Niceabrasive has launched its latest innovation in high-performance grinding – the PSG (Precision Shaped Grain) Blue Ceramic Abrasive Pro. As the demand for superior abrasive performance continues to grow, manufacturers are facing significant technical challenges in the production of PSG abrasives, which differ from traditional broken-shape abrasives.

Niceabrasive Blue Ceramic Abrasive Pro is a sintered abrasive made from special alumina as the primary material, combined with various modified components, and produced using the sol-gel process. This abrasive can be used in both bonded abrasives and coated abrasives. It has a wide range of applications, suitable for high-pressure casting grinding, as well as fine grinding of various materials, including gear grinding, bearing grinding, crankshaft grinding, roll grinding, and other applications.

Niceabrasive has overcome these challenges through the development of advanced precision forming processes, producing a 100% full-plate triangular ceramic abrasive—part of the Niceabrasive PRO series. When used in grinding tools, these abrasives offer higher removal rates, multiple times the tool lifespan, and lower grinding temperatures compared to traditional abrasives.

Ceramic Abrasives in High-Performance Grinding

Nano-microcrystalline sintered alumina, commonly known as ceramic abrasives, have been widely accepted across industries for high-performance grinding. They are extensively used in bonded abrasives like ceramic and resin-bonded grinding wheels, super-thin cutting discs, as well as coated abrasives such as sanding belts, sandpapers, sanding sleeves, flaps, and steel-backed sanding discs. These products can see performance improvements of 2 to 4 times.

Manufacturing Process and Custom Shapes

Ceramic abrasives are made using a sol-gel process, which allows for customized shapes. Instead of the typical granular, block, or elongated shapes, these abrasives can also be produced in forms like circular, rectangular, triangular, and polygonal.

Niceabrasive has successfully combined the advantages of triangular-shaped, full-plate ceramic abrasives with traditional broken abrasives. This results in a grinding tool that generates multiple cutting edges on the workpiece surface. The proprietary microcrystalline ceramic particles are shaped into triangular-like plates with nearly uniform thickness. Through special fragmentation processes, numerous individual cutting edges are formed on the abrasive’s cross-section.

Advantages for Bonded Abrasives:

Advantages for Bonded Abrasives:

1. Increased Cutting Space:
   The flat, triangular abrasives offer a higher surface area and improved bond retention in bonded tools. The low packing density of these abrasives creates more cutting space, which aids in chip removal and prevents clogging during the grinding process.
2. Low Grinding Temperature:
   The sharp cutting edges of the Niceabrasive ceramic abrasives help maintain a low grinding temperature, preventing excessive heat buildup on the workpiece and avoiding the softening of the bonding agent. This results in extended tool life and longer or shorter dressing intervals, even under high-performance grinding conditions.
3. High-Performance Grinding:
   Niceabrasive ceramics are perfect for grinding high-strength materials such as stainless steels, nickel-based, cobalt-based, and titanium-based alloys. They are also suitable for grinding carbon steels, including low-carbon steels and cast irons.
4. High Cutting Efficiency:
   The precision-shaped grains (PSG) of Niceabrasive ceramic abrasives provide superior cutting efficiency, enabling faster material removal with less energy consumption, which improves overall grinding productivity.
5. Excellent Toughness and Low Wear:
   Niceabrasive ceramics exhibit high toughness, resulting in minimal wear during the grinding process. This ensures consistent and reliable performance over time.
6. Long Service Life:
   Thanks to their unique microstructure and sharp cutting edges, Niceabrasive ceramics ensure a prolonged tool life, reducing the frequency of tool replacements and the need for frequent re-dressing.
7. Good Self-Sharpening Properties:
   The self-sharpening effect of Niceabrasive ceramics continuously exposes fresh, sharp cutting edges as the abrasive particles fracture during use. This ensures consistent grinding performance throughout the tool’s lifespan.
8. Cost Efficiency:
   Despite their high performance and extended tool life, Niceabrasive ceramics offer excellent cost-efficiency, providing a strong return on investment compared to other abrasives.
9. No Workpiece Burning:
   The low grinding temperatures ensure that workpieces are not overheated or burned during the grinding process, preserving the integrity of the material being processed and preventing surface damage.

 

Applications of Niceabrasive Ceramic Abrasives:

1. 1. Hardware Industry:
      Ideal for precision grinding and finishing of various metallic components in the hardware industry.
   2. Railway Industry:
      Used in the manufacturing and maintenance of railway components, such as rails, wheels, and other critical parts that require high-performance grinding.
   3. Automotive Aftermarket Industry:
      Suitable for grinding and finishing automotive parts in the aftermarket sector, including brake components, engine parts, and other high-stress components.
   4. Gear Industry:
      Excellent for gear grinding applications, ensuring smooth surfaces and precise tooth profiles in gear manufacturing.
   5. Bearing Industry:
      Ideal for bearing surface finishing, providing high-quality, smooth surfaces while maintaining the dimensional accuracy and integrity of the bearing components.
   6. Woodworking Industry:
      Used in wood grinding, polishing, and finishing applications, offering consistent performance across various wood materials.
   7. Mold Manufacturing Industry:
      Suitable for the precise finishing of molds used in manufacturing processes such as die-casting, injection molding, and plastic molding.
   8. Aerospace Industry:
      Perfect for grinding aerospace components like turbine blades, landing gear parts, and other high-precision aerospace components that require minimal thermal impact.
   9. Automotive and Automotive Parts Industry:
      Used for grinding and finishing automotive and automotive components, ensuring high performance in automotive assembly and parts production.
   10. Steel Industry:
       Excellent for steel surface finishing, such as grinding and polishing steel bars, plates, and other steel products, ensuring smooth and precise finishes.

Another key feature of Niceabrasive ceramics is their self-sharpening capability. Due to the two-phase microstructure, targeted micro-fractures occur on dull cutting edges, creating new sharp cutting points and maintaining a long tool life with high material removal rates. Initial results from roll grinding and forging applications have confirmed this benefit.

Applications in Coated Abrasives: Niceabrasive ceramic abrasives can be combined with traditional alumina abrasives to enhance performance. Two sandblasting methods are used: gravity-based planting for traditional abrasives combined with electrostatic planting for Niceabrasive ceramic abrasives, or a hybrid approach of mixing both abrasives followed by electrostatic planting. This results in highly durable and wear-resistant abrasive structures.

Automated Grinding Process: The flat, triangular abrasives are particularly effective in automated grinding applications, where consistent performance over long periods is crucial. In tests, the grinding force remained stable over 20 minutes, whereas traditional abrasives experienced significant performance degradation over time.

Performance Data and Market Adoption: Niceabrasive ceramic abrasives have undergone extensive testing in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, with over 10 leading manufacturers in bonded and coated abrasives testing the product in both laboratory and small-scale production settings. After several months of testing, most factories have begun to implement the technology in full-scale production.

Applications:

• Bonded Abrasives: Used in ceramic-bonded grinding wheels, resin-bonded grinding wheels, oilstones, cutting and grinding wheels, etc.
• Coated Abrasives: Applied in sanding belts, sandpaper, sanding sleeves, flap discs, and steel-backed sanding discs.
• Temperature Resistance: The abrasives can withstand temperatures up to 1,430°C, making them suitable for use with both high and low-temperature bonding agents.

Physical Properties of Niceabrasive Pro Blue Ceramic Abrasive:

• Color: Blue
• Microstructure: Plate-like structure
• Particle Size: 50-500 nanometers, with lamellar stacking
• Hardness: 1850-2100 (KHN/mm²)
• Density: 3.85 g/cm³
• Maximum Operating Temperature: 1300°C
• Size: 24+, 36+, 40+, 50+, 60+, 80+, 100+, and 120.

This innovation marks a significant advancement in abrasive technology, offering increased efficiency, reduced temperature loads, and longer-lasting tools for high-performance grinding applications.