ABRASIVE MACHINING CUT-OFF

Abrasive cutoff has gained impetus and status in the manufacturing field because of its ability to part large sections of material that have high hardness and are difficult to part with conventional and traditional methods of sawing and burning. Superimposed on this demonstrated capability is, at this point of time, an increased awareness of how to use abrasive cutting efficiently and effectively. This new knowledge includes the use of higher wheel speeds, self excited and externally imposed vibration, large diameter cutoff wheels, oscillating and orbital motions, and larger machines of adequate mass, rigidity, and power to make use of the full capability of the abrasive cutoff wheel, Besides reporting on the history of abrasive cutting, this discussion explores the use of cutoff wheels in non-traditional environments and assesses their total capability to improve present industrial practice. It also reviews the basic factors involved in abrasive cutting so that we may examine our present cutoff operations and in addition assess cutoff in relation to other forms of metal parting. Nine factors are enumerated which direct the way to optimum cutoff wheel efficiency.