Cup Grinding Wheel Segmented Crown for Slab Edge Finishing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional cup grinding wheels for working slab edges leave noticeable 'grinding traces' and require long machines with multiple spindles for high-quality finishing, and they face cooling limitations during polishing and brightening operations.

Innovation Solution

A cup grinding wheel with a continuous external abrasive crown and a segmented internal abrasive crown, featuring an annular curvilinear channel that separates the two, allowing for alternating cutting and finishing actions and optimal cooling, effectively eliminating grinding traces and enabling shorter machine setups.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If multiple cup grinding wheels with smaller abrasive granulometries are aligned on a machine to reduce grinding traces, then the finishing quality of the slab edge is improved, but the machine length increases and workspace layout becomes more cumbersome

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefinishing quality of slab edgeVSAvoidmachine length
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple abrasive crowns (continuous and segmented) with different granulometries onto a single cup grinding wheel body. This allows the wheel to perform multiple finishing operations in one pass, eliminating the need for multiple aligned wheels and reducing machine length while maintaining high finishing quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The single cup grinding wheel is designed to perform multiple functions by incorporating both continuous and segmented abrasive crowns with different grain sizes. This multi-functional wheel can address various finishing requirements (rough finishing and fine polishing) simultaneously, replacing what would traditionally require multiple specialized wheels.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Manufacturing precision

If a cup grinding wheel with a continuous abrasive ring is used for lapping, polishing and brightening operations, then the finishing capacity is improved, but the cooling effectiveness deteriorates due to poor coolant distribution

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefinishing capacityVSAvoidcooling effectiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The cup grinding wheel incorporates a segmented abrasive crown with radial slots that divide the continuous ring into segments. This segmentation allows coolant to flow through the slots and reach the working face more effectively, improving cooling and cleaning performance while maintaining the continuous structure needed for finishing operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The wheel features different structures in different zones: a continuous abrasive crown for finishing operations and a segmented abrasive crown with cooling slots for effective coolant delivery. Each zone is optimized for its specific function, allowing the wheel to achieve both good finishing capacity and effective cooling.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Temperature

If a cup grinding wheel with a segmented abrasive ring is used for roughing or cutting operations, then the cooling effectiveness is improved, but the finishing capacity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling effectivenessVSAvoidfinishing capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges both continuous and segmented abrasive crowns onto a single wheel body. The segmented crown provides effective cooling for roughing operations, while the continuous crown provides the finishing capacity needed for polishing. This combination allows the wheel to handle both roughing and finishing in sequence or simultaneously depending on the configuration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution reduces grinding traces, allows for optimal cooling, and enables faster working speeds with improved quality, enabling machines with fewer spindles and reduced space requirements while maintaining high performance.

Implementation Method 1

such grinding wheels have cooling limitations, since the jet of coolant originating from the backing pad hardly succeeds in evenly cooling the entire body of the abrasive ring

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCooling: Cooling

Implementation Method 2

cup grinding wheels are mounted on respective spindles, aligned in sequence on automatic rectilinear milling machines, capable of working on a single side or on two opposite sides simultaneously

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAbrasion: Abrasion

Data Source

PatentEP3216563B1Cup grinding wheel for working slab edges
Publication Date: 2019.02.20 UP TOOLS LTD
  • EP3216563B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3216563B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5

AI summary

A cup grinding wheel (10) for working slab edges, which comprises: - a shaped backing pad (11) for fixing to a spindle, - an abrasive annular body (12), fixed to the shaped backing pad (11), with a cylindrical lateral face (13) and a front working face (14). The abrasive annular body (12) comprises a continuous external abrasive crown (15) and a segmented internal abrasive crown (16), and has an annular curvilinear channel (17) that extends on the front working face (14) so as to separate the continuous external abrasive crown (15) and the segmented internal abrasive crown (16).