After nearly thirty years of development, abrasive belt grinding has become a relatively complete and self-contained new machining technology. It is favored by users due to its high processing efficiency, wide range of applications, strong adaptability, low operating costs, and safe and convenient operation.
The processing objects and application fields of abrasive belt grinding are becoming increasingly broad. It can process almost all engineering materials, from everyday household items to large aerospace equipment, and has become an important means of obtaining significant economic benefits. Its rapid development and increasing attention as a machining technology are due to the following important characteristics:
1. Grinding Performance
Abrasive belt grinding is an elastic grinding process, a composite machining process that combines grinding, lapping, and polishing.
2. Abrasive Grains in Abrasive Belts
The abrasive grains on abrasive belts have a stronger cutting ability than those on grinding wheels, resulting in very high grinding efficiency. The high efficiency of belt grinding is reflected in its high material removal rate, grinding ratio (the ratio of workpiece weight removed to the weight worn by the abrasive), and machine tool power utilization. Currently, the known material removal rate of belt grinding for steel has reached 700 mm³/mm·s, even exceeding that of turning or milling.
The grinding ratio of abrasive belts significantly exceeds that of grinding wheels, reaching as high as 300:1, even 400:1, while grinding wheels only reach 30:1. The power utilization rate of belt grinding machines reached 80% even in the early stages of its development, leading other machine tools; today it reaches as high as 96%, compared to only 52% for grinding wheels, 57% for milling machines, and 65% for lathes. Therefore, abrasive belt grinding is also a very good energy-saving machining technology.
3. Cold Grinding
Abrasive belt grinding produces high-quality workpiece surfaces. This is not only because it has multiple functions including grinding, lapping, and polishing, but also because, compared to wheel grinding, belt grinding is known as "cold grinding," meaning the grinding temperature is low, and the workpiece surface is less prone to burning or other phenomena.
4. Grinding Vibration
Abrasive belt grinding systems exhibit low vibration and good stability. Due to their light weight, the balance of their grinding process structure is easily controlled, and wear on all rotating components (such as the contact wheel, drive wheel, and tension wheel) is minimal, eliminating the dynamic imbalance factors seen in grinding wheels.
Furthermore, the elastic grinding effect of the belt significantly reduces or absorbs the vibration and impact generated during grinding. Grinding speed is stable; unlike grinding wheels, the belt drive wheel does not decrease in speed as its diameter decreases with grinding.
5. Surface Roughness
The high surface quality of workpieces ground by abrasive belt grinding is mainly reflected in the small surface roughness value, good residual stress state, and the absence of microscopic cracks or metallographic changes.
In terms of surface roughness, abrasive belt grinding has now achieved Ra 0.01 mm, reaching the effect of mirror grinding. For roughness values above Ra 0.1 mm, it is very easy to achieve. The residual stress on the surface of workpieces ground by belt grinding is mostly in a compressive stress state, with values generally ranging from -60 to -5 kg/mm², while that in wheel grinding is mostly tensile stress. Therefore, belt grinding is very beneficial for strengthening the workpiece surface and improving its fatigue strength.
