Composite Grinding Disks

PACE Technologies' composite grinding disks offer long-lasting, rigid support for consistent surface planarity and aggressive material removal during metallographic sample preparation. These disks are ideal for use with diamond or alumina suspensions and are engineered for repeatable performance across a wide range of sample types.

Key Tips for Using Composite Disks

Use With Suspensions: Apply diamond or alumina suspensions during grinding for enhanced removal rates and surface finish control.
Maintain Consistent Cleaning: Rinse and clean the disk surface between stages to prevent contamination and wear artifacts.
Select Proper Backing: Choose between PSA or magnetic backing depending on your platen system and ease of disk changes.

Shop Composite Disks

More Resources:

Introduction Application Guidelines Process Description Recommended Procedures Troubleshooting Product Descriptions

Introduction

ComposORION and SIRIUS — both engineered for high material removal rates, surface uniformity, and extended disk life.

Unlike traditional consumables, these disks are precharged with diamond abrasives to eliminate manual charging steps and reduce variability. The ORION disk is embedded with 3-micron diamond for fine grinding/rough polishing, while the SIRIUS disk utilizes 9-micron diamond for coarser, aggressive grinding — equivalent to replacing conventional 320-600 grit SiC grinding steps.

Application Guidelines

Mounting: Apply the magnetic-backed composite disk to a compatible steel receiver wheel or platen.
Suspension Use: Although precharged, additional diamond suspension can be applied as needed to extend cutting action during extended sessions.
Lubrication: Use water or grinding lubricant to flush debris, prevent overheating, and extend disk performance.
Cleaning: Rinse thoroughly with water after each use. Allow the disk to dry before storage to maintain surface integrity.

Process Description

Composite disks operate through a combination of fixed abrasive grinding and controlled surface wear. As the disk rotates, the precharged diamond abrasives interact with the specimen surface, achieving material removal while minimizing subsurface deformation. These disks are ideal for reducing preparation time while maintaining high flatness and reproducibility.

Their rigid construction makes them compatible with both manual and semi-automatic grinding systems, particularly in labs preparing a high volume of samples for microstructural analysis, hardness testing, or failure analysis.

Recommended Procedures

Use the SIRIUS disk for initial planar grinding following sectioning or coarse abrasion.
Transition to the ORION disk for intermediate polishing before diamond or final polishing stages.
Set head speed and platen speed to counter-rotation (e.g., 150 RPM head, 200 RPM platen) for optimal removal.
Apply light to moderate pressure (20–40 N) depending on sample material and size.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Cause	Corrective Action
Uneven grinding or sample tilt	Disk wear or improper mounting	Replace the disk and ensure platen surface is flat and clean
Excessive scratching or pitting	Disk contamination or incorrect abrasive size	Flush with water, use proper micron suspension, or replace disk if heavily worn
Short disk life	Excessive pressure or lack of lubrication	Reduce force, ensure water flow, and avoid dry grinding

Product Descriptions

Description	Size	Catalog Number	Product Image
ORION Composite Disk precharged with 3 µm diamond (magnetic steel backing)	8-inch 10-inch 12-inch	ORION-MD08 ORION-MD10 ORION-MD12
SIRIUS Composite Disk precharged with 9 µm diamond (magnetic steel backing)	8-inch 10-inch 12-inch	SIRIUS-MD08 SIRIUS-MD10 SIRIUS-MD12