finer points8 11 12 18 24 finer points featuring materials processing 3 departments 4 a finer point...

FinerPointsTHIS ISSUE

A Finer Point of View

Nano-CrystallineDiamond Coated &Polished CMMMeasuring Probeswith Reduced Wearand More ReliableMeasurements

Production of ThinDiamond Wire

IDA MemberCompanies

Polishing of Hard toGrind Materials witha Nonwoven AbrasiveWheel ContainingDiamond

Advanced MachineTool Construction,Dressable DiamondWheel Technology,and Processes forGrinding of Carbideand HSS Micro-Threads

THE LONGESTRUNNING

MAGAZINEDEDICATED

SOLELY TO THETECHNOLOGY AND

APPLICATION OFSUPERABRASIVES

Winter 2013/2014 $9.00 USD

SUPERABRASIVE INDUSTRY REVIEWFeaturing Materials Processing

8 11 12 18 24

3FINER POINTS Featuring Materials Processing

d e p a r t m e n t s

4 A Finer Point of View6 Editorial

11 News & Notes14 Calendar of Events23 Ad Insertion29 Membership

Application30 Checklist of things

to do ...

COVER PHOTOPhoto Courtesy of Drake Manufacturing

Services Company and SaintGobain Abrasives during the trials

reported in the included articleAdvanced Machine Tool Construction,Dressable Diamond Wheel Technology,and Processes for Grinding of Carbideand HSS Micro-Threads. It shows the

Paradigm bond diamond wheel (at top)being dressed by an impregnated

diamond roll (below) automatically on-line in the machine with standard dressparameters, no subsequent sticking or

other conditioning process.

ABC Warren Superabrasives Saint-Gobain Surface Conditioning Group....................... 15

Apogee Precision Parts ............................................................................................................. 7

Bogimac NV-SA ......................................................................................................................... 6

DCM-TECH, Inc. ..................................................................................................................... 30

Element Six .......................................................................................................................... OBC

Engis Corporation................................................................................................................. IBC

ILJIN USA, Inc. ...................................................................................................................... 17

Ulbrich Stainless Steels and Special Metals, Inc................................................................. 20

Worldwide Superabrasives, LLC .............................................................................................. 5

Zhongnan Diamond Co., Ltd. ............................................................................................. IFC

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f e a t u r e a r t i c l e s

8 Nano-Crystalline Diamond Coated & PolishedCMM Measuring Probes with Reduced Wearand More Reliable Measurements

12 Production of Thin Diamond Wire16 IDA Member Companies18 Polishing of Hard to Grind Materials with a

Nonwoven Abrasive Wheel ContainingDiamond

24 Advanced Machine Tool Construction,Dressable Diamond Wheel Technology, andProcesses for Grinding of Carbide and HSSMicro-Threads

FINER POINTS is the longest running publication devoted exclusively to the understanding, selection and applicationof diamond, cubic boron nitride and related materials. It is edited for recipients who are involved in some way with these“superabrasives”, either as providers of the materials, producers of products containing the materials or users of theseproducts (e.g., grinding wheels, dressing tools, drill bits, saw blades, sawing wires, cutting tools, polishing compounds,CVD film products, etc.).

FinerPoints

24

A Finer Point of View...Be There or Be SquarePrior to World War II the word“square” meant solid, direct andhonest. In the 1950’s the term“square” came to define a person thatwas ordinary or in favor of preservingthe status quo and traditional valuesand customs, someone who wasagainst abrupt change or new ideas,more or less someone who was not“hip” or even sophisticated. The wordcame to have a somewhat broadeneduse as out of touch, old-fashioned,not "with it”. So coining the phrase“Be there or be square” in today’slanguage still can relate to someonewho is not in tune or favor with thenew technology and ideas of the 21stcentury.

The Industrial Diamond Associationof America (IDA) has made greatstrides in education on newtechnology and promoting thesetechnologies throughout multipleindustries Going back to those earlydays in the 1950’s the IDA embracedthe new technology of synthesizeddiamond and cubic boron nitride(cBN), then continued in the 70’swith polycrystalline materials and inmore recent years CVD Diamond andcBN. The development andapplication of materials, devices,machines, and techniques formanufacturing and productiveprocesses could never have reachedsuch widespread use if not for thepromotional and educational eventsthat are hosted every year by the IDA.

The IDA is made up of companiesthat are the leaders in research andinnovation and when we look inwardto our own resources, we find most ofthe new and exciting ideas. Keepingthat train of thought, every year theIDA hosts an Annual Meeting for itsmembers and this is where we can allget together and share new ideas andmake plans with suppliers, customersand peers to grow our industry andincrease the use of all the productsand materials we produce. It isimportant that we get as many of ourmembers to attend this meeting;together we are a force for progress!

It is also important for those whohave not yet discovered theadvantages of being an IDA

Member to add their names to thelong list of IDA Members makinga difference in this industry.

In a like manner, we encourageparticipation in the largest technicalconference dedicated solely toSuperabrasives and the industriesserved by these materials,INTERTECH 2015.

Where else can attendees learn somuch about research andapplications of these uniquematerials? Another important eventcoming later this year is a course onsuperabrasives organized and puttogether by members of the IDA, thetrue experts in this industry.

Participation is the key for all of theseevents whether sharing informationand planning projects and programsat the IDA Annual Meeting,interacting with course leaderspresenting information andeducational information at thesuperabrasives course or possiblypresenting a paper and/or attendingINTERTECH 2015. I cannotoveremphasize the importance ofbeing a part of these three events.

To coin the old phrase, “Be there orbe square”.

Sincerely,

Mike MustinIndustrial Diamond Association of America

PRESIDENTMike Mustin

Industrial DiamondAssociation ofAmerica, Inc.

PRESIDENTMike MustinAmerican Superabrasives Corp.

VICE PRESIDENTTroy Heuermann3M Abrasive Systems Division

SECRETARY/TREASURERKeith RecklingNational Research Company

PAST PRESIDENTEdward E. GalenCinetic Landis Corp – CITCO/Gardner Abrasives

BOARD OF DIRECTORS (term)Joseph M. Connolly (12-14)Element Six

Stephen Griffin (11-13)Engis Corporation

David Spelbrink (11-13)Lieber & Solow, Company

Ed Francis (13-15)Crystallume Engineered Diamond Products

Scott Ries (13-15)Vollmer of America Corporation

Ben Williams (12-14)FACT USA

David Simpson (13-15)Worldwide Superabrasives

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORMr. Terry M. KaneIndustrial Diamond Associationof America, Inc.P.O. Box 29460Columbus, Ohio 43229Phone: 614-797-2265FAX: 614-797-2264

E-Mail: [email protected]

Website: www.superabrasives.org

FINER POINTS is the official publication of theIndustrial Diamond Association of America, Inc. andis published fours times a year. Contributions arewelcomed but the Editor reserves the right to acceptor reject any material deemed inappropriate forpublication. All by-lined articles published in thismagazine represent solely the individual opinions ofthe writers and not necessarily those of the IndustrialDiamond Association. Executive and EditorialOffices: Finer Points, P.O. Box 29460, Columbus,Ohio 43229, (614) 797-2265. Editor and Advertising,Terry Kane. Advertising rates and deadlinesavailable upon request. Copyright 2002. Material inFINER POINTS may not be reproduced in any formwithout express written consent.

ISSN: 1090-0896

4 FINER POINTS Featuring Materials Processing

GOOD SELLING IS NOT AN ACCIDENT… IT’S IN THE WORDS!David Ogilvy was a famous advertisingexecutive widely hailed as “The Father ofAdvertising.” In 1962, Time Magazine calledhim "the most sought-after wizard in today'sadvertising industry." With that kind ofrecognition people should sit up and takenotice ... Or more importantly take notes!David Ogilvy once said the best copywritersworked for mail order catalog companies.Why? Their job was to SELL something

through the written word. Copywriting, very simply, is the ability to putcertain words together to entice or convince people to do something. Thatcould be to react, to get involved, to have a change of heart or most likely tobuy something! In this day and age we may just want to get their contactinformation or email and have them visit our website. Good copywritingcreates tremendous leverage because once you get the right words flowingtogether all you have to do are use the right media to deliver that message tothe right person. Do you want to create an advertisement, a YouTubeexperience or maybe a complete article or formal presentation? It all boilsdown to the words you use and the way they are delivered ...

Thomas Stoppard a British dramatist and screenwriter said, “I don't thinkwriters are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right onesin the right order, you might nudge the world a little or make a poem thatchildren will speak for you when you are dead”. How true, great writing ispoetry in some form and if we are writing we do want to “nudge the world a little”.

There are words that we can hear and immediately be taken back to a story, anincident or event that was epic or memorable. “Fourscore and seven yearsago”, “It was the best of times it was the worst of times”, “I have adream”, “Outlined against a blue, gray October sky”… These are just a fewwords that were used by a president, an author, a civil rights advocate and afamous journalist that drew us in and made us sit up and take notice. Most ofus can relate to where and when these words were used and the sentiment thatthey expressed.

However, literature, sports or famous speeches are not the only places we seethe greatest impact of words ... that would have to be in promotionalmaterials and advertising trying to sell something ... Famous or memorablewords in advertising come in short bursts of catchy phrases, words that getright to the point and don’t make us think too long or hard! Whether it’s atrade show sign or an advertisement ... Make the message short, sweet andmemorable! No one reads paragraph after paragraph of copy no matter howgreat you think your product may be. Most readers are captured by that firstglance or the first few words. Don’t make me read an epitaph, give me theexecutive summary! It doesn’t take a lot to understand and relate to ''A Diamond is Forever'', ''Just Do It'', ''Don't Leave Home Without It'' or ''Got Milk?''

Our industry should seek the same ebb and flow of words we see throughoutother industries. We can learn from those people. Selling jewelry, runningshoes, credit cards or milk is not too far afield from selling industrialdiamond, grinding wheels or sawblades! Good selling is in the WORDS!

TERRY KANE, Editor


ABSTRACTMore and more exotic materials like reinforced carbon,composite ceramic materials and special alumina arebeing used in the aerospace and other industries wherediamond coated tools are already used for milling, turningand drilling these new materials. But also these newmaterials need to be measured both in the productionphase and in the end control. It has been noticed that theexisting CMM measuring probes like ruby and Si3N4 weartoo fast especially nowadays where scanningmeasurements is getting the standard. Therefore theyhave to be changed sometimes every 3 days, and theproduction environment has to be set still and probeshave to be re-calibrated. Diamond Product Solutions in

the Netherlands developed a Nano-crystalline Diamond Coated &Polished measuring probe which minimizes these disadvantages(Picture 1). Right now they are used in harsh environments likemeasuring composite ceramics, ground ball bearings, hardened bevelgears, Zerodur, nickel coated alumina mirrors and other exotic materials.They are made with diameters from 0, 3 mm - 5 mm and all dimensionsin between. Form accuracy standard < G5, smoothness 5 timessmoother than ruby or Si3N4. The stem and probe are ground out of onepiece of tungsten carbide, so the probe is not glued or brazed and cannever fall off. Any design can be made and any insert can be mountedto fit existing CMM machines.

WIM NELISSEN, DIAMOND PRODUCT SOLUTIONSBeek 6, 5815 CS, Merselo, The Netherlands


INTRODUCTION ON DIAMONDCOATINGS:Generally there are 3 types of layerswhich can be deposited onto othermaterials:1. Metal-Ceramic coatings like TiN

coatings which are used on tools etc.2. DLC ( Diamond Like Coatings )3. Real Diamond Coatings (nano- or

micro crystalline).There are two types of diamondcoating:1. Nano-crystalline diamond coating,

picture 2.2. Micro-crystalline diamond coating,

picture 3Already 30 years ago tools werecoated with a diamond coating. In theaerospace industry more and moreexotic materials like reinforced carbonand special alumina were used. Withthe existing tools, lifetime was very

short. Then people started to usetungsten carbide tools and finally,which is nowadays common use,these tungsten carbide tools werecoated with a diamond coating. In thebeginning the diamond coating wasrather rough (like the microcrystallinediamond coating show in the picture3 above). Due to this rough coatingthe edge rounding at the cutting edgewas great, making the mill ratherblunt, and due to that fact the cuttingforces during milling were high. Thelifetime of the tool was extended butthe cutting forces increased and thesurface quality of the work piece wasrather low. Nowadays the diamondcoating companies can grow muchsmoother diamond coatings like thenano- crystalline diamond coating(see picture 2).Diamond Coatings can be grown onseveral materials like: tungstencarbide, Si, SiC, and Si3N4. Becausetungsten carbide can be grinded to

PICTURE 1 – 1, 3, 5 and 10 mm diameter Nano-crystallineDiamond Coated & Polished CMM measuring probes

PICTURE 2 – Nano-crystallinediamond coating Picture

PICTURE 3 – Micro-crystallinediamond coating Both 1250x mag.

(field 66 micron wide

Nano-Crystalline DiamondCoated & Polished CMMMeasuring Probes withReduced Wear and MoreReliable Measurements

every shape nowadays this is themost commonly used material in thetool industry for applying a diamondcoating.

GROWING A DIAMONDCOATING ONTO TUNGSTENCARBIDE:There are 3 major steps whengrowing an adhesive diamondcoating onto tungsten carbide.1. Etching the cobalt out to a certain

depth of the tungsten carbidesurface structure.

2. Seeding the etched tungstencarbide with nano-crystallinediamond particles.

3. Growing the diamond coating.During the sintering of the tungstencarbide tools Cobalt is added, whichworks as a catalyst. But for growingdiamond onto the tungsten carbidetools this Cobalt has to be removedto a certain depth. The etching ofCobalt from the surface is importantbecause otherwise the adhesion ofthe diamond coating is poor, whichwas the case in the beginning. Thenthe seeding is done. The tools whichneed the diamond coating aresubmerged into an alcohol kind ofliquid which is filled with nano-crystalline diamond particles. Due toultrasonic movement of the particlesin the liquid the nano-crystallinediamond particles get stuck into thesurface of the tungsten carbide. Thenthe tools are put in the HF-CVDDfurnace (Hot Filament ChemicalVapor Deposition Diamond). Thechamber is heated to ~850 degree Cand then Methane and some othergasses are passing the tools. At thattemperature the methane (CH4) isfalling apart into C and H and the C(Carbon) is growing onto the seedednano-crystalline diamond particles.This is a specialist job and there areseveral diamond coating companiesin Germany who are able to deliver agood nano-crystalline diamondcoating. For tools nowadays thediamond coating thickness used is 6-

8 micron, which ismuch thicker than aDLC or TiN coating.After the coating hasbeen grown onto thetool we have the basefor the product thatDiamond ProductSolutions hasdeveloped, theDiamond Coated &Polished (micro) CMMmeasuring probe.

DIAMOND COATED& POLISHED (MICRO) CMMMEASURING PROBES:A measuring probe normally consistsof two parts: the shanks and thesphere (mostly a ruby sphere). Thesphere is mostly glued to the shank.Diamond Product Solutions startedwith a new concept. The shank andsphere are ground out of one pieceof tungsten carbide. Now the spherecan never fall off the shank anymore,and also there is no glue-hysteresis.After the probe (shank and sphere) isground, it is being coated with anano-crystalline diamond coating.This is being done with the HF-CVDDtechnology as described before. Thisis a real diamond coating which is ashard, and even harder, than naturaldiamond. Natural diamond has amono-crystal structure which has softdirections. In the diamond world it iscalled the two-point, three-point andfour-point orientation. The two-pointorientation is soft compared to theother orientations. Therefore it isdifficult to make probes with a formaccuracy of < G10 (G10 or Grade 10is a measure for the total sphereshape compared to a perfect sphere,G10 means a form accuracy < 250nm, G5 means a form accuracy <125 nm etc.). The nano-crystallinediamond coating is a poly-crystallinediamond coating which has arandom orientation. So the 2-, 3- and4-points orientations are randompresent in the bulk material, andtherefore can be polished to extreme

9Featuring Materials Processing FINER POINTS

PICTURE 5 – Ruby surface at 1250x mag

PICTURE 6 – Ruby surface at 1250x mag

PICTURE 4 – Nano-crystalline Diamond Coated & Polished CMM measuring probes. Left 8 mm, 5 mm,

3 mm and 1 mm to the right, Source PTB/Stork

Diamond Product Solutions started witha new concept. The shank and sphere are

ground out of one piece of tungsten carbide.Now the sphere can never fall off the

shank anymore.


PICTURE 7 – 0, 3 mm diameterDiamond Coated & Polished micro

CMM measuring probe.Source PTB/Stork

PICTURE 8 – The 0,3 mm diamondprobe mounted into a measuring

head developed by the University ofBraunschweig and PTB in Germany,for use in CMM measuring machine.

Zeiss is selling this head.Source PTB/Stork

Nowadays there are more andmore micro CMM measuringmachines for measuringmicroparts with greatdiameter/depth ratios.These CMM need measuringaccuracies of ~0, 1 micron inthe volume they measure.For these CMM’s it will bevery interesting to havemeasuring probes which donot wear, and where thesphere does not fall off andhave the lowest possiblefriction coefficient with thebest output signal and havinga form deviation < 100 nm.By using this newly developedDiamond Coated & PolishedMicro-CMM more accuratemeasurements can be made.

smoothness and high form accuracybetter than G5! After the diamondcoating has been grown onto thetungsten carbide sphere of theprobe, it is being polished. DiamondProduct Solutions developed aspecial process for being able toprocess even probes with adiameter of 0,3 mm to a formdeviation of < G 5.

SPECIFICATIONS ANDADVANTAGES OF DIAMONDCOATED & POLISHED CMMMEASURING PROBES:The last 3 years Diamond ProductSolutions has developed this productto a high level.1. Very low roughness. An Ra of 0,

79 nm has been measured with anAFM by Metas in Switzerland.

2. Ruby probes are also polishedwith harder grains than ruby itself,and therefore it has scratches anddigs on the surface (See picture 5underneath). This is not the casewith a diamond surface (seepicture 7). It has a highly evensurface structure and because it isthe hardest material possible,roughness can be very low, as hasbeen proven.

3. The form accuracy on the equatorhas been measured by PTB andMetas as low as 30 nm on a 3 mmprobe. Total form accuracy of thesphere is < G5 and is beingfurther improved.

4. Diameters possible from 0, 3 mmto 5 mm.

THERE ARE SOME MAJORADVANTAGES COMPAREDWITH RUBY AND SI3N4MEASURING PROBES:1. Hardness 10 like natural diamond

(scale of Mohr)2. Wear has been minimized, lifetime

is extended very much3. Lowest friction coefficient of all

materials, very interesting formeasuring Zerodur!

4. Much less aluminum adhesiononto your ball like is the casewhen using ruby

5. G5 quality on diameters from 0,3 –5 mm

6. High smoothness, better thanRuby and Si3N4, Ra < 0, 8 nm,and therefore the scratch of thetactile measurement of a diamondcoated probe tip is much moreless than a ruby tip!!

7. Diameters possible from 0, 3 mm

to 5 mm and specials in betweenare possible.

8. Ball and stem out of one piecetungsten carbide, so no risk offallen off of the sphere.

9. These probes can fit all existingCMM measuring machines.Customers just have to mentionwhich insert and thread they useand Diamond Product Solutionswill take care that the right insert isglued or brazed onto the end ofthe shank.

10.Every shank design can be made.11.Very interesting price / life time

relation.

SINCE THE BEGINNING OF2012 MORE AND MORECUSTOMERS HAVE TESTEDTHESE DIAMOND COATEDPROBES AND ARE USINGTHEM SUCH AS:– TNO in the Netherlands, they use

an Ultracomp on-machinemeasuring system from Precitechwith a diamond coated andpolished measuring probe. Noalumina built up, no wear, 30-40nm form deviation over 90 degreesweep compared to ruby andSi3N4.

– Getrag Gearwheel company inGermany for measuring hardenedbevel gears

– Hexagon Metrology US– PTB in Germany– METAS in Switzerland– Jenoptic in Germany for

measuring form deviations onflats, spheres, aspheres andfreeform surfaces made on anultra precision turning machine,the scratch of the tactilemeasurement of a diamondcoated probe tip is much less thanwhen using a ruby probe.

– And others which cannotmentioned.

MICRO CMM DIAMONDCOATED & POLISHEDMEASURING PROBES:Since 2011 Diamond ProductSolutions is working closely togetherwith Dr. Michael Neugebauer fromthe PTB institute in Braunschweig inGermany. Dr. Neugebauer is anauthority in the field of (micro)metrology. The last two yearsDiamond Product Solutionsdeveloped the 0, 3 mm micro CMMmeasuring probe. PTB has, and isstill testing this new developed microCMM probe. ■


SCIO DIAMOND TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION HAS ENTERED INTO AJOINT VENTURE AGREEMENT TO PRODUCE TYPE LLA, SINGLECRYSTAL CVD DIAMOND FOR A SPECIFICGEMSTONE MARKET Greenville, SCScio Diamond has signed a Joint Venture agreement as thetechnology and delivery provider and has teamed with two partnerswho bring more than 75 years collective experience in thegemstone industry giving the consortium financial strength whileallowing the production to be vertically integrated. The jointventures’ facility will be located in China, and will be initially fittedout with 100 Scio designed diamond-growing reactors as well assupport equipment, such as lasers operation and HPHT pressingmachines. The facility will have the capability to expand to 400diamond-growing reactors over the next 2 years. Scio’s currentproduction technology has the produces 32,000 plus rough carats of diamond annually with its10 growers. This is greater than a 50% improvement over 1-year ago. Scio is providing itspatented CVD Diamond Technology to the Joint Venture through a licensing agreement thatprovides Scio with both an equity position and licensing revenues. “This venture affirms theacceptance of Scio’s technology platform and our proven ability to mass produce qualitydiamond, by two of the industry leaders in their respective fields”, says Michael McMahon, Scio’sCEO. The new entity is estimated to begin producing diamond in the summer of 2014.

LIEBER & SOLOW, LTD AN INTERNATIONAL LEADER IN DIAMONDS ANDSUPERABRASIVES ANNOUNCES THEIR NEW WEBSITE New York, NY

The new website encompasses the three businesses of Lieber& Solow, LTD which include Lieber & Solow Company fornatural industrial diamonds, IKMD the rough diamond supplierto the gem industry and LANDS Superabrasives forsuperabrasive materials. The new website design incorporatesa fully navigational design and multiple languages for ease ofunderstanding, product reviews, ordering and informationdownload. The website demonstrates the company’s fullservice capabilities and its wide range of products for everyindustry and application ... Today a streamlined Lieber &

Solow, LANDS Superabrasives and IKMD concentrate its efforts in providing customer serviceand satisfaction to the global industrial diamond, superabrasive and rough gem industries. For additional information visit www.lieberandsolow.com

U.S. CUTTING TOOL CONSUMPTION UP 13.1% IN OCTOBERU.S. cutting tool consumption totaled $176 million, according to the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute and

AMT – The Association For ManufacturingTechnology. This total, as reported bycompanies participating in the Cutting ToolMarket Report (CTMR) collaboration, wasup 13.1 percent from September’s total but

down 5.8 percent from October 2012. Year-to-date shipments are $1.68 billion, which is down 6.6percent from the same period in 2012. These numbers and all data in this report are based onthe totals actually reported by the companies participating in the CMTR program. The totals hererepresent about 80 percent of the U.S. market for cutting tools. “While cutting tool sales enjoyedtheir best month since April, the trend is still behind for 2013 compared to 2012,” said Tom Haag,president of USCTI. “The important indicators show the automobile and aerospace industries areforecast for stable and steady growth in 2014, so we are optimistic.” The Cutting Tool MarketReport (CTMR) is jointly compiled by AMT and USCTI, two trade associations representing thedevelopment, production and distribution of cutting tool technology and products. It provides amonthly statement on U.S. manufacturers’ consumption of the primary consumable in themanufacturing process – the cutting tool. Analysis of cutting tool consumption is a leadingindicator of both upturns and downturns in U.S. manufacturing activity, as it is a true measure ofactual production levels.

GENERAL MOTORS ANNOUNCED PLANS TO BEGIN PAYING AQUARTERLY DIVIDEND FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE COMPANY'S2008 GOVERNMENT RESCUE New York, NY

GM will begin paying a common stock dividend of 30 cents per share in March, according to astatement released after the stock markets closed. GM chief financial officer Dan Amman said inthe statement that an "ongoing payout" was possible thanks to the company's "fortress balancesheet, substantial liquidity, consistent earnings and strong cash flow. This return to shareholdersis consistent with our capital priorities and is an important signal of confidence in our plans for acontinuing profitable future." A GM spokesman confirmed that the dividend is the reborncompany's first since its initial public offering in November 2010. The prior company suspendedits dividend in July 2008. Earlier, GM said it sold 9.71 million cars last year, a 4% gain. Salesgrew 7% in the United States and 11 percent in China, the world's leading markets. GM'sfortunes have risen in recent years after the U.S. government took control of the automaker with a$50 billion injection in 2008 and the company exited bankruptcy restructuring in July 2009. InDecember, the U.S. Treasury announced that it had sold its last shares in the company.

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NEWSandnotes


INTRODUCTIONWith the growing demand for solar panels, the use of thindiamond wire has been boosted in recent years. However,this thin diamond wire has many more applications thanonly cutting slices of silicon crystal. Previous to the use ofthis diamond wire, normal, uncoated steel wire (piano wire)has been used together with abrasive grit like silicon carbide.This silicon carbide was mixed with glycol alcohol into slurryand together with the wire, this slurry performed the cutting.Although the price of the slurry and the wire was quite low,the cutting was slow, the cutting surface was unclean and theenvironmental aspects of the slurry system werequestionable. The slurry method is still state of the art forsilicon cutting but has been widely replaced for cutting ofsapphire and other hard materials by diamond wire. The thindiamond wire, produced by electroplating, is completelydifferent to the “thick” diamond wire that is used to cutstone or concrete. However, there are some interestingparallels in the market development of both kinds of wire.

PRODUCTION OF DIAMOND WIRE – EXAMPLE FOR A PRODUCTION LINE

APPLICATION AND MARKETThe main applications for diamond wire are the cutting ofsilicon (mainly for the photovoltaic industry), cutting ofsapphire (mainly for the LED-market) and the cutting of rareearth products (e.g. magnets). Opposite to wire erosion, thistechnology can cut non-conductive and brittle materials.According to the application, the wire diameter and the gritsize is differing. Generally, it can be said that for multi-slicing the diameter is as thin as possible and the grit size isalso very small to achieve best surface quality. A diameter of0.14mm can be seen as state of the art but thinner wires areunder development. For mono-cuts, a higher wire tension isnecessary and therefore “thicker” diameters from 0.25 to0.4mm are used. These wires are used to e.g. cut the hugemono crystals in blocks (bricking). Most of the wires areused in sawing machines where the wire is coming from one

PRODUCTION OF THIN DIAMOND WIREGERHARD WEBER, DR. FRITSCH GMBH, GERMANY

Wire Spool with Diamond Wire

REM Picture of Electroplated Wire

Stationary Machine for Stone Cutting Wire

Thick Diamond Wire


spool with unused wire and is re-wound onto anotherspool for the used wire. However, there are also machinesin the market that are using closed wire loops. These wiresare working at high speeds and have a diameter of app.0.4mm. In the silicon market, the diamond wire has a pricefrom 80$ to 180$ per km. The more demanding sapphireindustry has a street price of 140$ to 250$ per km.

WIRE SUPPLYThe production line starts with a fixture to hold a spool ofraw wire. This wire is then fed into the system. The wire isunwound from the spool by means of an electric motorand goes into a wire buffer. This is done to reduce thetension of the wire and to secure a smooth and consistentwire supply.

WIRE PRE-TREATMENTThe wire pre-treatment consists out of several treatment tanks. First, the wire is de-greased. Thisis done by a Natriumhydroxid (NaOH) bath. Then the wire goes through a rinsing bath ofclean water. Then comes an acid bath with Natriumhydrogensulfat (NaHSO4) followed byanother rinsing of clean water.After the cleaning steps, the wire gets a first, very thin coating of Nickel, a so called “NickelStrike”. This coating enables later coatings to be applied evenly. The bath containsNickelchloride and Hydrochloric acid (NiCl2x6H2O & HCl) and is followed by a rinsing bath.

DIAMOND ATTACHMENTTo attach the diamond, the wire is first galvanically coated. Then, the wire goes through acoating bath that has a diamond suspension mixed with electrolyte. The diamond that touchesthe wire gets attached and a coating enables the diamond to stick permanently to the wire.

FINAL NICKEL COATINGAfter the diamond attachment, the diamond needs to get a “thick” coating to be firmly andpermanently attached to the steel wire. The challenge is to get the coating done quickly. This stepis the bottleneck of the complete production process. The thicker the wire, the more electricalcurrent can be applied to the wire and therefore the faster can be the coating. However – a thickwire normally has coarser diamond grit and therefore a thicker Nickel layer has to be applied.

AFTER TREATMENTAfter the final coating, the wire is cleaned to rinse off remaining electrolyte and is dried. Severaltanks with cold and warm water are used to achieve that.

QUALITY INSPECTIONAfter drying, the wire is checked with an optical system. The coatingthickness and the evenness of thediamond distribution are checked.The results are fed into the PLCand if necessary, the productionparameters are adjusted. Thequality control systems works withthe wire standing still, so there is awire buffer between the previousproduction steps and the wireinspection. That enables to inspectthe wire in regular intervals.

February 10-12, 2014OTC's Arctic Technology ConferenceHouston, Texas USAGeorge R. Brown Convention Centerwww.arctictechnologyconference.org

February 19, 2014SME Technology Interchange featuring NASA TechnologiesDetroit, Michigan USAwww.sme.org/smetech

February 25-27, 2014AERODEF MANUFACTURINGLong Beach Convention CenterLong Beach, CA USAwww.aerodefevent.com

March 4-8, 2014ConExpoLas Vegas Convention CenterLas Vegas, Nevada USAwww.csda.org

March 18-20, 2014FABTECH® CanadaToronto Congress CentreToronto, ONwww.fabtechcanada.com

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RE-WINDINGFinally, the wire is put back onto a spool. The re-winding systemworks like the reel of a fishing rod to ensure that the wire is evenlydistributed onto the spool.

GENERAL CHALLENGESThe market price of diamond wire is falling constantly year by year.Economies of scale are enabling a cheaper production of wire overtime. However, to replace other technologies, the wire price must stilldrop further. That means that the wire must be produced faster toreduce the depreciation cost of the production line per km wire.

The environmental challenges to produce the wire fast, cheap andenvironmental friendly are not fully solved. That starts with acompletely self-contained water treatment plant that is a vitalpart of the production system. The wire production speeddepends on the wire concept. Pre-coated diamonds are enablinga faster production but need a sharpening procedure before use.Pre-coated diamond wire cannot be used for every application.

TECHNICAL FEATURES OF THE DWL(DIAMOND WIRE LINE)The line consists out of three lines with 2 wires each. Theproduction speed is 1-5m/min (uncoated grit) or 2-20m/min(coated grit) per wire. The DWL includes water treatment plant. ■


3M Abrasive Systems DivisionWebsite: www.mmm.com

ABC & Warren/Amplex SuperabrasivesWebsite: www.saint-gobain.com

Abrasive TechnologyWebsite: www.abrasive-tech.com

Abrasivos Austromex, S.A. DE C.V.Website: www.austromex.com.mx

Action Superabrasive Products, Inc.Website: www.actionsuper.com

Advanced Abrasives CorporationWebsite: www.advancedabrasives.com

American Superabrasives Corp.Website: www.diamonds-abrasive.com

Anco Industrial Diamond Corp.Website: www.ancodiamond.com

Apogee Precision PartsWebsite: www.natchain.com

Asahi Diamond AmericaWebsite: www.asahidiamond.com

Bogimac NV-SAWebsite: www.bogimac.com

Bruce Diamond Corp.Website: www.brucediamond.com

Cdp Diamond Products Inc.Website: www.cdpdiamond.com

Chardon Tool & Supply Co., Inc.Website: www.chardontool.com

Cinetic Landis Corp - Citco/Gardner AbrasivesWebsite: www.citcodiamond.com

Continental Diamond Tool Corp.Website: www.cdtusa.net

Crystallume Engineered Diamond ProductsWebsite: www.crystallume.com

Cutting Edge Services CorporationWebsite: www.cuttingedgeservices.com

Darmann Abrasive ProductsWebsite: www.darmann.com

Delaware Diamond Knives Inc.Website: www.ddk.com

Desmond-Stephen Mfg Co.Website: www.desmond-stephan.com

Dev Industrial Corp.Website: www.dev-group.com

Diamond Industrial ToolsWebsite: www.todit.com

Diamond InnovationsWebsite: www.diamondinnovations.com

Dianamic Abrasive Products Inc.Website: www.dianamic.com

Eastwind Lapidary, Inc.Website: www.eastwinddiamondabrasives.com

DMC-TECH, Inc.Website: www.dcm-tech.com

Element SixWebsite: www.e6.com

Eloquence CorporationWebsite: www.corporationwiki.com/New-York/New-York/eloquence-corporation/36629788.aspx

Engis Corp.Website: www.engis.com

FACT USAWebsite: www.wmstrading.comWebsite: www.factdiamond.com

Fort Wayne Wire Die Inc.Website: www.fwwd.com

Greenlee Diamond Tool Co.Website: www.greenleediamond.com

Iljin USA, Inc.Website: www.iljindiamond.com

Industrial Diamond Laboratories Inc.Website: www.industrialdiamondlabs.com

K & Y Diamond LtdWebsite: www.kydiamond.ca

Lach Diamond, Inc.Website: www.lachdiamond.com

Lieber & Solow Co.Lands Superabrasives Co.Website: www.lieberandsolow.com, Website: www.landssuperabrasives.com

Lunzer Technologies, Inc.Website: www.lunzer.com

Mapal Inc.Website: www.us.mapal.com

Megadiamond Inc.Website: www.megadiamond.com

Morgan Advanced Materials & TechnologyWebsite: www.morganplc.com

NanoMechWebsite: www.nanomech.biz

National Research Co.Website: www.nationalresearchcompany.com

Niabraze Corp.Website: www.niabraze.com

Noritake Co Inc.Website: www.noritake.com

Pinnacle AbrasivesWebsite: www.pinnaclesf.com

Precision EformingWebsite: www.precisioneforming.com

Protech Diamond Tool Inc.Website: www.protechdiamondtoolsinc.com

Radiac Abrasives Inc.,A Tyrolit CompanyWebsite: www.radiac.com

Saint-Gobain Surface Conditioning Group(Saint-Gobain Ceramic Materials)www.innovativeorganics.com

Scio Diamond TechnologyWebsite: www.sciodiamond.com

sp3 Cutting Tools Inc.Website: www.sp3cuttingtools.com

sp3 Diamond TechnologiesWebsite: www.sp3diamondtech.com

Spec ToolWebsite: www.spec-tool.com

Standard Die & Fabricating Inc.Website: www.standarddie.com

H.C. Starck, Inc.Website: www.hcstarck.com

Sumitomo Electric Carbide Inc.Materials GroupWebsite: www.sumicarbide.com/diamondgroup

Superabrasives Inc.Website: www.superabrasives.com

Syntech Abrasives Inc.Website: www.syntechabrasives.com

Tomei Corp. of AmericaWebsite: www.tomeidiamond.com

US Synthetic CorporationWebsite: www.ussynthetic.com

Ulbrich Stainless Steels & Special Metals, Inc.Website: www.ulbrich.com

Vollmer of America CorporationWebsite: www.vollmer-us.com

Wemex Superabrasivos, S. DE R.L. DE C.V.Website: www.wemex.com.mx

Worldwide Superabrasives, LLCWebsite: www.worldwidesa.com

Zhongnan Diamond Co., LtdWebsite: www.diamond-zn.com

INDUSTRIAL DIAMOND ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAMEMBER COMPANIES

Contact an IDA Member Company for superior products and services related to the superabrasives and ultra-hard materials industry. IDA Members follow a strict code of ethics to guarantee quality and dependability.

Always buy from an IDA Member!


INTRODUCTIONThe usage of nonwoven structures containingconventional abrasive particles for surface modificationapplications across a broad range of materials is wellestablished. Despite the existence and usage of a widevariety of nonwoven conventional mineral abrasives, theusage of superabrasive mineral in a nonwoven structureis not well established. In this study a diamond nonwovenwheel’s ability to polish the surface of three hard to grindmaterials will be examined. Tungsten Carbide, D2 Steel,and Non-Porous High Alumina Ceramic have beenselected as the test materials and the abrasive used toperform the polishing is a high density nonwovenstructure containing 10 micron diamond particles in theform of a 4” diameter by 1/” thick wheel.

NONWOVEN ABRASIVESBACKGROUNDThe typical nonwoven abrasive construction consists of achemical resistant fibers, resin, and abrasive mineral. SeeFigure 3.

The density and hardness the nonwoven abrasive can be

Polishing of Hard to Grind Materialswith a NonwovenAbrasive WheelContaining Diamond

RICH CROWLEY, Technical Service Engineer3M Abrasives Systems Division

ABSTRACTThe design and performance of diamondin a rigid nonwoven nylon resin structurefor polishing hard to grind materials wasexamined. Tungsten carbide, D2 Steel,and Non-Porous High Alumina Ceramicwere polished with good results in termsof surface refinement and repeatability.

FIGURE 1

FIGURE 2

CHEMICALLY RESISTANT FIBER• Natural Fibers• Synthetic Fibers• Mixtures of Natural and/or Synthetic Fibers

RESINS• Multiple (Phenolic,

Epoxy, Urethane)

MINERAL TYPES• Aluminum Oxide• Silicon Carbide• Ceramic Grain• Diamond

ABRASIVEGRADE RANGE• Various Density• Various Hardness

FIGURE 3


controlled by the manufacturer and the flat sheet form ofthe starting material can be converted into a number offinished products such as discs, belts, wheels, mandrels,etc. See Figure 4.

SURFACE REFINEMENTMECHANISMCompressibility and flexibility are the two key propertiesnonwovens possess. The abrasive particles attached tothe flexible fibers behave like cutting tools riding onsprings. The result is an abrasive particle with twodimensions of freedom to abrade the surface of amaterial. See Figure 3.

For this reason nonwoven abrasives possess the abilitymodify the surface layer of a material without changing thematerial’s base layer. Nonwoven abrasives wheels have anadditional feature. The operator can shape the wheel tomatch the profile of more complex surface geometriessuch as the flute of a round tool. See Figure 5.

EXPERIMENTALEquipmentMachinery Used

● Variable RPM Servo Motor 0-4000 RPM range to rotatethe nonwoven diamond wheel.

● Push Corp. Inc Model AFD 1000 force controller set todeliver 5lbs of force.

● Fanuc Robot M-710i robotic arm was programmed toposition the nonwoven diamond wheel in contact withthe test material and provide an 1/8” oscillatory motionduring the polishing cycle.

● Central Machinery Variable Speed Mini Lathe to holdand rotate the test material during the polishing cycle.

Test Material

● 12” by 1/” diameter 10% Cobalt Tungsten Carbide Rod

● 12” by 1/” diameter D2 Steel Rod

● 12” by 1/” diameter Non-Porous High Purity AluminaCeramic Rod

Abrasive Sample

● 10 Micron Diamond in a Nonwoven wheel

● Dimensions: 4” diameter by 1/” thickness

Coolant:

● Water

Measurement Equipment

● Mahr Perthometer M2 Profilometer

PROCESSA variable RPM servo motor, with the spindle speedset to 4000 RPM, was coupled to a Push Corp. Inc

Nonwoven AbrasiveConverted Forms

• Flatstock • Discs

• Wheels

• Stars

• Belts • Cross Buffs

FIGURE 4

FIGURE 5

Tungsten Carbide Surface Refinement

PLOT 1


polishing the average surface roughness across eighteenseparate polished test areas was 1.66 µinch Ra and 10.4µinch Rz. Overall the µinch Ra and µinch Rz factor ofsurface refinement for tungsten carbide by this methodwas 8.01x and 11.8x respectively and these resultsproved repeatable results over eighteen cycles.

Plot 1 shows the average surface roughness and themeasurements standard deviation in µinch Ra for the basematerial (Test Area 1) and the resultant surface roughnessafter polishing (Test Area 2 through 19).

Plot 2 shows the average surface roughness and themeasurements standard deviation in µinch Rz for the base

Model AFD 100 force controller programmed to provide5lbs of down force. The servo motor and force controllerwere attached to a Fanuc Robot M-710i robotic arm. Therobot was programmed to position the diamond nonwovenwheel in contact with the test material and supply a 1/8”oscillatory motion for a period of 1 minute. A pressurizedvessel containing water served as the coolant reservoir. A1/8” tube terminated with a nozzle was used to deliver thecoolant. The Central Machinery Variable Speed Mini Lathewas used to secure and rotate the test material.

1. In three separate locations measure and record thebase material’s surface roughness in µ inch Ra and Rz.

2. Position test material in the VariableSpeed Mini Lathe and rotate thetest material counter clockwise at200 RPM.

3. Initiate the servo motor to rotate thenonwoven diamond wheelclockwise at 4000 RPM, turn oncoolant on (mist of water), andinitiate the Push Corp. Inc ModelAFD 100 force controller to deliver5 lbs of down force.

4. Initiate Fanuc Robot M-710iprogram to engage the diamondpolishing wheel to the counterrotating test material for a period of1 minute effectively polishing a 1/”section of the test material percycle.

5. Remove test material from the lathe.In four separate test area locationsmeasure & record surfaceroughness in µ inch Ra and Rzusing the Mahr Perthometer M2Profilometer

6. Using a 1/2” step over repositiontest material in the lathe for the nextpolishing cycle.

The steps 2 through 6 were repeated18 to 20 times depending uponavailable test area on the samplematerial.

RESULTSTungsten Carbide The Tungsten Carbide base material’ssurface roughness was 13.3 µinch Raand 123.0 µinch Rz. Please note thebase surface roughness measurementis an average of three individualmeasurements performed on threedifferent locations on the basematerial prior to polishing. After


material (Test Area 1) and the resultant surfaceroughness after polishing (Test Area 2 through 19).

Images 1 & 2 provide a visual impression of thepolished and unpolished Tungsten Carbide. Image 1is at 20 times magnification and Image 2 is at 200times magnification.

D2 Tool Steel Using the same automated polishing process asTungsten Carbide, 1/” sections of a 12” long by 1/’diameter D2 Tool Steel rod were sequentially polishedand measured for stock removal and surfacerefinement. The base material’s surface roughness

was 20.6 µinch Ra and 126 µinch Rz. Please note thebase surface roughness measurement is an average ofthree individual measurements performed on threedifferent locations on the base material prior to polishing.After polishing the averaged surface roughness acrosstwenty separate polished test areas was 2.13 µinch Raand 14.0 µinch Rz. Overall the µinch Ra and µinch Rzfactor of surface refinement for D2 steel by this methodswas 9.66x and 8.98x respectively these results provedrepeatable results over twenty cycles.

Plot 3 shows the average surface roughness and themeasurements standard deviation in µinch Ra for the basematerial (Test Area 1) and the resultant surface roughnessafter polishing (Test Area 2 through 21).

Plot 4 shows the average surface roughness and themeasurements standard deviation in µinch Rz for the basematerial (Test Area 1) and the resultant surface roughnessafter polishing (Test Area 2 through 21).

Images 3 & 4 provide a visual impression of the polishedand unpolished D2 Steel. Image 3 is at 20 timesmagnification and Image 4 at 200 times magnification.

Non-Porous High Alumina CeramicUsing the same automated polishing process as TungstenCarbide and D2 Tool Steel, 1/” sections of a 12” long by1/’ diameter Non-Porous High Alumina Ceramic rod wassequentially polished and measured for stock removal and

surface refinement. The base material’s surfaceroughness was 16.4 µinch Ra and 125µ inch Rz.Please note the base surface roughnessmeasurement is the average of three individualmeasurements performed at three different locationson the base material prior to polishing. After polishingthe averaged surface roughness across twentyseparate polished test areas was 5.90 µinch Ra and37.7 µinch Rz. Overall the µinch Ra and µinch Rzfactor of surface refinement for D2 steel by thismethods was 2.79x and 3.03x respectively theseresults proved repeatable results over twenty cycles.Image 6 shows a high degree of porosity which mayhave contributed to a higher measured surfaceroughness on the polished test areas. Plot 5 shows

IMAGE 1

IMAGE 2

Tungsten Carbide Surface Refinement

D2 Tool Steel Surface Refinement

PLOT 3

PLOT 2


the average surface roughness and themeasurements standard deviation in µinch Ra for thebase material (Test Area 1) and the resultant surfaceroughness after polishing (Test Area 2 through 21).

Plot 6 shows the average surface roughness and themeasurements standard deviation in µinch Ra for thebase material (Test Area 1) and the resultant surfaceroughness after polishing (Test Area 2 through 21).

Images 5 & 6 below provide a visual impression ofthe polished and unpolished Non-Porous HighAlumina Ceramic. Images 5 and 6 are at 200 timesmagnification.

CONCLUSIONSA high density nonwoven wheel containing 10 microndiamond particles was able to repeatedly produce apolished surface on D2 Tool Steel (2.13 µinch Ra) andTungsten Carbide (1.66 µinch Ra) and Non-Porous HighAlumina Ceramic (5.90 µinch Ra). The surface roughnessmeasurements for the Non- Porous High Alumina Ceramicpolished test areas are higher than expected for apolished surface (5.90 µinch Ra versus 1 – 2 µinch)however numerous pores were present and the surfaceroughness measurement technique used in this study didnot have the ability to distinguish between a pore and anabrasive scratch. It is very likely the pores haveinfluenced the measurements. Visually a polishedsurface was achieved on all three materials. Futurework will examine the ability polish Stainless Steel,High Carbon Steel, and High Purity Zirconia Ceramic. ■

IMAGE 3 IMAGE 4

PLOT 5

PLOT 4

PLOT 6

IMAGE 5

IMAGE 6

D2 Tool Steel Surface Refinement

Non-Porous High Purity Alumina CeramicSurface Refinement

Non-Porous High Purity Alumina CeramicSurface Refinement


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FinerPointsSUPERABRASIVE INDUSTRY REVIEW


Advanced Machine ToolConstruction, Dressable

Diamond Wheel Technology, and Processes for

Grinding of Carbide and HSS Micro-Threads

STIG MOWATT-LARSSEN, R&D Manager, Drake Manufacturing Services Co.MIKE HITCHINER, PhD. OEM Technology Manager, Saint Gobain Abrasives

INTRODUCTIONThe electronics industry for devicessuch as iPhones, iPods and other“smart” phones and tablets is aconsumer of literally billions of finepitch screws and demand is growingrapidly. Each of the holes for thesescrews has to be tapped. The tapmaterial is still dominated by highspeed steel (HSS) but a growingproportion is carbide. For thindevices, taps with 1-2 lead in threadsare required. Carbide forming tapsprovide more holes than traditionalHSS taps in this demandingapplication. Even at an end-userselling price of $50 per tap, theeconomic manufacture of these partshas been a challenge due to thedifficulty in holding root flats of20–50µm. It has been necessary todesign specialized grinding machinesand abrasive technology focused onovercoming the root cause of theproblem (no pun intended!)

TAP DESIGNA cutting or forming tap has quite anunder-rated complexity and is anintricate component to manufactureFig 1 and Fig 2. Lead, flank and taperangles must be maintained to withina few minutes while diameters androot depths must be maintainedwithin a few microns. The mostchallenging characteristic to hold intolerance for micro-thread grinding isthe root flat dimension. The root flatof taps is typically equivalent to thepitch (P) divided by 8 as shown inFig 3. Alternatively, the root can beground as a radius of P/10.

Micro threads range from about M8down to M0.5 with associated pitchvalues from 1 to 0.25mm andtherefore require root flat maximumwidths ranging from <125µm to<30µm or root radius ranging from <100µm to < 25µm.

T The dramatic increase in demand for personal electronic devices has created a growing need for the practical grinding of HSS and carbide micro-thread taps with pitch values of less than 0.5mm

and root flats less than 50µm. The innovative design of a tap grinderincorporating ultra stiff linear axes motion, low vibration components,high wheel speed capability and sub-micron positional accuracy providesa platform for the latest dressable metal hybrid diamond bondtechnology. Data is presented that confirm the ability to economicallygrind micro taps, including carbide, holding a root flat of 20–50µm usingon-line rotary diamond dressing without additional conditioning.


GRINDING TAPS OF LESSTHAN <0.5MM PITCHMulti-rib grinding, while highlyefficient for taps with pitches >0.5, isimpractical for fine pitch threads.Not only are crushers or rotarydiamond form rolls virtuallyimpossible to make for such fineroot flats, having multiple threadsengaged at one time can createunacceptable wheel pressure on thetool. Such high wheel pressuresresult in unpredictable part taper,run-out, and bending. Theselimitations leave single rib grinding– one thread form on the tip of thewheel – as the only practicalapproach. In single rib grinding, aCNC controlled rotary diamonddressing disc is used to contour asingle thread form on the wheel.Theoretically, an absolute sharpwheel tip can be contour dressed onthe wheel. Once the wheel is shaped,the three-axis CNC control is thenused to generate the thread on thetap. The Z-axis (along the linear axisof the tool) with the C-axis (rotationof the tool) generate the threadwhile the X-axis (radial wheel feedperpendicular to the tool axis) isused for contouring the lead in andthe radial relief. The A-axis (wheelset angle) can be a CNC or a manualsetup axis. Single rib grinding is farmore versatile than multi-ribgrinding as virtually any thread formcan be generated on the wheel anddoes not require a unique diamonddressing or crushing roll for eachthread form and pitch. In additionto versatility, single rib grindingallows for the grinding of smallerdiameter tools as the grinding

pressure is typically less than withmulti-rib grinding. This reducedpressure minimizes part taper issuesdue to deflection. These benefits docome at the cost of cycle time asmore grinding passes are typicallynecessary.

LIMITING FACTORS FORGRINDING SPEED – THE HSS CASEAll else being equal, fine pitchthread grinding typically requiresslower dress and grinding speedscompared to coarse pitches(>0.5mm). Traditional grindingpractice is that the average graindiameter in the grinding wheel mustbe less than 40% of the root/cornerradius desired in the part (a wheeltip of 0.4 x 0.125P = 0.05P) whencontour dressing. Crush or form rolldressing requires average grain sizesless than 25% of the desired radius.For pitches less than 0.5mm, thiswould requireaverage graindiameters less than0.025mm for 0.5Pand less than 0.013mm for 0.25P. Thesegrain diameters areroughly equivalentto 500 grit and 800grit wheels,respectively.Grinding withwheels of these gritsizes is impractical ifnot uneconomical.If thread grindingwheels in these gritswere available, thetool pressure and

lack of chip clearance space wouldlikely result in thermal damage tothe tool (grinder burn) as well asbending of the part. Grinding finepitch threads has thus been acompromise of using coarser wheels(280-320-400 grit) in resin bonds inan attempt to hold form. Theprocess is plagued by frequent wheeldressing, slow work speeds, andminimal depths of cut.

AN ALTERNATIVE TO FINEWHEEL GRITSBy using a dressing roll with a near-sharp corner radius (0.050mmradius) reinforced by CVD diamondinserts in combination with ultra-slow dresser traverse rates (85mm/min), it was found to bepossible to dress and grind a 20umroot flat using a conventional 60µm(220 grit) alox grain. Furtherexperimentation has resulted inholding a (30-40) µm root flat with180µm NQ (Quantum) abrasive (80grit). Thus, root flats were ground inparts that were actually smaller thanthe diameter of the individual grainsin the grinding wheel. The only wayconceivable that grains bigger thanthe form desired are able to cut thesmaller shape is that the grains arebeing cleaved by the dresser andeffectively shaped into individualradiused cutting tools. The Saint-Gobain NQ abrasive, being a new,tough grain with controlled fracturecharacteristics, has provedparticularly effective. Unavailability

FIGURE 1 – Tap Terminology

FIGURE 2 – Forming Tap Illustration (Emuge Catalogue 2013)


at a grain diameter <60um has todate prevented its use for the verytightest forms. Attention to what ishappening at the tip radius of thewheel is critical to success with smallroot radii. Additional tests withdifferent diamond dressing rollsdemonstrated that the minimumroot radius that could be generatedin the part (slightly wider than theradius on the wheel tip) was directlyrelated to the radii of the dress roll.Dressing with a roll corner radius of50µm resulted in a flat land of 20µm.Dressing with a roll corner radius of1.25mm resulted in a root radius of40–60µm. Dressing with essentially aflat roll (a chamfered roll corner atthe flank angle of the wheel) resultedin a root radius of 80–100µm. Theworking assumption for this processis that the contact pressure of the rollon the wheel increases with rollradius and that the wheel bond isyielding at a different wheel thicknessbased on the resultant dress pressuregenerated by the dresser tool nose.All results are presented for wheelspeeds of 35-45m/s.

MACHINE DESIGN DRAKEGS: TEM MINIRecognizing the criticality ofgenerating a narrow wheel tip andpreserving that tip throughout thegrind shaped the decisions made indesigning the microthread grinder.Since generating the tip/cornerradius on the wheel is highlysensitive to excessive forces, it wasassumed that the machine must beoptimized to prevent vibration,temperature variation and positionalerrors such that dressing andgrinding conditions – speeds anddepths – are consistent and constant.The design of the GS-TEM Mini 3-axis external thread grinderincorporating the following features:

● High mass, cast polymer base formaximum vibration damping andthermal stability

● Temperature-controlled slides andspindles for positionalrepeatability

● Ultra high stiffness componentsrelative to the grinding anddressing forces

● High resolution encoders andglass scales

● Wheel anddresser spindlesand rollsapproaching aG0.4 balance

● Automatic wheelbalancermounted in thespindle

● Acousticemissionsmonitoring forthe dresser touchsensing system

● Control ofcoolanttemperature anddelivery

● Minimal tailstock pressure toprevent bending/taper of smalldiameter parts

It is the authors belief that thesefeatures, in conjunction with axistuning techniques, results in theability to cleave the larger individualgrains without knocking them out ofthe bond matrix. In addition, therepeatability of the axes and spindleaxial positions enables the tip of thewheel to be placed on the part at the

same position on each grinding pass.

GRINDING CARBIDE TAPSCarbide taps present majorchallenges over HSS as the materialhardness requires grinding withdiamond versus Alox. Historicallycarbide taps would have beenground with resin bonded wheelsdressed off line and probably stickconditioned on the machine—sometimes multiple times per part.This approach presents problems

FIGURE 3 – Thread Detail

FIGURE 4 – Thread Grinding Strategies

FIGURE 5 – Good and Bad Examples of Tip Radius Dressing on Alox Wheels


from significant non-productive timeand the necessity for operatorintervention. Vitrified diamondbond wheels that have beenavailable and could be dressed onthe machine were largely ineffectivedue to tip fracturing in dressing (thefine tip breaking off during thedress) and dresser tip radius wear. Asopposed to the Alox or NQ wheelgrinding HSS, the individualdiamond grains in the wheel cannotbe effectively cleaved. As a result, thediamond grit size in the wheel mustconform to the rules mentionedabove for holding corner radii i.e. tohold a 40µm root flat requires aboutan 8µm diamond size. Grains of thissize are difficult to hold in a non-resin bond wheel yet cut freely. TheSGA solution was to develop a muchstronger bond than traditionalvitrified bonds that would havesufficient toughness to withstand thehigher forces encountered indressing superabrasives but still be

sufficiently brittle tobe dressed on themachine withstandard rotarydiamondtechnology. Incombination withan impregnatedmetal bonddiamond dresserroll design withcontrolled,predictable wear,consistent tip radiiin the (15 –18) µmrange were achievedrepeatedly. The

product used was Paradigm™.

EXPERIMENT PROCEDUREAll tests were carried out on a DrakeMini thread grinder in neat oilcoolant using 6-12µm diamond in aParadigm bond wheel dressed with ametal bond impregnated roll at awheel speed of 70m/s. The root flatland width was checked on tapsusing a shadowgraph with arepeatability of 3µm. A coupon ofthe wheel was ground after the dressto check tip diameter of the grindingwheel. A dressed wheel tip land flatequivalent of 20µm was observed.Grinding parameters investigatedwere wheel speed and Q’.

RESULTSTable 2 below sets forth the resultsof the grinding tests as differentwheel speeds, grinding depths, andwork speeds. As the feature beingground is a thread, the feed is adependent variable controlled by the

work speed and is equal to the pitchin each revolution of the tool. In afirst round of testing with grindingspeeds limited to ≤70m/s, thehighest speed yielded the greatestwheel life. At 70m/s G Ratio valuesof 40-100 and Q’ values of 0.36 to0.61 mm3 /mm/sec were achievedwhile still holding a M3 x 0.5 tap flatland tolerance within acceptablecycle time. The wheel was contourdressed every part with nomeasurable wear over the length ofthe limited test. In a second roundof tests the wheel speed wasincreased to 79m/s allowing atripling of grinding feed rates thusreducing the cycle time to grind atypical M3 x 0.5 tap from 6mins to 2mins at 3 taps/dress. Currentproduction rates in the field arebelieved to be about 9mins/tapdressing every tap. The test alsolooked to optimize dress times andmeasure dresser wear. A dresser wearcompensation value was estimated atonly 2% of dresser infeed.

Further tests are planned at speedsup to 120m/s using larger diameterwheels to overcome rpm limitationswith the automatic balancer

CONCLUSION ANDFURTHER WORKThe high stability, repeatability andstiffness of the Drake Mini thread -grinder has allowed new diamondwheel technology to be exploited togrind microthread taps in acceptableand not previously achievable cycletime. Increasing wheel speeds areexpected to further improve uponcycle time and wheel life. The

FIGURE 6 – CVD Disc Dresser with 50um Corner Radii

FIGURE 7 – Drake GS: TEM “Mini”External 3-Axis Thread Grinder

FIGURE 8 – Tap Mounted in Work Drive; and Example Showing Automation


process has already demonstratedthe ability to grind parts more than3x faster than current processes andwith 3x more parts/dress. It shouldbe noted that tests were also madewith 6-12µm CBN abrasive on HSSusing the same bond technology at70m/s but it was not possible toachieve good wheel life comparableto the much coarser, cleaved aluminagrit wheels mentioned above. Furthertests will be carried out at speeds upto 120m/s. However there is also thequestion as to whether there arepotential methods for cleaving largeCBN grains in the dress process.Walter recently reported successfullydressing 90µm CBN grain in a metalbond hybrid wheel and achieving acorner radius of 20µm by the use ofa high power ND-YAG pulsed laser.How practical this would be to applyin a tap shop or whether it would bemore productive than the currenttechnology is uncertain. ■

TABLE 1 – Experimental Data and Diamond Dresser Design

TABLE 2 – Experimental Results

Here today...But what about tomorrow? While hundreds of millions of Americans are enjoying thewonders of our national parks each year, the future of the very things they’re comingto see is at risk. For example, although the Mexican black bear population has beenslowly recovering at Big Bend National Park, their ongoing survival is threatened.

Americans for National Parks is a coalition working to preserve these nationaltreasures, and all the priceless experiences theyprovide. Find out how you can help at:www.americansfornationalparks.org.

1300 19th Street, N.W., Suite 300, Washington, D.C. 200361-800-NAT-PARK (628-7275) • A public service message.

Machine GSTEM-LM Mini Drake Tap GrinderSBS BalancerLinear Motor AxesGrinding Spindle – 5.6Kw, 10,000 rpm max.Dresser Spindle – 12,000 rpm max, 1KW

Coolant Oil, chileld 24C. Benzoil Coolant 15psi

Part M3 x 0.5 Tap. Carbide, 5mm o.d. Grind from Solid25mm Tap Length of Grind Available

Wheel Paradigm AD6/12MIC-D-160P270-3/4177.8 x 19.05 x 76.2 60 deg

Roll Impregnated 4.5 x 38.1 -250-118 D427M x 200RVr 3000 rpm 15m/sVs 70m/sdod 2.5umTraverse Rate 25mm/minVr/Vs 0.25


Industrial Diamond Association of America, Inc.

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONCompany _____________________________________________________ Address________________________________________________________________City ____________________________________________ State _______ Zip Code/Postal Code ______________ Country _________________________________Shipping Address (Can not ship to PO Box)__________________________________________________________________________________________________City ____________________________________________ State _______ Zip Code/Postal Code ______________ Country _________________________________Phone ________________________________________________________ Fax __________________________________________________________________E-mail ________________________________________________________ Web Site ______________________________________________________________Official Representative __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Others (Participating in IDA Activities) ______________________________________________________________________________________________________Principle Business Activity_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________Which applies to your company: _______ Corporation _______ Partnership _______ Sole ProprietorshipProvide names of principle officers or partners: _______________________________________________________________________________________________When was your company established? __________ List at least two business references which are current IDA REGULAR MEMBERS. REQUIRED for Consideration

How long has your company been engaged in ____ 1. _______________________________________________________________________________________superabrasive/ultra-hard material industry?_______ 2. _______________________________________________________________________________________

CHECK APPROPRIATE MEMBERSHIP

_______ Regular MembershipAny company and/or individual classified as a superabrasive/ultra-hard material supplier, tool maker, machine tool builderor related business which HAS an office and a local, state or province business license in the United States, Canada orMexico is eligible for membership in this category. Only one individual shall be designated by each member company asthe IDA Delegate with voting and other privileges described in the By-Laws.

(DUES CATEGORY)The dues category for Regular Members is determined by annual sales volume expressed in US $ as indicated below.Check to appropriate category:_____ Category 1 $2,750 per year Over $20,000,000 Annual Sales_____ Category 2 $2,090 per year $10,000,000 - $19,999,999 Annual Sales_____ Category 3 $1,850 per year $6,000,000 - $9,999,999 Annual Sales_____ Category 4 $1,450 per year Under $2,000,000 - $5,999,999 Annual Sales_____ Category 5 $1,095 per year Under $1,999,999 Annual Sales

______ International MembershipAny company and/or individual in the diamond and/or cBN business which DOES NOT have an office and a local, state orprovince business license in the United States, Canada or Mexico is eligible for membership in this category. AnInternational member shall have all the privileges of regular membership, except that he/she cannot vote at anymembership meetings, participate in statistical reporting for the North American market, hold proxies or serve in any office inIDA. Annual fee for International Member is $3990 per year.

_______ Associate MembershipAvailable for companies having a principal office in the U.S.A., Canada or Mexico, which are providing products orservices to companies within the superabrasive/ultra-hard material industry, but are not engaged in selling, using ordealing in industrial diamonds, cubic boron nitride, compacted diamond/cbn, diamond film or products containingdiamonds/cbn. An Associate member shall have all the privileges of regular membership, except that the Delegate cannotvote at any membership meetings, participate in statistical reporting for the North American market, hold proxies or serve inany office in IDA. Annual fee for an Associate is $600 per year.

_______ End User/Contractor MembershipAvailable for any global companies or individuals, which USE products classified as superabrasives or ultra-hard materials,but are NOT ENGAGED IN SELLING industrial diamonds, cubic boron nitride, compacted diamond/cbn, diamond film orproducts containing diamonds/cbn. An End User/Contractor member shall have all the privileges of regular membership,except that the Delegate cannot vote at any membership meetings, participate in statistical reporting for the North Americanmarket, hold proxies or serve in any office in IDA. Annual fee for an End User/Contractor is $400 per year.

_______ Academia/Research MembershipAny non-profit Academic institution or R & D organization is eligible for membership in this category. An Academia/Research/ member shall have all the privileges of regular membership, except that the Delegate cannot vote at anymembership meetings, participate in statistical reporting for the North American market, hold proxies or serve in any office inIDA. Annual fee for Academia/Research is $175 per year.

_______ Student MembershipAny FULL TIME Student NOT ENGAGED IN SELLING industrial diamonds, cubic boron nitride, compacted diamond/cbn,diamond film or products containing diamonds/cbn is eligible for membership in this category. A Student shall have all theprivileges of regular membership, except that he/she cannot vote at any membership meetings, participate in statisticalreporting for the North American market, hold proxies or serve in any office in IDA.Annual fee for a Student Membership is$100 per year.

_______ Senior MembershipAny individual who has worked for and/or retired from an IDA Member company or is no longer active in the diamond orCBN business is eligible for membership in this category. A senior member shall have all the privileges of regularmembership, except that he/she cannot vote at any membership meetings, participate in statistical reporting, hold proxies orserve in any office in IDA. Annual fee for a Senior is $75 per year.

Name of Delegate Member:___________________________________________________________________________________

Title: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________

E-Mail: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

* Applications for ALL Memberships are reviewed by the Board of Directors and must be approved by a two-thirds vote.

_______ Affiliate MembershipEach company that enrolls as an IDA Member is entitled to have a second person at that company designated an AffiliateMember. The first Affiliate member will receive IDA material at no further cost. Additional persons at Member companies canbe added as Affiliate Members to receive IDA materials. Annual fee for additional Affiliates is $100 per person. Name of 1stAffiliate Member (no charge):

Name of 1st Affiliate Member (no charge): ______________________________________________________________________

Name of 2nd Affiliate Member ($100): __________________________________________________________________________

Name of 3rd Affiliate Member ($100): __________________________________________________________________________

If your company wants more Affiliate Members, please attach additional sheets.

WHAT IS THE IDA?The Industrial Diamond Association ofAmerica, Inc. is a non-profit tradeassociation and was incorporated onMarch 29, 1946 in the State of New York.It is the oldest and most prestigiousassociation in the superabrasive/ultrahardmaterials industry. Activity and focus hasevolved from natural diamond tosuperabrasives and most recently, to allultrahard materials including CVDDiamond. Members include materialsuppliers, tool manufacturers, componentproducers, machine tool builders, endusers, academia/research affiliates andother companies related to the research,manufacture, application, use and sales ofsuperabrasives.

WHAT DOES THE IDA DO?◆ Oversees Statistics Reporting Program◆ Establishes Industry Standards◆ Interacts With Global Associations And Organizations◆ Creates And Distributes Market Studies & Data◆ Organizes And Presents Technical Seminars &

Conferences◆ Serves As A Government Liaison For Industry

Guidelines And Regulations◆ Participates As Member Of World Diamond Council◆ Provides Safety / Regulatory Reports And Advisement◆ Resource For General Information And Consultation

OTHER MEMBER SERVICES◆ PUBLISHES QUARTERLY MAGAZINE◆ HOLDS ANNUAL CONVENTIONS◆ HOSTS IDA WEBSITE WITH MEMBER FOCUS

AND DIRECTION◆ PROVIDES SPECIFIC ASSISTANCE ON

INDIVIDUAL MEMBER ISSUES◆ CREATES AND DISTRIBUTES PUBLICATIONS

ON PRODUCTS AND APPLICATIONS◆ ACTS AS A COLLECTIVE VOICE FOR

INDUSTRY CONCERNS

FAX completed membership form to 614-797-2264


We are not alone.

CHECKLISTof things to do...

■ ■ ■

FinerPointsSUPERABRASIVE INDUSTRY REVIEW

■■ Renew my subscription to FinerPoints magazine.

■■ Reserve my ad space in the nextFiner Points issue.

■■ Submit article for consideration infuture issue of Finer Points.

■■ Send Finer Points my businessnews, new products, new hires,promotions, industry news andother press release items.

■■ Send in my membershipapplication to the IDA.

■■ Refer a company to IDA forconsideration as a member.

■■ Visit the IDA Website at:www.superabrasives.org andsubmit a question or comment.

■■ Contact an IDA member forproducts or services.

There’s a wonderful world around us. Full of fascinatingplaces. Interesting people.Amazing cultures. Importantchallenges. But sadly, our kids are not getting the chance tolearn about their world.When surveys show that half ofAmerica’s youth cannot locate India or Iraq on a map, thenwe have to wonder what they do know about their world.

That’s why we created MyWonderfulWorld.org. It’s part ofa free National Geographic-led campaign to give your kidsthe power of global knowledge. Go there today and help them succeed tomorrow.Start with our free parent and teacher action kits.And let your kids begin the adventure of a lifetime.

It’s a wonderful world. Explore!

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