New Meister HPB Technology

Changes Grinding Economics

NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI-- After several years of research and development, Meister Abrasives has introduced new HPB (High Performance Bonding) technology capable of making vitrified CBN grinding wheels that can decrease grinding cycles by up to 25% and improve wheel life by up to 100%. This technology is fully commercial and grinding wheels manufactured by this process are available from Meister Abrasives USA.

According to Bruce Northrup, General Manager of Meister Abrasives USA, the new HPB technology, which was available on a limited basis in 2006, is now applicable to the Company's full product line. These products include internal and external CBN wheels from diameter Ø1mm to Ø700mm and lapping plates up to Ø1200mm. They are manufactured to customer specifications in the United States.

HPB technology represents a major advance in this approach. It involves both a new bonding material chemistry and modified manufacturing processes. The result is a stronger bond that wets completely to fully envelope each abrasive crystal. Because the bond is so strong, less bonding material may be used to create more porosity in the wheel for faster, cooler cutting. Conversely, using conventional amounts of bonding material results in super-longevity wheels that do not sacrifice manufacturing cycles

In addition to improving the bond strength and porosity, Meister has also developed curing cycles that enhance the properties of the CBN abrasive crystals themselves. The HPB process results in CBN crystals that fracture more readily to stay sharper. This helps shorten cutting cycles and improve surface quality.

Northrup said, 'Meister's standard vitrified wheels are consistently rated as good as or better than competitive products in on-site customer trials. I think this new technology will prove to be twice as costeffective as our standard product and two to four times more cost effective than competitive products we have been matched up against in the past.'

Meister routinely provides samples for prototyping and product benchmarking (field trial) assistance on a short-term basis.