BIZOMAT MAKEOS · Manufacturing
Grinding Wheel Speed and Removal Rate
Is this wheel running within its marked maximum speed, and what removal rate does the grind give?
Wheel peripheral speed against the maximum operating speed marked on the wheel, maximum safe spindle speed, speed ratio, and specific and total material removal rate.
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How this tool works
Inputs, units and where to find them
| Input | Unit | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Wheel diameter | mm | Actual wheel diameter (new or current dressed size). |
| Spindle speed | rpm | Spindle speed from the machine plate or a tachometer. |
| Maximum operating speed marked on wheel | m/s | Maximum operating speed printed on the wheel or its blotter; never exceed it. |
| Work (table or surface) speed | m/min | Speed of the work surface past the wheel. |
| Depth of cut per pass | mm | Infeed (depth) per pass. |
| Width of cut | mm | Width of the ground area per pass. |
What each input means
Open an input to see what it is, its units, the worked example and the common mistakes, with a small diagram.
What this means: Wheel diameter
- What it is
- The outside diameter of the grinding wheel as mounted now: the new size, or the smaller size after dressing and wear.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in mm: millimetres. The form accepts 0.000001 mm to 5000 mm. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 300 mm as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- A larger wheel raises peripheral speed at the same rpm and lowers the maximum safe rpm.
- Get it right
- Check the speed with the largest diameter that will run on the spindle, normally a new wheel.
What this means: Spindle speed
- What it is
- The rotational speed of the grinding spindle, from the machine plate or measured with a tachometer.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in rpm: revolutions per minute. The form accepts 0.000001 rpm to 1000000 rpm. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 2000 rpm as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Peripheral speed rises in direct proportion.
- Get it right
- Measure the speed if the drive has been changed; never assume it from the motor plate alone.
What this means: Maximum operating speed marked on wheel
- What it is
- The maximum operating speed printed on the wheel, its label or blotter by the wheel maker. The wheel must never run faster than this.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in m/s: metres per second. The form accepts 0.000001 m/s to 500 m/s. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 35 m/s as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Only sets the pass or fail line and the maximum spindle speed.
- Get it right
- Read the marking on the actual wheel; do not use a value for a similar wheel.
What this means: Work (table or surface) speed
- What it is
- The speed at which the work surface moves past the wheel: table traverse speed in surface grinding or work surface speed in cylindrical grinding.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in m/min: metres per minute. The form accepts 0.000001 m/min to 10000 m/min. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 15 m/min as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Removal rate rises in direct proportion; the speed ratio falls.
- Get it right
- Enter metres per minute; the wheel speed is in metres per second.
What this means: Depth of cut per pass
- What it is
- The infeed of the wheel into the work for each pass, set on the downfeed or cross-feed handwheel or in the program.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in mm: millimetres. The form accepts 0.000001 mm to 100 mm. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 0.02 mm as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Removal rate rises in direct proportion.
- Get it right
- Grinding infeeds are small; check you have entered millimetres, not micrometres.
What this means: Width of cut
- What it is
- The width of the ground band that the wheel removes in each pass, measured across the direction of work travel.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in mm: millimetres. The form accepts 0.000001 mm to 5000 mm. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 20 mm as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Total removal rate rises in direct proportion; specific removal rate does not change.
- Get it right
- Use the width actually in contact, which may be less than the wheel width.
Method and formulas
- Wheel speed vs = π D n ÷ 60 000 (m/s); maximum spindle speed = vmax × 60 000 ÷ (π D).
- Speed ratio q = vs ÷ vw (both in m/s).
- Specific removal rate Q′ = ae × vw (mm³/mm/s, with vw in mm/s); total Q = Q′ × b.
- Example: a 300 mm wheel at 2000 rpm runs at 31.416 m/s against 35 m/s marked.
Limitations
- The marked maximum operating speed is a hard safety limit; machine guarding and mounting must also comply with the wheel standard.
- Removal rate assumes the full depth is removed (no wheel deflection or wear).
- Example values are illustrations. Replace them with values for your actual task.
Typical uses
- Check a wheel and spindle speed combination before mounting
- Set work speed for a speed ratio
- Compare grinding removal rates
Who it is for
- Grinding machinists
- Manufacturing engineers
- Safety officers
What you get
- Wheel peripheral speed
- Maximum spindle speed for this wheel
- Speed ratio
- Specific and total removal rate
Interpreting the result
- If the spindle speed exceeds the wheel’s maximum, do not run it: change the wheel or the speed.
References
- Machinery’s Handbook, 29th edition (Industrial Press, 2012), printed pp. 1199–1268, 1246–1250. Topic reference; no source tables or recommended settings are reproduced.
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