with your current grinding wheel source? Assuming you need your grinding wheel to perform exacting work and you want to limit your grief, we recommend you get guidance from an experienced grinding wheel specialist before making a substitution.

At CDT, we can interpret the codes on your grinding wheel and get a close approximation. Even so, you should expect some trial and error when converting from one brand of wheel to another. Dialing in the precise settings is a process, but it’s worth it to find a grinding wheel manufacturer who offers consistently competitive quality, delivery times, and price.

Ordering Replacement Grinding Wheels

Once you have your custom grinding wheel working efficiently, and you are happy with your manufacturer, you want to know you can get that grinding wheel on demand.

At CDT, we cater to our customers needs. We keep precise records of every wheel we manufacture. If there is a wheel you regularly need in stock, let us know and we will make it available upon request.

What Products Are Available?

CDT manufactures all the most popular superabrasive products on the market today: plated, resin bond, metal bond, and vitrified grinding wheels. Within our resin line, we have our GL Series that is comparable to a hybrid bond wheel and provides even more customizable performance options. Your best choice depends on your industry, material, process, and objectives.

In addition, we offer many types of dressers to keep your grinding wheels operating at peak performance — from diamond rotary to stationery varieties. We also have diamond lapping compounds, used in polishing materials to a mirror finish.