automated system

Any system that does not require human intervention. An automated dresser would be part of the machine setup and would require little in-process attention.

automatic balancer

A device that uses one of several methods, including gasses and fluids, to detect vibration.

balancing

The process of making a wheel round or concentric. Balancing may be accomplished through several methods, including truing with a diamond dresser.

balancing stand

A frame-like device on which a grinding wheel is placed to check for balance. The grinding wheel is first mounted on a mandrel.

blotter

A paper ring that helps buffer mounting pressures between the wheel and the flange.

chatter mark

An irregular mark left on a workpiece that has been ground with a wheel that is out of true.

concentric

Similarity between two circles, both having a common center, such as the center hole on a grinding wheel and its outside edge.

crush roll

A hard grinding wheel used under pressure to improve the face of another grinding wheel and usually to add a special shape.

diamond disc

A type of grinding wheel with diamonds projecting from its periphery. Used for wheel dressing.

diamond dresser

A tool containing one or more diamonds used to remove material from the surface of a grinding wheel.

dressing

The removal of swarf, dull grains, and bonding material from a grinding wheel. Dressing sharpens the wheel.

dynamic balance

The ability of a grinding wheel to come to rest only when it loses momentum. The wheel is mounted on a mandrel and rolled along a balancing stand.

flange

A flat or raised metal disk that helps deflect mounting stresses from the wheel's hole.

glazing

The unwanted formation of a smooth surface on a grinding wheel. Glazing occurs when the heat from grinding reacts with a loaded wheel.

lock nut

A type of nut that screws down on top of another nut to hold the first one in place. The lock nut is usually thinner than the nut it is holding.

magnetic chuck

The moveable surface on a grinding machine that holds the workpiece or dresser in place.

mandrel

The spindle or post on which a wheel is mounted.

mounting

The attaching of the wheel to the grinding machine. Often involves placing the wheel on a spindle.

profile

A specialized edge that is added to the face of a wheel to help it conform to a particular grinding operation or part shape.

ring test

A manual test used to detect damage in bonded grinding wheels. Operators suspend a wheel loosely and tap it with a tool. Wheels that emit a ringing sound are likely undamaged.

rotary dresser

A dressing tool that turns as it dresses, such as a wheel with diamond abrasive.

self-dressing

A method of wheel dressing that uses increased pressure or feed to force material from the face of a grinding wheel while it is in use.

shaping

The changing of the profile of a grinding wheel.

single-point diamond

In grinding, it is one industrial-grade diamond embedded in the end of a wheel-dressing tool.

sleeve

A type of flange that fits together with two differently shaped parts and a lock nut.

static balance

The ability of a grinding wheel to remain at rest in any position when placed on a balancing stand.

stationary dresser

A dressing tool that has a point or points that are fixed. A single-point diamond is the best example of a stationary dresser.

swarf

The gritty combination of chips, abrasive grains, and worn bonding material that is produced during grinding.

truing

The dressing of a wheel in order to return the wheel to its original shape. Truing is also a method of wheel balancing.

wheel balance

A wheel that has equal weight and shape throughout, making it completely concentric. A balanced wheel does not vibrate.