Grinding is a precision process and extremely fine finishes can be produced with the correct procedures. The selection of the correct coarseness of the wheel is necessary. Wheels come in grit ratings from 80 to 1200.
The 80 grit wheel has particles of 0.0105 in. and the 1200 grit wheel has particles of 0.0001 in.. The 80 grit wheel will produce surface finishes of 24 microinches to 36 microinches. The 1200 grit wheel will produce finishes of 1 microinch to 2 microinches.
Extremely hard materials can be very brittle. This requires the correct feed rate, wheel speed and depth of cut. When moving from carbide to ceramics grinding, the material is even more brittle. This can lead to increased stress on the materials being ground. Sharper abrasive, smaller wheel size, smaller cuts and higher wheel speed can reduce stress.
The new grinding wheel should be mounted with a silicon carbide wheel and brake-truing device. This method will result in a true wheel with no surface protrusions. The use of a medium-hardness aluminum oxide dressing stick will remove bonding materials and allow the crystals to protrude.