Cutting and grinding discs are the primary weapons of engineers and manufacturers. Without them, there’s no way to smooth weld lines or cut metal quickly. While we use these tools almost every day, there are still many questions to be answered about cutting and grinding discs. So here are three amazing things you probably didn’t know!
1. Cutting and grinding discs have expiry date.
Usually expressed in months and years, such as March 2018, these expiry dates are printed in compliance with manufacturing regulations EN12413:2007+A1. This date is usually printed on the center ring and can be up to three years after the disc was manufactured. On smaller discs without rings, this date may be stamped on the label, or even on the disc itself.
The reason these discs have an expiration date is the resin used in the manufacturing process. The resin is used to bond the abrasive, and over time, the resin can absorb moisture, causing the cutting or grinding disc to deteriorate.
Using a brake disc outside of its expiration date will result in failure of the brake disc and very likely serious injury to the operator and nearby persons. Retailers are also responsible for not selling expired discs.
2. Discs should be placed in a level, cool, dry place – do not hang from a pole!
To prevent the disc from absorbing moisture prematurely, it should be stored in a cool, dry place. This will ensure that the disc has a long life and can be used until its expiration date.
Due to resin bonding in cutting and grinding discs, displaying or hanging the disc on the pins must be avoided. If hung in its center hole for an extended period of time, such as when displaying a product in a store, the disc can develop a teardrop effect which can cause vibration and make the disc dangerous to use.
3. Buy cheap, buy twice
Our parents have probably been telling us for years that this statement definitely applies to cutting and grinding discs. Cheaper discs are not manufactured to a high standard, usually due to poor environment (abrasive material encased in the disc).
The first disc was an inexpensive competitive disc with six cuts on 1″ steel tubing. The second is the BSP cutting disc, which makes 42 cuts on the same 1″ cassette tube. The BSP disc costs 1.5 as much as the competitor’s disc, although it costs 2 times as much per cut as the cheaper discs, This proves that not all discs are created equal, and buying cheap discs can actually increase production costs.
The real value of a disc is its performance, not its price.
Final Thoughts
Here are three facts you probably didn’t know about cutting and grinding discs! There are more things you may not be aware of when it comes to cutting and grinding safety tips, so if you’d like to learn more or take a safety refresher, leave a comment below and we’ll share!