Abrasive machining update. (Presstime Notes).

The Market

Overall demand for abrasive products will reach $5.8 billion by 2004 in a 4 percent per annum growth, according to Abrasives Products and Markets, a new report released by the Freedonia Group, Cleveland, OH. Growth in aerospace and electronic markets will lead demand in manufacturing where growth is predicted to be a modest 3.8% per annum. Among product groups, loose abrasives will have the largest volume of sales, followed by bonded abrasives where volume will be restrained by developments of products with longer lives. Consumers are expected to buy more products with higher value-added features such as sol gel abrasives. The report projects that coated abrasives will be constrained by slow production of durable goods. The 268-page reports is available for $3,500 from Freedonia Group 440.684.9600.

Trends

Grinding continues to hold on to third place among the most popular machining methods according to Machining Tech Trends 2000, a members-only publication of the Machining Technology Association. Although hard turning has replaced many grinding applications, grinding continues strong due to advances in bond technologies and applications of superabrasives. Also important are the increasing availability of low cost CNC machines that extend accuracy and capabilities to inexpensive surface grinders. Also contributing are high quality, high-speed spindles that make it possible to include grinding wheels and brushes among tools in new multi-functional machine tools. Such integration of abrasives is significant when coupled with trends in the use of machining centers, which are expected to grow to 150 percent of current levels by 2005.

Several machining trends indirectly affect grinding technologies. Increased high speed machining brings related demands for highly balanced cutting tools, which is changing the tool regrinding industry. Increasingly regrind shops need 5-, 6- and 8-axis CNC grinders to ensure the balance on tools for high speed applications. Studies in minimum quantity lubrication are leading companies to switch from water-based coolants to oils, which have better lubrication when applied as a mist.

Developments to reduce chatter in milling and other types of machining will benefit grinding at different levels. At one level, grinding machines could use new microphones that identify when chatter is occurring. At another level, developments in cutting tools, which have edges of varying helix and axial rake angles to prevent the onset of chatter, will create new markets for CNC controlled machines that could grind such complex cutter structures. Similarly, a trend to add replaceable carbide tips on drills and cutting tools may open opportunities for machines and products used for grinding those inserts.

Grinding technology has and will continue to benefit from the rapid growth in micromachining, a market that grew in the last two decades from $480 million to $17 billion responding to demands for micro sensors, micro motors, and various optical and computer components. Unfortunately the makers of grinders are part of a shrinking industry due to proliferation of low cost CNC surface grinding machines and increased use of brushes, wheels and other abrasive products in machining centers, a market expected to expand 150 percent by 2005 while traditional milling machine shrinks by about 10 percent.