Glass Edge Grinding Wheels
What This Process Needs To Solve
Architectural glass is finished at the edge, and the edge is where a wheel either earns the order or loses it. A metal bond wheel that cuts too freely chips the arris on laminated stock; one that cuts too slowly drags and leaves a grey haze no polishing head will take out. The difference between the two is usually grit grade and top cut, not the machine.
We supply grit from 80# to 320# for metal bond edge wheels and 180# to 700# for resin bond cup and bowl wheels, uncoated or with nickel and titanium coating.
Why the top cut decides whether the edge chips
Glass has no plastic zone. Unlike steel it does not deform before it breaks, so a single oversize particle above the D90 does not scratch the edge — it starts a crack. That is why edge grinding is specified on the top cut rather than on the average size, and why a batch that measures correctly on D50 can still chip. On this application we control the oversize end and report D90 and the maximum particle on the batch certificate.
Metal bond for stock, resin bond for finish
Metal bond wheels take the arris down in one pass and are run at 80# to 170# on thick glass. Resin bond cup and bowl wheels follow at 180# to 700# to remove the metal bond scratch pattern. Running resin bond at the stock removal stage is the usual reason a line cannot hold edge quality above 12 mm.
What we hold on the batch
Crystal shape is matched to the bond: blocky monocrystalline grit holds in a metal matrix, while a sharper crushed particle suits resin where the bond needs edges to grip. Nickel coating is used where the wheel is electroplated; titanium coating where the wheel is sintered and the diamond sees temperature.
Where It Goes Wrong
- Chipping along the arris. An oversize tail above D90, not the average size.
- Grey haze polishing cannot remove. Wheel glazed from too fine a grit at the stock removal stage.
- Wheel loses its profile early. Bond too soft for the grit size, or grit too blocky for a soft bond.
- Coating breaks down in service. Nickel weight too low for the current density on an electroplated wheel.
Recommended Grit By Wheel Type
Edge grinding is specified by wheel type and glass thickness rather than by the machine, because that is how the line is set up on the customer side.
| Wheel type | Recommended grade | Grit / size | Why this grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metal bond edge grindingStock removal, arris forming | |||
| Metal bond edge wheel, thick glass | MBD / SMD series | 80# – 170# | Holds the arris without spalling on 12 mm and above |
| Metal bond edge wheel, thin glass | MBD series, Ti coated | 170# – 320# | Finer grit limits breakout where there is little material under the wheel |
| Resin bond finishingScratch removal after metal bond | |||
| Resin bond cup wheel | RVD / RVG grit, HDY at the fine end | 180# – 400# | Removes the metal bond scratch pattern without loading |
| Resin bond bowl wheel, final edge | RVD / RVG, Ni coated | 400# – 700# | Coating holds the grit in a soft bond at low pressure |
| Sintered wheelsDiamond sees temperature | |||
| Sintered edge wheel | Ti coated MBD | 100# – 230# | Titanium isolates the diamond from oxidation during sintering |
Factory Direct Since 1990
Zhecheng Hongxiang Superhard Material Co., Ltd. is an integrated manufacturer and exporter of synthetic diamond powders since 1990, located in the Diamond Capital of China.
- Own manufacturing base in Zhengzhou, Henan — powder, coating and grading on one site.
- In-house particle size and SEM inspection on every batch before packing.
- Export packing with neutral or custom label, plus sample quantities for process trials.
What To Include
Describe your workpiece, process and target result. We will match the diamond grade from the existing product range.