Factors affecting wheel collapse in grinding

An investigation was made into the phenomenon of wheel collapse, where power increases steadily with attritious wear until a critical value is reached, upon which power drops rapidly to a steady-state value and the wheel loses its roundness. Causes and mechanisms were investigated, along with the relationships between amount of material removed at collapse, power at collapse, post-collapse steady-state power, cooling, wheel self-sharpening, and G-ratio. Examples from laboratory tests and production tests are used. Practical recommendations are given for delaying or eliminating collapse.