Grinding wheel for shaping flat glass

• US 9,649,747 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2012
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass France (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Original Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass France (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Inventors: Bureloux, Dominique, Wery, Sebastien, Girod, Adeline, Dumenil, Thierry, Tunstall, John
• Primary Examiner(s): AUER, LAURA A
• Application Number:
  US14/343,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20150283673A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,736 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 9/10 of plate glass
• CPC Class Codes: B24D 3/06 metallic or mixture of metals with ceramic materials, e.g. hard metals, "cermets", cements
• CPC Class Codes: B24D 5/00 Bonded abrasive wheels, or wheels with inserted abrasive blocks, designed for acting only by their periphery; Bushings or mountings therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B24D 9/10 with suction means for securing the material
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 26/00 Alloys containing diamond or cubic or wurtzitic boron nitride, fullerenes or carbon nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24355 Continuous and nonuniform or irregular surface on layer or component [e.g., roofing, etc.]

Abstract

A grinding wheel is suited for shaping glass, notably glass that is less than or equal to 4 mm thick. This grinding wheel has at least one abrasive portion formed of at least one metal binder and of diamonds distributed in the binder. The binder has a Rockwell B hardness of between 95 and 105 and is tungsten-based. The diamonds have a size of between 75 and 95 μm and a concentration of between 2.2 ct/cm³ and 2.64 ct/cm³. Glass, in particular for shaping motor-vehicle glazing units, can be shaped with this grinding wheel, making it possible to achieve travel speeds greater than or equal to 30 m/min.

Claims

1. A grinding wheel, comprising:

at least one abrasive portion comprising at least one metallic binder and diamonds distributed in the metallic binder,

wherein the metallic binder comprises;

from 58 to 75% by weight of tungsten;

from 30 to 37% by weight of bronze, wherein the bronze comprises from 75 to 85% by weight of copper and from 15 to 25% by weight of tin;

from 0.5 to 5% by weight of chrome; and

from 0.5 to 5% by weight of nickel,

wherein the metallic binder has a Rockwell B hardness of between 95 and 105, and

wherein the diamonds have a size of between 75 and 95 μ

m and a concentration of between 2.2 ct/cm³ and 2.64 ct/cm³.

2. The grinding wheel of claim 1, configured for shaping glass that is less than or equal to 4 mm thick, and/or configured for high-speed shaping.

3. The grinding wheel of claim 1, wherein the diamonds are coated with titanium.

4. A method for manufacturing the grinding wheel of claim 1, the method comprising:

producing a mixture of the metallic binder and diamonds;

heating the mixture to high temperature;

pressurizing the mixture; and

removing an assembly comprising the metallic binder incorporating the diamonds in a form of a grinding wheel from a mold.

5. A method for shaping glass, the method comprising:

grinding a sheet of glass with the grinding wheel of claim 1 at a shaping travel speed greater than or equal to 30 m/min.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a ratio between a rotation speed of the grinding wheel and the shaping travel speed is between 60 and 180.

7. A method for manufacturing a glazing unit, the method comprising:

grinding a glazing unit with the grinding wheel of claim 1 at a shaping travel speed greater than or equal to 30 m/min.

8. A device, comprising the grinding wheel of claim 1.

9. The grinding wheel of claim 1, configured for shaping glass that is less than or equal to 2.6 mm thick.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the glazing unit is a windshield, roof, or side window of a motor vehicle.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein heating the mixture comprises heating to a temperature of higher than 800°

C. and pressurizing to several bar.