According to DIN 69 111, for all abrasive tools excepting loose abrasives, individual grits are bonded with each other and with the backing material. In practice, all components of the grinding wheel, with the exception of the abrasive grit, are comprised under the designation of “bond” [COLL88].
Bonds have the task of adhering to the grits until they are dulled by the grinding process. Then the bonds should release the grits so that succeeding, sharp grits can be applied. The holding function is only fulfilled if the bond material is strong enough and the bond web exhibits cross-sectional areas of sufficient size. In addition, the bond must have pores so that there is enough space for the chipped material and cooling lubricant.
The essential properties of a grinding wheel can be adjusted by the composition of the bond, the volumetric amounts of the bond components and the manufacturing process.
Primarily, we differentiate between synthetic resin, vitrified and metal bonds. These must be customised for the respective application and have numerous variations.