Originally Posted by
tr4252
Gentlemen,
I use an old Hammond 5 hp belt grinder for surface finishing (graining) parts from our CNC dept. The machine takes 6" x 60" belts, and I'm using grit sizes between 80 and 240. We use Qualichem 251C coolant in this machine; a synthetic of about 90% water.
This machine or maybe, more likely, the belts we use, is/are giving me some problems I hope someone here can help me with. First, the belts won't track very well. I have to constantly readjust while I'm running it to keep the belt near the center of the platen. The machine has no automatic tracking mechanism. I've noticed that this condition varies a lot depending which belts I'm using.
Worse yet, the belt edges curl, sometimes as much as 3/4" or so from the edges, and that severely limits the amount of belt width we can use. Tensioning of the belt is done by means of an air cylinder, with an air regulator being the mode of pressure adjustment.
I'm of the opinion that there are quality belts out there, which can run with coolant, run flat, and that will track straight. Purchasing here gets me generic looking aluminum oxide and silicon carbide belts, likely based on the best price. They would get me whatever I ask for, if I just knew what to request. Can someone here advise me what abrasive belts would probably work best in this situation? I'm hoping to avoid a process of trial and error if I can. Local suppliers seem to be of little help.
Sincerest thanks,
Tom