On Determining the Hardness of Grinding Wheels—I

Abstract

A new method for evaluating the hardness of grinding wheels has been developed. It involves crushing small amounts of abrasive from the surface of a grinding wheel while in rolling contact with a hard steel wheel. Measured reaction forces provide a sensitive indication of significant variations in the hardness as well as other important properties of bonded abrasives. A laboratory analysis of the method demonstrates that the hardness values incorporate the same elastic constants which have been shown to be important in actual grinding. The analysis shows also that it is feasible to establish a universally applicable industrial standard for grinding wheel hardness. The method is valuable also as a research tool and may be expected to aid in producing more uniform abrasive products and to yield information which will help improve practices in the manufacturing plant.