Grinding Soft concrete requires ‘hard bond’ discs that resist the metal matrix being eroded away. The sandy, gritty, abrasive dust will erode many discs abnormally fast, so be certain that you are using the right disc.
More than any other time, grinding soft concrete is when contractors need to be aware of the signs of rapid grinding and fast wear to stop work and rectify the problem.
The 4 steps to grinding soft concrete …
- If the disc begins to grind super well, STOP! You are almost certainly going to wear your diamond tooling too fast. Inspect your tooling regularly for unusually high diamond exposure. This means that when you run your finger over the surface the diamond grit is sticking out a lot. The diamond grit will be falling out of the matrix before you have had a chance to wear them out.
- Use diamond tooling with a HARD BOND and or more segments.
- Be certain to remove the machine weights to reduce the weight on the tooling.
- Use a vacuum that will extract as much dust away as quickly as possible. This will greatly improve the life of the tooling. If there is a lot of dust rolling between the floor and segments it will cause excessive wear.
Top Tips for Grinding Soft Concrete …
- Top Tip Number 1 – Do not use the cheapest disc and expect to save money, it becomes an expensive exercise. A super-premium disc is usually the best value for money.
- Top Tip Number 2 – Reduce the weight on the head of the machine as much as possible to ensure that the sandy, gritty, abrasive dust that is rolling around under the segments does not erode the matrix any more than necessary.
If you are unsure which diamond tools to use, contact Con-Treat today. We can advise you on the best option for your needs.
* The above information is to be used as a guide only and Con-Treat accepts no responsibility for any consequence resulting from the advice contained herein or verbally.
