Since the beginning of time, man found value in utilising various materials to produce products related to self-sustainability. These materials evolved over time as technology and expertise increased, right from the humble beginnings of the copper age to the current highly sophisticated alloy age. As technology and manufacturing methods advanced, iron and iron tools became cheaper and stronger than their bronze counterparts, with further advancement that led to super-alloys being lighter and stronger than ever before.
Casting is one of the oldest forms of metal manufacturing since the Bronze Age, and still very prevalent today. It involves melting and pouring of metals into molds in usable forms and shapes. Similarly metal fabrication has not changed much over the years although it has become much more efficient.
When casting metal the process leaves residue risers which need to be removed. Abrasive cutting discs that will not contaminate the casting, or riser, are the best option for this application. With more fabricating applications requiring specialised alloys, abrasive manufacturers have had to develop more advanced abrasive products to deal with these special steels. Grinding Techniques manufactures various abrasive products locally for the metal industry, be it for primary or secondary metal manufacturing.
High chrome castings are susceptible to heat damage from grinding. A great example of a specialised abrasive solution for these heat sensitive metals is the Superflex Ceramic angle grinding discs, designed to remove material and provide a cool grinding application to ensure reduced heat build-up in order to avoid micro-cracking in castings.
Another metal manufacturing process is by forming heated metal into desired shapes using forced compression, typically referred to as forging. This process is still widely used in black- and bladesmithing, as well as artistic fields, as well as the industrial fabrication of tools and parts, like the manufacturing of blades and knives. Layers of metals are hot forged to create patterned, or “Damascus” type steel. With this process, contamination is the major risk in a forge weld. Superflex coated abrasive sanding belts are designed to grind metals, while removing surface contaminants, like mill scale and oxidation, thereby eliminating this risk. A second type of forging is die forging where heated metal is pressed into a die to form the shape. Superflex mounted points and Hi-Glo polishing points are designed to give the optimal ground surface finish on these dies.
Read more: Grinding Techniques – Your premium metal fabrication partner
