CBN stands for cubic boron nitride. This is a highly abrasive compound that offers hardness very similar to what a diamond can deliver. Not only that, but you can work with ferrous compounds, which is not the case for a diamond. With that being said, you can also do cool cutting too. The diamond here is comprised out of pure carbon, and it’s created using high pressure and heat. When the diamond grinds hardened steel, it basically delivers a chemical reaction, generates graphite and loses strength.

That’s why you want to use a dedicated CBN wheel, because it doesn’t have carbon atoms. It’s made using nitride and boron, also using heat and pressure. These compounds can deliver high temperatures, but since CBN offers great thermal conductivity it can stay cool without dealing with any issues like losing heat.

Because of that, a CBN wheel can be highly efficient for grinding, and it certainly gets the job done in a very good manner. With that being said, you can use a CBN wheel for nickel alloys, high speed steels, tool steels, stellite and machining any kind of hardened steel.

• Excessive heat weakens the bond between the nickel plating and the diamond particles, causing the abrasive grit to fall off prematurely and significantly reducing tool life.

• Overheating can cause oxidation or thermal damage to the electroplated layer, leading to blackening, discoloration, or surface brittleness. This negatively affects tool durability and consistency.

• In precision machining, high heat can burn the surface of the part, increase roughness, or even cause warping or dimensional inaccuracies.

• The metal body of the tool may expand or deform slightly under extreme heat, resulting in loss of precision during grinding or filing.

• Users might think the tool is defective when in fact the issue stems from improper use—such as dry grinding, excessive pressure, or prolonged operation without cooling.

As the name suggests, this is a wheel that harnesses the power of diamonds to sharpen or grind a variety of materials. This can be very good if you want to work with things like non ferrous metals, ceramics, glass, carbide, ferrite and many others. The main reason why you want to use a diamond wheel is because it delivers a very good hardness. The quality is incredible and you will appreciate the great value and experience presented here. On top of that, you have other features like thermal conductivity.

Why is this important? Thanks to the thermal conductivity, the crystal is able to transfer heat from the cutting edge of the wheel and, as needed, it can dissipate the energy properly. You can use these for graphite, sapphire glass, hard faced alloys and carbides, among many other categories.

• Use intermittent grinding instead of continuous heavy-duty grinding
• Apply coolant or water when possible (wet grinding) to reduce heat buildup
• Maintain appropriate rotational speed and pressure during use
• Avoid overloading worn tools—replace them when needed
• For high-heat applications, consider tools with more heat-resistant bonds or designs

In order to dress a grinding wheel, you must identify what diamond dresser suits your needs. You can use other diamond products, but the idea here is to ensure the product can offer those expected results. With that being said, the idea is to re-balance the wheel so it has a concentric shape, while also removing any abrasive particle buildup or any metal bits. Of course, you can also dress a grinding wheel so you can make it better and easier to use.

Speaking of that, you want to ensure that you find the best diamond dresser that has a finer grit when compared to the grinding wheel. The appropriate shape of the diamond dresser also matters, since it needs to coincide with your grinding wheel. Otherwise, this will not work very well.

What you want to do now is to apply your diamond dresser to the abrasive section of the wheel. You want to use light, even medium pressure at most. Make sure that you continue applying pressure until the wheel is not rotating anymore, as that can become a major challenge.

You want to continue repeating this until the grind seems to pull the diamond dresser away. That shows the grinding wheel is ready to use and the process is finished. You may need to repeat this multiple times. It usually depends on the surface condition of your grinding wheel. Since no two grinding wheels will be the same, you just have to adapt and adjust accordingly. A little experimentation won’t hurt.

In order to dress a grinding wheel, you must identify what diamond dresser suits your needs. You can use other diamond products, but the idea here is to ensure the product can offer those expected results. With that being said, the idea is to re-balance the wheel so it has a concentric shape, while also removing any abrasive particle buildup or any metal bits. Of course, you can also dress a grinding wheel so you can make it better and easier to use.

Speaking of that, you want to ensure that you find the best diamond dresser that has a finer grit when compared to the grinding wheel. The appropriate shape of the diamond dresser also matters, since it needs to coincide with your grinding wheel. Otherwise, this will not work very well.

What you want to do now is to apply your diamond dresser to the abrasive section of the wheel. You want to use light, even medium pressure at most. Make sure that you continue applying pressure until the wheel is not rotating anymore, as that can become a major challenge.

You want to continue repeating this until the grind seems to pull the diamond dresser away. That shows the grinding wheel is ready to use and the process is finished. You may need to repeat this multiple times. It usually depends on the surface condition of your grinding wheel. Since no two grinding wheels will be the same, you just have to adapt and adjust accordingly. A little experimentation won’t hurt.