Today, dressing tools with diamond material are commonly used for grinding wheels [KLOC05a], using either stationary or rotating dressing tools. Stationary tools move parallel along to the grinding wheel axis on a path defined via NC
programming or guide ruler (Fig. 6.17). The grinding wheel topography is generated like in a turning process [KLOC05a]. The stationary dressing tools consist of one or more diamond grits or synthetic diamond logs in metallic bond. Single grit dressers often are made of profiled natural diamonds of high purity, which can be re-positioned when worn. Diamond splinters or synthetic logs are often utilised in multi-grain dressers or dresser tiles.
Rotating dressing tools have an additional movement in circumferential direction of the grinding tool and provide a layer of diamonds along their perimeter (Fig. 6.18). The larger diamond volume of rotating tools improves wear resistance and profile retainability and, therefore, leads to higher dressing process stability [FALK98, WARN88].
Rotating tools are form rollers, profile rollers, or cup disc dressers. Form rollers and cup dressers have an axial feed rate along the grinding wheel axis, whereas profile rollers display the grinding wheel negative profile and are fed radially towards the grinding tool. Form rollers can be used flexibly for different profiles, while profile rollers are limited to one application [HARB97, KLOC87, SALJ84]. Wear formation at a form roller effects not only contour accuracy but also abrasive layer topography because of the changing effective dressing width [SALJ84]. With appropriate wear monitoring these effects can be compensated. However, profile wear at profile rollers leads inevitably to tool life end.