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Surface Conditioning Products


Technical Service Application Bulletin

3MTM XR Metalworking Wheels


for Turbine Blade Industry Applications

Removing and Blending Milling Marks on the Root of Turbine Blades


Radiusing Edges of Turbine Blades
Purpose:
3M™ XR Metalworking Wheels are the newest product addition to the 3M™ Molded Metalworking Wheel line.
3M XR wheels are more consistent and uniform compared to other surface conditioning wheels. The XR
technology has propelled these products another step forward by optimizing mineral and grinding aid quantities
and positioning, resulting in increased cut rates, significantly longer life, and improved wheel efficiency.

Product Description:
3M XR metalworking wheels are part of a new innovative line of molded wheel technology from the same
people that invented Scotch-Brite™ Surface Conditioning Products. The unique design of a molded XR wheel
provides a fast cutting metalworking wheel and extended life compared to typical surface conditioning wheels.
The new XR wheel has increased mineral loading and grinding aids, giving the wheel an increase in potential
to do work.

Applications:
XR wheels have proven their cut performance and life on removing milling lines, along with blending
the surface of OEM forged stainless steel landbase turbine blades. A three-step operation consisting of
bonded wheels, coated abrasives, and a non-woven abrasive wheel was reduced to a one-step operation
(see Field Case Study — Case 1).
XR wheels have also proven themselves in radiusing and deburring aviation turbine blades (see Field
Case Study — Case 2).

Product Availability/Specifications:
Density: Hard — H

Mineral: Aluminum Oxide — A

Grades: FN and MED

Sizes/Dimensions: 6" x 1/2" x 1"


6" x 1" x 1"
8" x 1/2" x 3"
8" x 1" x 3"
12" x 1" x 1"

Converted Forms: Wheels

Examples: H A MED – XR 1208


H A FN – XR 2410
Mechanical/Operating Parameters for Spindle Lathes and Bench Motors:

Maximum Operating Speed (MOS):

Diameter Max RPM


6" 3600
8" 3600
10" 1750
12" 1750

Recommended Operating Speeds:


Speed requirements vary due to the type of workpiece, metal, depth of milling marks, or depth of scratches to
be removed and blended out. Listed below is a general guideline for speed requirements.

Metal 6" RPM 8" RPM 12" RPM


Stainless Steel 2500–3600 1900–3100 1250–1750
Nickel Alloy 2500–3600 1900–3100 1250–1750
Titanium 1270–2050 950–1530 630–1020

Observed Finishes:
H A FN – XR 2410

Metal Ra Rz Rmax
Stainless Steel 20–30 125–175 150–230
Nickel Alloy N/A N/A N/A
Titanium 28–38 170–220 200–340

H A MED – XR 1208

Metal Ra Rz Rmax
Stainless Steel 18–26 108–118 125–175
Nickel Alloy N/A N/A N/A
Titanium 24–32 160–210 175–270

Note: XR wheels on high nickel alloy (738LC) helped remove heavy burrs, brighten up the finish, and
highlighted scratches. It is unlikely that XR wheels will be able to remove milling lines or deep scratches
on high nickel alloy parts. Applications for removing mill lines or deep scratches would typically be
done with coated abrasive products, i.e. 977F, 967F.

XR wheels on 403 stainless steel and titanium were able to pull out and refine a 977F 50 grit scratch
to the finishes ranges above.
Features Advantages Benefits
Molded Wheel Technology More Consistent/Uniform • Consistent Cut Rate
• Consistent Finishes
• Excellent for Robotic
Applications

Increased Mineral Loading More Mineral • Increased Cut Rate


• Increase in Abrasive Life
• More Parts/Wheel

Premium Aluminum Oxide Efficient/Uniform • Increase Cut Rate


Mineral Extremely Durable • Increase in Abrasive Life
• More Parts/Wheel
• Consistent Finish

Grinding Aids Cooler Cut • Extended Life


• Less Chance of Burnishing
• Increase in Cut Rate
• More Parts/Wheel

The XR molded wheel technology provides for a more consistent and uniform metalworking wheel
versus other surface conditioning wheels. XR wheels provide firm support to the mineral, thus increasing
the mechanical energy translated to the work surface. Typical surface conditioning products have a
more spring-like, cushion effect, which absorbs mechanical energy, thus reducing the work being done.
XR molded wheels have less spring, less cushion effect; thus the mechanical energy is translated to the
work surface. Typical surface conditioning products have a resiliency that provides conformability,
but reduces cut rates.

Due to the uniformity and consistency of the molded wheel technology, the XR wheels can do more
mechanical work, provide an increase in overall cut, longer life (more parts /wheel), and consistent
cut rate along with consistent finishes.

Associated SCD Products:


• For removing milling lines and blending in the root of the blade, use Scotch-BriteTM EXL Unitized
Deburring Wheel 8A MED.
• For leading and trailing edges of blades, try Scotch-BriteTM EXL Deburring Wheel 9S FIN. It will
provide more conformability, but with reduced cut, i.e., not as aggressive, and a little more flexible,
with some “give” to the product.
• For other metalworking applications, see field case studies.
Field Case Study — Case 1

Case 1: Removing Milling Lines and Blending Blade and Root Area of Turbine Blade
Equipment: Bench Motor
Workpiece: Forged 403 Stainless Steel Blades — Gas Turbine — Landbase Turbine Blades
RPM/SFPM: 500 RPM or 5500 SFPM
Removal Spec:
Finish Spec: Desired Finish with an Ra = 20–25 microinches.

Abrasive Process:

Step Traditional Method XR Wheel Sequence

1 Small Bonded Wheel

2 Cut & Polish

3 9S FN Non-Woven Wheel H A MED XR Wheel


XR 1208 — 6" x 1/2" x 1"

The H A MED XR wheel did the work of the bonded wheel, Cut & Polish, and the 9S FN non-woven
wheel. In fact, the XR wheel did a combination of three abrasive operations:
a. Removed the milling lines on the blade.
b. Refined the surface finish to 20-25 microinches.
c. Surface conditioned or blended the surface of the blade (fillet area to the root of the blade).

Advantages:
a. Large time savings — improved through-put.
b. More consistent finishes.
c. More efficient process (three steps to one step).
Field Case Study — Case 2

Case 2: Radiusing and Deburring Aviation Turbine Blades

Equipment: Robotic Application — Spindle Lathe


Workpiece: Aviation Turbine Blades, Forged Titanium Blades
RPM/SFPM: 3250 RPM for a 6" wheel
Removal Spec: 0.002 inch
Finish Spec: 16 RMS

Abrasive Process:

Step Traditional Method XR Wheel Sequence

1 Coated Abrasive Belt


80 Grit Silicon Carbide — Flexible X wt.

2 Rubberized Abrasive Wheel H A FN XR Wheel


XR 2410 — 6" x 1/2" x 1"

The XR wheel did a combination of two abrasive operations:


a. Radius the leading edge of the turbine blade.
b. Surface conditioned the blade by deburring the leading edge.

Advantages:
A 5:1 ratio in terms of life of the XR wheel versus the rubberized wheel (output of parts).
The XR wheel’s benefits are:
a. The ability to apply a double chamfer to the edge
of the blades. The XR wheel has enough bite,
versus a non-woven wheel, to do chamfering work
on a titanium blade.
b. Radius the leading edge profile to a tight
tolerance specification.
c. Finish the chord distance on the blade, i.e., the
distance from the leading edge to trailing edge
of the turbine blade.
d. The robotic application provided constant force
control, which helped the XR wheel to provide a
consistent finish part-after-part deburring, along
with great consumable abrasive life.

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Industrial Business
Customer Response Center
900 Bush Avenue, Building 21-1W-10 Printed in U.S.A
St. Paul, MN 55106 Minimum 10% Post–Consumable Fiber © 2003 61-5002-8040-1

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