How to Reduce Your Grinding Costs:

Introduction

In the manufacturing industry, the cost of abrasives and cutting tools usually represents a small portion—about 3%—of the overall budget. However, focusing solely on the cost of these tools can lead to missed opportunities for significant savings. The real cost savings lie in the productivity and efficiency of the grinding wheels used. At Eagle Superabrasives, we emphasize creating high-performance wheels that boost your production capabilities, leading to substantial reductions in overall costs.

In this post, we’ll break down how optimizing your grinding wheel selection can lead to significant savings and why increasing stock removal rates and productivity is far more beneficial than simply focusing on the wheel’s price or longevity.

The Impact of Abrasives on Manufacturing Costs

While abrasives and cutting tools might seem like a minor expense, their efficiency can greatly impact overall manufacturing costs. Let’s look at an analysis of one of our customer’s annual costs to illustrate this point:

• Decreasing Price of Abrasives: A 30% discount on the wheel reduced the cost per part by less than 1%.
• Increasing the Life of Abrasives: A 50% increase in wheel life also reduced the cost per part by less than 1%.
• Increasing Overall Productivity: An 18% decrease in cycle time per part reduced the total cost per part by more than 14%.

These figures clearly show that focusing on enhancing productivity through better-performing grinding wheels can lead to significant cost reductions.

Key Points

1. Prioritizing Productivity Over Cost

• Higher Stock Removal Rates:
• Grinding wheels that remove more material per pass can significantly reduce cycle times.
• Increased stock removal rates lead to higher throughput and more parts produced per hour.
• Enhanced Production Ability:
• Investing in wheels designed for high performance boosts overall manufacturing efficiency.
• Greater productivity translates into more tools produced and greater profit margins.

2. Real Cost Savings Through Efficiency

• Cost Per Part:
• Small reductions in abrasive costs or marginal increases in wheel life yield minimal savings.
• Significant cost reductions are achieved by decreasing cycle times and increasing the number of parts produced.
• Example Analysis:
• A 30% discount on the wheel price or a 50% increase in wheel life reduces costs per part by less than 1%.
• Conversely, an 18% decrease in cycle time per part results in over a 14% reduction in total cost per part.

How to Choose High-Performance Grinding Wheels

1. Focus on Productivity Gains:
   1. Select wheels that are designed to enhance stock removal rates and reduce cycle times.
   2. Look for wheels that improve throughput and production efficiency.
2. Consider Custom Wheels:
   1. Custom wheels tailored to your specific application can maximize productivity.
   2. At Eagle Superabrasives, we offer custom-designed CBN, CDX, and Diamond wheels to meet your unique needs.
3. Evaluate Wheel Bonds:
   1. Our proprietary wheel bonds, developed in-house, allow for higher feed rates and maintain good surface finishes.
   2. Choose wheels with bonds designed for performance and durability.

Tips/Best Practices

• Regular Wheel Maintenance: Keep your grinding wheels in optimal condition to maintain their performance.
• Coolant Maintenance: If using coolant make sure it is filtered and maintained on a schedule
• Proper Usage: Follow manufacturer guidelines for wheel speed, feed rate, and coolant application. If you are unsure, call us and an application engineer will assist to make sure the wheel is running efficiently.
• Periodic wheel reviews: Don't assume the technology from 5 years ago is still the best available. Allow your wheel manufacturer to review the bond and see if there is a better option
• Continuous Improvement: Regularly assess and optimize your grinding processes to ensure maximum efficiency.

Maximizing productivity through high-performance grinding wheels is the key to reducing manufacturing costs. By focusing on wheels that enhance stock removal rates and reduce cycle times, you can achieve significant cost savings and improve overall profitability. At Eagle Superabrasives, we are dedicated to providing custom wheels designed for superior performance and efficiency.