Resin bonds have comparably high elasticity. Therefore, this bond type is selected for wheels that are subject to impacts, sideways load, sudden loads, or high cutting speeds. Typical applications are cut-off or roughing operations. In addition, resin bonds work well for finishing processes to achieve high surface quality. Bond elasticity, however, might have a negative effect on dimensional accuracy [COLL88].
Resin bonded wheels are easy to profile, but do not achieve a high enough grit protrusion through profiling. Therefore, they need an extra sharpening process.
In the grinding process, only workpiece materials that set back the bond will lead to a sufficient self-sharpening effect. Appropriate materials are brittle materials, for example in the application of carbide tool grinding.
Dense grinding tool surfaces are achieved with fine abrasive grit sizes. Large grits and metallic grit coatings improve grit retention in resin bonding systems. Some filler materials, such as CaO, should not be exposed to water [COLL88, p. 897 f.].
Furthermore, resin bonds are sensitive to heat. They start to degrade at temperatures above 200 °C and grit coatings help to dissipate the grinding heat. Resin bonded wheels have limited shelf lifetime and should be used within two years [KREB06]. The polycondensation process that hardens the bond resins does not lead to complete hardening so that the strength of resin bonds can change due to atmospheric or chemical exposure [KREB06].