•
Softer bond segments will be required in order to
encourage segment wear (as there will be not slurry to
help diamond segments to wear).
•
Scratches from diamond grit will not be as deep
compared to if it were also used for wet grinding.
•
There will be more heat generated by the diamond
segment.
Summary of diamond principles
Diamond segments need to wear in order to achieve
productivity. Diamond segment wear can be influenced by
the following factors:
•
Pressure.
•
Hardness of bond.
•
Diamond grit size.
•
Presence of water.
•
Number of segments under the machine.
•
Adding an additional abrasive (e.g. sand, silicone
carbide) on the floor will increase wear.
Generally, the faster a diamond segment wears, the faster
the productivity will be. By varying the above factors,
changes can also be made to effect the following:
•
Scratch pattern.
•
Current draw of machine.
•
Flatness of floor (see next section).
•
Ease of operation.
Full and half sets of diamonds
General
The way diamond segments are set-up on the grinding
heads of the machine will also greatly influence the
performance of the machine, the productivity levels and
also the finished floor quality.
There are basically two types of diamond configurations
that can be used when using the grinder:
•
Half set of diamonds – when there are diamonds
placed at three alternating positions on the diamond
holder discs.
12 – English
GRINDING GUIDE
•
Full set of diamonds – when there are diamonds
placed at each of the six positions on the diamond
holder discs.
By changing the way the diamonds are set-up on the
diamond holder discs, an operator can significantly effect
the performance of the machine and therefore, the
finished product.
Half-set of diamonds
When the diamonds are set-up as a half-set, they tend to
follow the surface of the floor. Similar to a tripod for a
camera, which can be placed on an uneven surface and
yet still find a stable footing.
The half-set diamond configuration should only be used
when a flat floor finish is not required.
Full-set of diamonds
When the diamonds are set-up as a full-set, they tend not
to follow the surface of the floor. If the floor has
undulations, the machine will grind the high areas yet
miss the low spots.
The full-set diamond configuration should be used when
a flat floor finish is desired.
The below table gives some examples of possible
applications for the two arrangements:
Applications
Ceramic tile adhesive removal
Carpet glue removal
Epoxy paint removal
Vinyl adhesive removal
Rain damaged concrete
Smoothen exposed aggregate
Lippage removal between
cementatious based tiles.
Surface polishing of concrete
floors
Grinding to expose aggregate in
concrete polishing application
Flatten undulations in concrete
floors
Re-polish floors that have been
ground before
Full set Half set
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X