In Steel Mills (Including Steel Production And Subsequent Further Steel Processing), Diamond And CBN (Cubic Boron Nitride) Grinding Wheels, Due To Their Ultra-Hard Properties And High Cost, Have Very Specific And Critical Applications. They Are Primarily Used For Ultra-Hard Materials That Traditional Grinding Wheels (Such As Corundum) Cannot Efficiently And Economically Process.
Simply Put, The Selection Principle Follows:
CBN (Cubic Boron Nitride) Grinding Wheels: Primarily Used For Grinding Hard Surfaces Of Ferrous Materials (E.G., Various Steels), Such As Hardened Steel, High-Speed Steel, And Mold Steel.
Diamond Grinding Wheels: Primarily Used For Grinding Non-Ferrous Metals And Hard And Brittle Non-Metallic Materials. In Steel Mill Environments, They Specifically Refer To Carbide (Tungsten Steel) Tools.
The Following Are Specific Scenarios In Which These Two Types Of Superhard Grinding Wheels Are Needed In Steel Mills:
1. Applications Of CBN (Cubic Boron Nitride) Grinding Wheels
CBN’S Hardness Is Second Only To Diamond, But Its Key Advantages Lie In Its High Thermal Stability (Reaching Temperatures Exceeding 1400°C) And Chemical Inertness Toward Iron-Based Materials. This Means That When Grinding Hot Steel, CBN Does Not Chemically React With The Steel, Causing Rapid Wear, As Diamond Does. Therefore, It Is An Ideal Choice For Grinding Hardened Steel.
1. Roll Grinding And Repair
This Is The Largest And Most Critical Application For CBN Grinding Wheels In Steel Mills.
Processing Objects: Work And Backup Rolls In Cold And Hot Rolling Mills. These Rolls Are Typically Made Of High-Chromium Steel, High-Speed Steel (HSS), Or Tungsten Carbide Composites. After Quenching, They Achieve Extremely High Hardness (HRC 60 And Above) And Wear Resistance.
Why Use CBN:
(1). Traditional Corundum Grinding Wheels Wear Very Quickly When Grinding These Large, High-Hardness Rolls, Making Dimensional Accuracy Difficult To Maintain And Reducing Processing Efficiency.
(2). CBN Grinding Wheels Wear Very Slowly, Maintaining Roll Profile Accuracy For Extended Periods, Ensuring Uniform Thickness And Excellent Surface Quality Of Rolled Plates.
(3). They Offer Extremely High Grinding Efficiency, Enabling High-Speed, Deep-Cut Grinding, Significantly Reducing Downtime For Roll Changes And Improving Line Availability.
Equipment: Large, High-Rigidity, Specialized Roll Grinders.
2. High-End Tool Sharpening
Processing Objects: High-Speed Steel (HSS) Tools, Gear Hobs, And High-Strength Alloy Steel Tools Used Or Produced By The Steel Mill Itself.
Why Use CBN: They Produce Exceptionally Sharp, High-Quality Cutting Edges, Extend The Wheel Life, And Avoid The Downtime Associated With Frequent Dressing And Replacement Of Traditional Grinding Wheels.
3. Precision Grinding Of High-Hardness Mechanical Parts
Processing Targets: Critical, High-Hardness, And High-Wear-Resistant Parts In Steel Mill Equipment That Have Undergone Carburizing And Quenching Treatments, Such As High-Performance Gears, Bearings, Guide Rails, And Spindles.
Why Use CBN: Used In The Final Finishing Process, It Can Achieve Extremely High Dimensional Accuracy (μM Level), Geometric Precision, And Excellent Surface Roughness (Ra Values Can Be Very Low).
II. Applications Of Diamond Grinding Wheels
Diamond Is The Hardest Substance In Nature, But At High Temperatures It Reacts Chemically With Iron (Fe) To Form Iron Carbide, Causing It To Wear Very Quickly. Therefore, It Is Not Suitable For Grinding Ordinary Steel. In Steel Mills, Its Applications Are Mainly In:
1. Grinding Of Carbide (Tungsten Carbide) Tools
This Is The Core Application Of Diamond Grinding Wheels In Steel Mills.
Processing Targets:
(1). “Flying Shear” Blades On Rolling Mills: Used For High-Speed Shearing Of Hot Steel Billets, They Require Extremely High Hardness And Wear Resistance.
(2). Straightening Blades For Continuous Casting Lines.
(3). Shearing Blades For Various Sheet Materials.
(4). These Blades Are All Made Of Cemented Carbide (Commonly Known As Tungsten Carbide).
Why Diamond: Diamond Is The Only Abrasive That Can Efficiently Grind Superhard Materials Like Tungsten Carbide (WC). Diamond Grinding Wheels Are Essential For Both Sharpening And Repairing.
Equipment: Tool Grinders, Specialized Blade Grinders.
2. Processing Of Other Non-Metallic Hard And Brittle Materials
Processing Objects: Ceramic Guide Wheels And Graphite Parts That May Be Used In Some Equipment In Steel Mills.
Why Diamond: These Materials Can Only Be Efficiently And Precisely Ground With Diamond.
| Summary comparison table | ||
| characteristic | CBN (Cubic Boron Nitride) Grinding Wheel | Diamond Grinding Wheel |
| Best materials for processing | Hardened steel, high-speed steel, die steel, cast iron, and other iron-based materials | Hard alloy (tungsten steel), ceramics, glass, graphite, and other hard and brittle non-ferrous materials |
| Core applications in steel mills | 1. Roller grinding (primarily) | Grinding carbide blades (such as flying shears, straightening, and shear blades) |
| 2. High-hardness tool sharpening | ||
| 3. High-hardness precision part grinding | ||
| Prohibited materials | Carbide and non-metallic hard and brittle materials | Ordinary steel and hardened steel (will undergo chemical reactions and rapid wear) |
| Cost | Very high | Very High |
| Reasons for selection | Wear resistance, excellent topography retention, high machining accuracy, and high efficiency | The only tool that can efficiently process carbide |
In The Specific Environment Of A Steel Mill, CBN Grinding Wheels Are Used Far More Frequently Than Diamond Grinding Wheels Because They Are Directly Related To The Maintenance And Production Efficiency Of Core Equipment Such As Rolls. Diamond Grinding Wheels, On The Other Hand, Are Specifically Designed To Ensure The Sharpness Of High-Performance Shearing Tools. Both Have Clear Divisions Of Labor And Are Indispensable Advanced Grinding Tools In Modern, Efficient, And Precision Steel Production Systems.
