固结磨具发展近况 Recent Developments in Bonded Abrasives

固结磨具发展近况

随着加工业的迅猛发展、中国经济和世界经济融合度的进一步加强，特别是中国加工业在整个世界加工产业链中相对位置的提升，伴随各类精密数控磨加工机床纷纷进入国内市场，磨料磨具制造技术及产业水平得到了长足发展。作为主要分支的固结磨具其主要发展表现在:磨料品种增加、品质提升、各专用磨料应适而生。

上世纪末，国内普通磨料以棕刚玉(A)、白刚玉(WA)、黑碳化硅(C)、绿碳化硅(GC)四大材质为主,辅以铬刚玉(PA)、单晶刚玉(SA)。本世纪初，各种新型专用磨料纷纷进军国内市场，特别是近5年来随着国内部分磨料领军企业自主研发力度的加大，部分新型磨料实现国产化且亦实现了部分新型磨料的首创。

主要新型专用磨料有:兰刚玉(MA88)、锆刚玉(ZA)、微钠白刚玉(低钠白刚玉、高纯白刚玉)、新结构铬刚玉(以太巴克的EDR系列为代表)、新结构复合刚玉(以太巴克的ZPSK系列为代表)。这些专用磨料以改变磨料的微观力学结构为特点，重点突出其特有的磨削性能。

另外一种新型高性能磨料即聚晶陶瓷磨料通称SG，SG磨料是Norton公司和3M公司的专利产品，随着专利到期，目前国内已有3-4家企业批量生产，其磨料代码分别为CA、CMA等作为标示，

其主要指标已接近国外品牌水平。另外还有2家在研制不同性能的SG类磨料。SG磨料的显著特点是毫米或微米级的磨料颗粒，由N个纳米级晶胞组成,其晶胞及晶胞间的力学性能决定着磨料颗粒的特殊磨削性能，其最大优势即磨料颗粒的自锐脱落，是以纳米作为量级而非微米级,其磨料颗粒的抗粘附性和自锐性远非一般磨料可以比拟的。用SG类磨料制成的磨具具有磨削效率高、磨削发热量低、形状保持性好的优势。尽管其价格是普通磨料的十几甚至几十倍，仍以其独特的磨削性能和优异的性价比获得市场广泛认可。

由于磨料品种的丰富,特别是高性能专用磨料的增加，为磨具设计制造尤其是专用磨具的制造打下了坚实的基础。

砂轮使用速度越来越高

作为固结磨具的主要分支，普通磨料陶瓷结合剂砂轮在上世纪末以35m/s普通转速为主，而高速砂轮的绝大部分是50m/s，60m/s的高速砂轮少之又少。本世纪初泰利莱生产的曲轴磨陶瓷结合剂砂轮以63m/s的速度标示进入国内市场，令国内同行耳目一新。而近3~5年温特图尔生产的高速蜗杆砂轮又以72 m/s和80m/s的标示在国内市场面世再次刷新纪录，2013年莱斯豪尔生产的高速蜗杆磨砂轮又以100m/s的标示少量投放国内市场。其发展速度之快和速度提高幅度之大令人震惊。国内少数磨具制造企业已自主研发80m/s陶瓷砂轮，并大量投放市场填补这块空白，有极少数企业正在研制100m/s陶瓷砂轮。

作为高效高精磨削加工的主要途径，高速磨削一直是业界的追求。以目前磨料具备的功能来看，挑战陶瓷砂轮制造极限的时期到了，同时也对企业的砂轮制造精度和安全可靠性，特别是砂轮安全检测设备提出了更高的要求。

专用磨具将是一种主流趋势

随着加工业分工越来越精细，势必要求磨具的专业性越来越强。其专用性主要体现在针对不同的磨削加工需求选择适合的磨料材质，匹配砂轮结构参数，以期达到最佳使用效果，将改变过去砂轮制造企业按标准生产砂轮、用户在标准参数范围内选择砂轮的局面。个性化、突出使用特性的量身定制将成为主流，而且会出现各类个性鲜明的专业化生产厂。

Recent Developments in Bonded Abrasives

With the rapid advancement of the processing industry and the deepening integration of China's economy with the global economy, particularly the elevated position of China's processing industry within the global industrial chain, bonded abrasives—a major branch of the abrasives industry—have witnessed significant progress. This development has been further propelled by the influx of various precision CNC grinding machines into the domestic market, leading to substantial improvements in the manufacturing technology and industrial standards of abrasives and grinding tools.

The primary advancements in bonded abrasives are reflected in the following areas:

Expansion of Abrasive Varieties: The range of abrasive materials has diversified, catering to a broader spectrum of industrial applications.

Enhanced Quality: The overall quality of abrasives has improved, meeting higher performance standards.

Specialized Abrasives: Tailored abrasives designed for specific applications have emerged, addressing the unique demands of various industries.

These developments underscore the industry's commitment to innovation and its ability to adapt to the evolving needs of modern manufacturing.

By the end of the last century, the domestic conventional abrasives market was primarily dominated by four main materials: brown fused alumina (A), white fused alumina (WA), black silicon carbide (C), and green silicon carbide (GC), supplemented by chrome-containing alumina (PA) and monocrystalline alumina (SA). At the beginning of this century, a variety of new specialized abrasives began to enter the domestic market. Particularly in the past five years, with increased independent research and development efforts by leading domestic abrasive manufacturers, some of these new abrasives have not only been localized but also pioneered by Chinese companies, marking significant progress in the industry.

The main new specialized abrasives include: blue fused alumina (MA88), zirconia alumina (ZA), low-sodium white fused alumina (high-purity white fused alumina), new-structure chrome-containing alumina (represented by Tyrolit's EDR series), and new-structure composite alumina (represented by Tyrolit's ZPSK series). These specialized abrasives are characterized by their modified micro-mechanical structures, which are designed to enhance their unique grinding performance.

By altering the microstructure of the abrasives, these materials exhibit superior grinding efficiency, precision, and durability, making them highly suitable for advanced and specialized applications in modern manufacturing processes.

Another type of high-performance abrasive is polycrystalline ceramic abrasive, commonly known as SG. SG abrasive was originally a patented product of Norton Company and 3M Company. With the expiration of the patent, there are now 3-4 domestic enterprises in China producing it in bulk. These domestically produced abrasives are labeled with codes such as CA and CMA for identification.

SG abrasives are renowned for their exceptional durability, self-sharpening properties, and consistent performance, making them highly effective for precision grinding applications. Their adoption and localization in China signify a significant step forward in the domestic abrasives industry, enabling broader access to advanced grinding solutions.

The key performance indicators of these domestically produced SG-type abrasives have now reached levels close to those of foreign brands. Additionally, there are two other companies in China developing SG-type abrasives with different performance characteristics.

SG abrasives are distinguished by their millimeter or micrometer-sized abrasive grains, which are composed of numerous nanometer-sized crystalline cells. The mechanical properties of these cells and the interactions between them determine the unique grinding performance of the abrasive grains. The most significant advantage of SG abrasives lies in their self-sharpening mechanism, which occurs at the nanometer level rather than the micrometer level. This results in exceptional anti-adhesion and self-sharpening properties, far surpassing those of conventional abrasives.

Grinding tools made with SG-type abrasives offer several advantages, including high grinding efficiency, low heat generation during grinding, and excellent shape retention. Despite their price being ten to Several dozen times higher than that of standard abrasives, SG abrasives have gained widespread market recognition due to their unique grinding performance and excellent cost-performance ratio. Their ability to deliver superior results in precision grinding applications has solidified their position as a premium choice in the industry.

The diversification of abrasive types, particularly the rise of high-performance specialized abrasives, has laid a solid foundation for the design and manufacturing of grinding tools, especially specialized grinding wheels. This development enables grinding tools to be customized for specific applications, significantly improving grinding precision, efficiency, and durability. As a result, the industry is better equipped to meet the evolving demands of modern manufacturing, driving innovation and enhancing the overall quality of grinding solutions.

As a major branch of bonded abrasives, conventional abrasive vitrified grinding wheels primarily operated at a standard speed of 35 m/s by the end of the last century. High-speed grinding wheels mostly reached 50 m/s, with only a few achieving 60 m/s. At the beginning of this century, Tyrolit introduced vitrified grinding wheels for crankshaft grinding at a remarkable speed of 63 m/s, which was a groundbreaking development for the domestic market.

In the past 3-5 years, Winterthur further pushed the boundaries by launching high-speed worm grinding wheels at 72 m/s and 80 m/s, setting new records. In 2013, Reishauer took it a step further by introducing high-speed worm grinding wheels at an astonishing 100 m/s, albeit in limited quantities, to the domestic market. The rapid pace of development and the significant increase in speed have been nothing short of astounding.

Domestically, a few grinding tools manufacturers have independently developed 80 m/s vitrified grinding wheels and have successfully brought them to market, filling a critical gap. Even more impressively, a handful of companies are now researching and developing 100 m/s vitrified grinding wheels.

As a primary method for achieving high-efficiency and high-precision grinding, high-speed grinding has always been a goal for the industry. Given the current capabilities of abrasives, the time has come to challenge the limits of vitrified grinding wheel manufacturing. This also places higher demands on the precision, safety, and reliability of grinding wheel production, particularly in terms of safety testing equipment. The industry must continue to innovate and ensure that these advanced grinding tools meet the highest standards of performance and safety.

Specialized Grinding Tools Will Become a Mainstream Trend

As the processing industry becomes increasingly specialized, the demand for grinding tools with stronger professionalism is inevitable. This specialization is primarily reflected in the selection of suitable abrasive materials and the optimization of grinding wheel structural parameters to meet specific grinding requirements, thereby achieving the best possible performance. This shift will transform the traditional model where grinding wheel manufacturers produced standardized products and users selected grinding tools within a limited range of standard parameters.

Instead, personalized customization—tailored to highlight specific performance characteristics—will become the mainstream. This trend will also give rise to a variety of highly specialized manufacturers, each focusing on distinct niches and offering grinding tools designed for unique applications.

In this evolving landscape, grinding tools will no longer be one-size-fits-all but will be precisely engineered to meet the exact needs of different industries and processes. This shift not only enhances grinding efficiency and precision but also drives innovation and competitiveness within the grinding tool manufacturing sector.