Disc grinders are tools used to remove material from metal with a rotating abrasive disc. Portable and stationary versions are available, with different types of discs for grinding, cutting, and polishing. They are commonly used in auto and home repair shops, industrial settings, and for metal sculpting. Weld sanding and cutting are popular applications. Bench and floor versions are available for larger workpieces, and double disc grinders are used in automobile part production.
A disc grinder is a tool primarily used to remove material from a piece of metal with a rotating abrasive disc. Portable and handheld disc grinders are commonly found in auto repair shops and home repair shops, as well as industrial settings. Bench disc grinders are available for home stores and larger floor disc grinders, and dual disc grinders are part of a group of machines called floor grinders.
A portable disc grinder, also called an angle grinder, uses an abrasive disc generally no larger than seven inches (17.78 cm), although some can accommodate discs up to 12 inches (30.38 cm). Different types of discs are produced for disc grinders, making them extremely versatile. The same tool can be used for grinding, cutting and polishing, making it useful not only in shop and industrial applications but also for rescue work. Another application for portable disc grinders is metal sculpting; most artists making large metal sculptures routinely employ disc wheels.
One of the most popular applications for a portable disc grinder is weld sanding. When two pieces of metal are welded together, the joint is characterized by a raised, bumpy section of dried molten metal, which must be sanded smooth for aesthetics. The operator presses the face of the spinning disc against the metal surface and grinds off the excess metal and smoothes it out in the same manner as a disc sander. A welded joint that has been smoothed with a grinding wheel is often painted.
A portable disc grinder can be used as a cutting tool when a cutting disc is attached. These are relatively thin and very hard abrasive discs, often with diamond chips incorporated into the design. When using a cut disc, the edge of the disc, not the face, is pressed into the workpiece. When used for cutting, a disc grinder can cut through sheet metal quickly, hence its usefulness in rescue work.
Stationery, bench disc grinders are manufactured for home shops and small industrial applications. A bench disc grinder is usually configured to accept an abrasive or abrasive disc up to 12 inches (30.48 cm). This disc rotates vertically, perpendicular to the floor, and the workpiece is pressed against the rotating disc. These tools aren’t commonly found in home stores, however, because they’re too specialized and in most cases, other tools can get the job done easily.
Disc grinders are also available in large, heavy freestanding versions for grinding and polishing larger workpieces as well as for grinding and polishing tools and other metal parts. The workpieces are held in a clamping device called a chuck, which holds the workpieces together magnetically or by the use of a vacuum and feeds them into the grinding area. Another independent form is the double disc grinder, it is capable of working to extremely tight tolerances, using twin grinding surfaces to grind opposing surfaces of a workpiece. Double disc grinders are widely used in the production of automobile parts.
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