The abrasive wheel brings thousands of miniature cutting tools (abrasive grains) into contact with the work-piece, in rapid succession, as the wheel spins. These grains are harder than the metal alloys being cut, and each individual grain removes a small chip of metal as it comes in contact with the workpiece repeatedly, at high speed. This results in the rapid cutting of the material.

The design and manufacture of high quality cut-off wheels requires a knowledgeable integration of key components:

ABRASIVES - Several kinds of abrasives are commonly used; Aluminum Oxide, Silicon Carbide, and Zirconia - Aluminum Oxide; all designed with variations in size and structure, to significantly affect the specific cutting or grinding application.

BOND - The bonding system holds the abrasives together in the wheel shape. Consisting of resins & fillers, it allows the wheel to wear away at a specific rate, to achieve the required cutting action. Wheels with tenacious bonds are called “hard”; those that break down more rapidly are considered “soft”. Resinoid bonding systems are used for dry-cutting of most materials. Rubber-Resin bonding systems are used for most wet-cutting applications.

STRUCTURE - To provide space for the abrasive grain - bond matrix, the wheel must be constructed with the proper number, size and distribution of minute “spaces” in the structure. Structures with more spaces are considered “open”, those with fewer spaces are considered “closed”.

REINFORCEMENT - For added strength, a woven fabric of long strand fiberglass, impregnated with phenolic resins, is molded into the wheel during the manufacturing process. The strand size, weave and strength is determined by the requirements of the cutting job, and is engineered to meet the stresses of the application.