Why cheap cutting and grinding wheels will cost you more money in the long run
Every project supervisor’s goal is to complete their project on time and within budget. One of the ways you can do this is by selecting the right abrasive wheel for your grinder. The correct abrasive wheel will deliver well prepared cuts and joints, welds that are not cross contaminated and ensure that your wheels last much longer. A decision like this will make your job a lot easier and save you time and money!
With so many different wheels available in the market, how do you know which one to choose for your specific job? The good news is that there are wheels available for every material type, e.g., steel, carbon steel, stainless steel, nickel, high nickel alloy, titanium and armoured steel as well as for concrete and masonry. You can easily pick the right one for the specific material you need to cut from Tuff Industries which is a single source supplier
However, it is very important to note that not all wheels are manufactured equally. There are critical quality and safety issues you need to be aware of. More information on this HERE.
Here’s a few tips to ensure you have the right wheel for your cutting and grinding applications:
- The first question you need to ask is what type of metal am I cutting or grinding? Here are some typical wheel types and the metal they are meant to be used with:
Aluminium Oxide – Suitable for ferrous metals and high-tensile strength steel
Zirconia – For high torque grinders and heavy removal of ferrous metal and high tensile strength steel.
Silicon Carbide – Nonferrous metals (copper, aluminum, bronze) and low tensile strength materials (cast iron, ductile iron)
Special Corundum. Tuff’s unique formula for long-lasting wheels with superior performance
- Check what the equipment manufacturer recommendations are
This is a very important check. Angle grinder manufacturers will recommend the type of wheel, as well as the wheel size that best suits their machine. Matching the RPM is critical. Always verify that the RPM of the grinder doesn’t exceed the RPM marked on the wheel. The RPM on the wheel should either match or be higher than the grinder RPM. A lower RPM could cause the wheel to shatter. The larger the disk, the lower the maximum speed it can rotate at. A lot of accidents on the fabrication floor can be avoided with this simple check.
Make sure you match your wheel to the angle grinder designed for that wheel size. Otherwise, you are looking at a potentially nasty accident.
- Before using a wheel, check for any visible defects like cracks or missing pieces that can be deadly. Never ever use a damaged wheel. This could shatter and shoot out high-velocity fragments with dire consequences. Too many accidents which could easily have been avoided, have been caused by using damaged wheels.
- Never Use a Cutting Disk for Grinding. Cutting wheels are thin and not designed to withstand side pressure, unlike wheels used for grinding. If you grind with the side faces of a cutting disk, this will thin the disk, overstress it and this could cause the wheel to shatter. Grinding disks shouldn’t be used for cutting either.
For specifically demanding jobs where you can’t change a wheel easily, you can consider using a dual-function wheel which is specifically designed for dual-use i.e., cutting and grinding concurrently which ensures maximum productivity for your project. TUFF manufactures a revolutionary high-performance dual-function cutting and grinding wheel. More information on this HERE.
- Don’t be tempted to use cheaper wheels. This will cost you time and money in the long run.
The market is full of cheap or non-standard wheels and operators and supervisors are often tempted to use these to save costs.
However, cheap wheels use lower quality abrasive material like impure aluminium oxide. Manufacturers also cut corners to save costs, by using various kinds of filler materials and low-quality binding. When using such wheels, you will typically see a cloud of dust around your workpiece. What this means is that the wheel contains cheap filler material and will wear out very fast. In the long run, this results in more costs, as you end up using more wheels, not to mention the extra time taken for multiple wheel changes. A typical wheel change takes 2 mins, so this time quickly adds up on large projects.
Using cheap wheels is also a major safety hazard. Because of their non-standard material binding, these low-quality cheap wheels can shatter under stress and cause nasty accidents.
Cheaper wheels use fillers. This means the wheels lasts for a very short time and you end up using more wheels which end up costing you more in the long run. Tuff wheels are manufactured under stringent conditions that ensure exceptionally high-grade materials are used to bring about an optimal ratio between price and performance, while consistently maintaining a superior level of quality.
TUFF cutting and grinding wheels are very competitively priced and offer optimum performance, lasting twice as long compared non-standard wheels. This means you not only save money, but also precious time, as you don’t need to change wheels frequently.
All TUFF wheels are European EN certified, which means you are guaranteed a best-in-class quality product. Tuff wheels are designed with inbuilt safety margins well above what is stipulated for international requirements for safety.
As a global manufacturer with a world-wide distribution network, with TUFF products you can rest assured that wherever in the world your cutting, grinding and polishing are being carried out, there will always be adequate supply of Tuff cutting and grinding abrasive wheels.
Watch how TUFF wheels out-perform non-standard wheels in this video comparison HERE
Find out more about TUFF’s high-performance extensive range of European certified cutting and grinding wheels HERE.
TUFF is a global leader in industrial fabrication and safety equipment. Our world-class products are the industry gold standard and are being used every day across the globe and across industries to help build the future. Through our innovative solutions, we help our clients get their projects done on time, on budget and safely.
For more information on how we are empowering progress for a better world visit our website https://tuff-uk.com/
