Angle grinder

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Angle grinder AngleGrinder.jpg
Angle grinder

An angle grinder, also known as a side grinder or disc grinder, is a handheld power tool used for grinding (abrasive cutting) and polishing. Although developed originally as tools for rigid abrasive discs, the availability of an interchangeable power source has encouraged their use with a wide variety of cutters and attachments.

Contents

Angle grinders can be powered by an electric motor or compressed air. The motor drives a geared head at a right-angle on which is mounted an abrasive disc or a thinner cut-off disc, either of which can be replaced when worn. Angle grinders typically have an adjustable guard and a side-handle for two-handed operation. Certain angle grinders, depending on their speed range, can be used as sanders, employing a sanding disc with a backing pad or disc. The backing system is typically made of hard plastic, phenolic resin, or medium-hard rubber depending on the amount of flexibility desired.

Angle grinders are used in metal fabrication shops and on construction sites.[ citation needed ] They are also common in machine shops, along with die grinders and bench grinders.[ citation needed ]

Safety and health

Video: An angle grinder is used for cutting through a steel chain. The chain is kept under tension by a second person to avoid a blockade of the grinder. Large amounts of potentially harmful particulates (metal dust) are being generated.)
A video on vibration research done on pneumatic grinders

The use of an angle grinder in cutting is not preferred as large amounts of harmful sparks and fumes (and particulates) are generated when compared with using reciprocating saw or band saw. [1] Angle grinders produce sparks when cutting ferrous metals. They also produce shards cutting other materials. The blades themselves may also break. This is a great hazard to the face and eyes especially, as well as other parts of the body, and as such, a full face shield and other protective clothing must be worn. Angle grinders should never be used without their guard or handle attached. All workpieces should be securely clamped or held firmly in a vise. [2] Through a sound pressure level and vibrations study conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, grinders under an unloaded condition ranged from 91 to 103 dBA. [3]

Regulation

Uses

Angle grinders may be used for removing excess material from a piece. There are many different kinds of discs that are used for various materials and tasks, such as cut-off discs (diamond blade), abrasive grinding discs, grinding stones, sanding discs, wire brush wheels and polishing pads.[ citation needed ] The angle grinder has large bearings to counter side forces generated during cutting, unlike a power drill, where the force is axial.

Angle grinders are widely used in metalworking and construction, emergency rescues and even for bicycle thefts. Generally, they are found in workshops, service garages and auto body repair shops. There are a large variety of angle grinders to choose from[ peacock prose ] when trying to find the right one for the job. The most important factors in choosing the right grinder are the power source (battery, corded or pneumatic) and the disc size. Other factors include power of the motor, rpm, and arbor size. Generally disc size and power increase together. Disc size is usually measured in inches or millimetres. Common disc sizes for angle grinders in the United States include 4, 4.5, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 12 inches, with the most popular sizes being the 4.5 and 5" size. In Europe the most common sizes for angle grinder discs are 115 and 125 millimeters. Discs for pneumatic grinders also come much smaller. Pneumatic grinders are generally used for lighter duty jobs where more precision is required. This is likely because pneumatic grinders can be small and light yet remain powerful, because they do not contain heavy copper motor windings, while it is harder for an electric grinder to maintain adequate power with smaller size. Electric grinders are more commonly used for larger, heavy duty jobs. However, there are also small electric grinders and large pneumatic grinders.

Angle grinders have been used to remove wheel clamps from vehicles. [4] [5]

History

The high-speed angle grinder was invented in 1954 [6] by German company Ackermann + Schmitt (FLEX-Elektrowerkzeuge GmbH) in Steinheim an der Murr. [7] Owing to this, in German, Dutch, Slovak, Czech, Polish, Croatian, Romanian, Hungarian, Bulgarian and Latvian, an angle grinder is colloquially called just a "flex", in Italy and in Spanish-speaking countries it is sometimes called "flexible". In Switzerland it is known as "Perles" from a popular brand of cutting tools. In Polish it is also known as "kątówka" [8] or "gumówka" [9] (= the rubber thing), which refers to the elasticity of certain types of disks. However they are never made out of true rubber due to fire hazard. In Russian, it is known as "болгарка" ("bolgarka") [10] (literally "Bulgarian" of the feminine gender), since the first angle grinders in the USSR were Bulgarian made. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

A power tool is a tool that is actuated by an additional power source and mechanism other than the solely manual labor used with hand tools. The most common types of power tools use electric motors. Internal combustion engines and compressed air are also commonly used. Tools directly driven by animal power are not generally considered power tools. Power tools can produce large amounts of particulates, including ultrafine particles. Airborne particulate matter is a Group 1 carcinogen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drill</span> Tool used to create holes

A drill is a tool used for making round holes or driving fasteners. It is fitted with a bit, either a drill or driver chuck. Hand-operated types are dramatically decreasing in popularity and cordless battery-powered ones proliferating due to increased efficiency and ease of use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metalworking</span> Process of making items from metal

Metalworking is the process of shaping and reshaping metals in order to create useful objects, parts, assemblies, and large scale structures. As a term, it covers a wide and diverse range of processes, skills, and tools for producing objects on every scale: from huge ships, buildings, and bridges, down to precise engine parts and delicate jewelry.

An abrasive is a material, often a mineral, that is used to shape or finish a workpiece through rubbing which leads to part of the workpiece being worn away by friction. While finishing a material often means polishing it to gain a smooth, reflective surface, the process can also involve roughening as in satin, matte or beaded finishes. In short, the ceramics which are used to cut, grind and polish other softer materials are known as abrasives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandpaper</span> Abrasive material used for smoothing softer materials

Sandpaper, also known as glasspaper or as coated abrasive, is a type of material that consists of sheets of paper or cloth with an abrasive substance glued to one face. In the modern manufacture of these products, sand and glass have been replaced by other abrasives such as aluminium oxide or silicon carbide. It is common to use the name of the abrasive when describing the paper, e.g. "aluminium oxide paper", or "silicon carbide paper".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackhammer</span> Pneumatic tool

A jackhammer is a pneumatic or electro-mechanical tool that combines a hammer directly with a chisel. It was invented by William McReavy, who then sold the patent to Charles Brady King. Hand-held jackhammers are generally powered by compressed air, but some are also powered by electric motors. Larger jackhammers, such as rig-mounted hammers used on construction machinery, are usually hydraulically powered. These tools are typically used to break up rock, pavement, and concrete.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grinding machine</span> Machine tool used for grinding

A grinding machine, often shortened to grinder, is any of various power tools or machine tools used for grinding. It is a type of material removal using an abrasive wheel as the cutting tool. Each grain of abrasive on the wheel's surface cuts a small chip from the workpiece via shear deformation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bench grinder</span> Grinding machine

A bench grinder is a benchtop type of grinding machine used to drive abrasive wheels. A pedestal grinder is a similar or larger version of grinder that is mounted on a pedestal, which may be bolted to the floor or may sit on rubber feet. These types of grinders are commonly used to hand grind various cutting tools and perform other rough grinding.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grinding wheel</span> Abrasive cutting tool for grinders

Grinding wheels are wheels that contain abrasive compounds for grinding and abrasive machining operations. Such wheels are also used in grinding machines.

A grinding dresser or wheel dresser is a tool to dress the surface of a grinding wheel. Grinding dressers are used to return a wheel to its original round shape, to expose fresh grains for renewed cutting action, or to make a different profile on the wheel's edge. Utilizing predetermined dressing parameters will allow the wheel to be conditioned for optimum grinding performance while truing and restoring the form simultaneously.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wet grinder</span>

A wet grinder can refer either to a tool for abrasive cutting of hard materials or to a food preparation appliance used especially in Indian cuisine for grinding food grains to produce a paste or batter. A wet grinder for abrasive cutting uses fluid for lubrication or cooling; for food preparation, a wet grinder combines water to grain as it is ground to produce a batter.

In the context of machining, a cutting tool or cutter is typically a hardened metal tool that is used to cut, shape, and remove material from a workpiece by means of machining tools as well as abrasive tools by way of shear deformation. The majority of these tools are designed exclusively for metals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knife making</span> Process of manufacturing a knife

Knife making is the process of manufacturing a knife by any one or a combination of processes: stock removal, forging to shape, welded lamination or investment cast. Typical metals used come from the carbon steel, tool, or stainless steel families. Primitive knives have been made from bronze, copper, brass, iron, obsidian, and flint.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diamond tool</span> Cutting tool with diamond grains

A diamond tool is a cutting tool with diamond grains fixed on the functional parts of the tool via a bonding material or another method. As diamond is a superhard material, diamond tools have many advantages as compared with tools made with common abrasives such as corundum and silicon carbide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rotary tool</span> Handheld power tool used for grinding, drilling, machining, etc.

A die grinder or rotary tool is a handheld power tool and multitool used for grinding, sanding, honing, polishing, or machining material. All such tools are conceptually similar, with no bright dividing line between die grinders and rotary tools, although the die grinder name tends to be used for pneumatically driven heavy-duty versions whereas the rotary tool name tends to be used for electric lighter-duty versions. Flexible shaft drive versions also exist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abrasive saw</span> Type of circular saw

An abrasive saw, also known as a cut-off saw or chop saw, is a circular saw which is typically used to cut hard materials, such as metals, tile, and concrete. The cutting action is performed by an abrasive disc, similar to a thin grinding wheel. Technically speaking this is not a saw, as it does not use regularly shaped edges (teeth) for cutting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grinding (abrasive cutting)</span> Machining process using a grinding wheel

Grinding is a type of abrasive machining process which uses a grinding wheel as cutting tool.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Concrete grinder</span> Machine for polishing or grinding hardened concrete

A concrete grinder is an abrasive machine for polishing or grinding hardened concrete. Concrete grinders can come in many configurations, the most common being a hand-held general purpose angle grinder, but it may be a specialized tool for countertops or floors. Angle grinders are small and mobile, and allow one to work on harder to reach areas and perform more precise work.

Surface grinding is done on flat surfaces to produce a smooth finish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disc cutter</span> Power tool used to cut hard materials

A disc cutter is a specialised, often hand-held, power tool used for cutting hard materials, ceramic tile, metal, concrete, and stone for example. This tool is very similar to an angle grinder, chop saw, or even a die grinder, with the main difference being the cutting disc itself. This tool is highly efficient at cutting very hard materials, especially when compared to hand tools.

References

  1. "What's the Best Way to Cut Thick Steel?". YouTube . 7 August 2021.
  2. Risk Control
  3. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Division of Applied Research and Technology (DART), Hand-held Power Tools Sound Pressure and Vibrations Database, 2009
  4. "'Superhero' takes on clampers". BBC News . 2003-09-16. Archived from the original on 2023-03-04.
  5. "WATCH: Man takes angle grinder to clamp in Limerick". Newstalk . 2015-10-31. Archived from the original on 2023-03-04.
  6. History
  7. Henke, Michael (January 2009), "Nachgefragt: Warum heißen Winkelschleifer "Flex"" (PDF), Fliesen und Platten, Köln: Verlagsgesellschaft Rudolf Müller, p. 45, archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04, retrieved 2014-01-16
  8. "'Podaj flexa!' – krótka historia szlifierki kątowej".
  9. Wikidictionary
  10. "Защо ъглошлайфът в Русия се нарича "българка"?". 11 July 2023.
  11. "'Болгарка' - история названия и секреты правильного выбора инструмента".