Grinding Wheel with Mixed Diamond Abrasives for Glass Edge Finishing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in edge finishing of brittle glass substrates, particularly in laminates used for vehicle glazings, is to maintain mechanical edge strength while reducing weight and improving manufacturing efficiency, as thinner substrates are more prone to breakage and require advanced grinding techniques to prevent catastrophic failure during processing.
Innovation Solution
A grinding wheel with a metal bond matrix structure incorporating a blend of primary and secondary abrasive particles, including resin bond diamond and metal bond diamond, is used to enhance edge strength and durability, featuring a specific particle size distribution and morphology to minimize crack propagation and optimize material removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If thinner glass substrates are used to reduce weight, then weight reduction is achieved, but mechanical edge strength deteriorates and breakage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the particle size distribution parameter of the abrasive, using a blend where at least 50% of particles are smaller than 20 micrometers (with at least 20% smaller than 10 micrometers) and at least 50% are larger than 40 micrometers. This dual-size approach allows smaller particles to polish edges smoothly while larger particles provide structural support, maintaining edge strength in thinner substrates without increasing weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The grinding wheel uses a composite abrasive structure combining resin bond diamond and metal bond diamond particles in specific proportions. This composite approach leverages the polishing effectiveness of resin bond diamonds and the structural reinforcement of metal bond diamonds, enabling thinner substrates to achieve both smooth edges and sufficient mechanical strength.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional single-size abrasive particles are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but edge strength and surface finish deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The abrasive is segmented into distinct size categories (fine particles <20μm, medium particles 20-40μm, coarse particles >40μm) with specific functional assignments. Fine particles perform polishing to achieve smooth edges, while coarse particles provide cutting action and structural support. This segmentation allows each particle size to optimize its function, improving edge finish quality while maintaining a manageable multi-component system.
3Productivity
If larger abrasive particles are used for material removal, then productivity increases, but edge strength and surface quality deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The grinding process uses periodic action through the distributed particle size distribution, where different particle sizes engage the workpiece at different stages. Larger particles (>40μm) perform initial cutting and material removal, while smaller particles (<20μm) perform subsequent polishing and refinement. This periodic engagement of different particle sizes throughout the grinding process achieves both high productivity and strong, smooth edges.
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 significantly improves the mechanical edge strength of glass substrates, achieving up to 33.5% greater edge strength compared to conventional methods, while reducing the risk of breakage and chipping, thus enabling the use of thinner, lighter glass laminates in vehicle applications without compromising safety and manufacturing feasibility.
Implementation Method 1
a grinding wheel comprising a metal bond matrix structure and a plurality of abrasive particles within the metal bond matrix structure
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of a grinding wheel and methods for edge finishing glass substrates are disclosed. In one or more embodiments, the grinding wheel includes a metal matrix structure, a plurality of primary abrasive particles and a plurality of secondary abrasive particles bonded to the matrix structure, wherein one of the primary abrasive diamond particles and secondary abrasive particles comprises resin bond diamond particles. In some embodiments, the other of the primary abrasive diamond particles and secondary abrasive particles comprises metal bond diamond particles.