Honing stick (stone) is one of the important honing tools. According to the raw materials, it is divided into the ordinary stick (stone) and super-abrasive stick (stone): ordinary stones are made from white fused alumina, monocrystalline alumina, brown fused alumina, pink fused alumina, black silicon carbide, green silicon carbide. super-abrasive stick (stone) is made from diamond and CBN powder. According to the bond, there are the metal bond, resin bond, vitrified bond, and electroplated bond.
Abrasive of Honing stick (stone)
| Abrasive | Code | Materials for processing | Applications |
| Brown fused alumina | A | Unhardened carbon steel and alloy steel | Rough honing |
| White fused alumina | WA | Heat treated carbon steel and alloy steel | Finish honing,
Semi-finish honing |
| Monocrystalline alumina | SA | Bearing steel, stainless steel, and heat resistant with good toughness | Rough honing，
Finish honing |
| Pink fused alumina | PA | All kinds of hardened and unhardened steel parts | Finish honing |
| Black silicon carbide | C | Cast iron, copper, aluminum, and other non-metallic materials | Finish honing |
| Green silicon carbide | GC | Cast iron, copper, aluminum and etc. Used for hardened steel and hard and brittle metal and non-metallic materials | Finish |
| Synthetic diamond | MBD6-8 | All kinds of steel parts, cast iron, and hard and brittle metal and non-metallic materials, such as tungsten carbide and etc. | Rough honing,
Semi-finish honing |
| CBN | CBN | All kinds of alloy steel with good toughness and high hardness and strength | Rough honing,
Finish honing |
In the honing process, choose correctly the specification, grit and other parameters of honing stones to meet the processing requirements of the workpiece.
1 Selection of specification and quantity for honing stick (stone)
The specification of honing stick (stone) mainly refers to the shape and the size (Length X Width X Height). The cross-section size is that width is longer than the height, making the installation of the stick (stone) stable. Choose the honing stones with a square cross-section to extend the stick (stone) life, when honing the holes with the large diameter.
1.1 stick (stone) length
The length of the stick (stone) l depends on that of the workpiece L. If the stick (stone) is too short, the honing efficiency will be reduced. If the stick (stone) is too long, it makes the hole drum-shaped and affects the cylindricity of the hole.
1.2 Selection of Honing stick (stone) Length (Unit: mm)
| Hole Length L | Honing Stone Length l | Cases |
| Short hole（L/D<1） | L=(1/3-3/4)L | Honing cylinder hole Ø100*195, l=100 |
| Long hole | L=(1-1.2)L l≥ length of 3 holes | Honing Ø65*38, l=40 |
Selection of stick (stone) section dimension
The honing stick (stone) is too narrow, and it is not easy to block but it wears too fast. The honing stick (stone) is too wide, the self-sharpness is not good, and the honing heat is large, which affect the accuracy of the hole. Usually, choose wide honing stick (stone) to hone soft materials, and choose narrow honing stick (stone) to hone hard materials. When honing the steel parts, the honing stick (stone) is narrower than that used for cast iron. The honing stick (stone) may be as wide as possible when honing small hole. The stone B≤25mm when honing big hole. The width of a diamond honing stick (stone) or CBN honing stick (stone) is 1/3-1/2 of that of ordinary stone.
1.2 Section Dimension and Quantity of Honing stick (stone)
| Honing Diameter | Stones Quantity/pcs | Section Dimension of Stones（B*H） | Section Dimension of Diamond Honing Stones（B*H） |
| 5-10 | 1-2 | – | 1.5*2.5 |
| 10-13 | 2 | 2*1.5 | 2*1.5 |
| 13-16 | 3 | 3*2.5 | 2*1.5 |
| 16-24 | 3 | 4*3.0 | 3*3.0 |
| 24-37 | 4 | 6*4.0 | 4*4.0 |
| 37-46 | 3-4 | 9*6.0 | 4*4.0 |
| 46-75 | 4-6 | 9*8.0 | 5*6.0 |
| 75-110 | 6-8 | 10*9, 12*10 | 5*6.0 |
| 110-190 | 6-8 | 12*10, 14*12 | 6*6.0 |
| 190-310 | 8-10 | 16*13, 20*20 | – |
| >300 | >10 | 20*20, 25*25 | – |
1.3 Selection of stick (stone) quantity
Without affecting the strength of honing head, use as many honing sticks (stone) as possible and reduce the width of honing stones properly. If the total width of honing stone is 15%-28% of the whole circumference, higher efficiency will be obtained and reduce the deformation of the hole. The quantity of honing stones can be referred to the above Figure 1.2
2 Selection of honing stone performance
2.1Abrasive selection. Details can be seen in Figure 2.1
| Abrasive | Code | Materials for processing | Applications |
| Brown fused alumina | A | Unhardened carbon steel and alloy steel | Rough honing |
| White fused alumina | WA | Heat treated carbon steel and alloy steel | Finish honing,
Semi-finish honing |
| Monocrystalline alumina | SA | Bearing steel, stainless steel, and heat resistant with good toughness | Rough honing，
Finish honing |
| Pink fused alumina | PA | All kinds of hardened and unhardened steel parts | Finish honing |
| Black silicon carbide | C | Cast iron, copper, aluminum, and other non-metallic materials | Finish honing |
| Green silicon carbide | GC | Cast iron, copper, aluminum and etc. Used for hardened steel and hard and brittle metal and non-metallic materials | Finish |
| Synthetic diamond | MBD6-8 | All kinds of steel parts, cast iron, and hard and brittle metal and non-metallic materials, such as tungsten carbide and etc. | Rough honing,
Semi-finish honing |
| CBN | CBN | All kinds of alloy steel with good toughness and high hardness and strength | Rough honing,
Finish honing |
2.2 Grit Selection
2.2.1 Selection of honing stone abrasive grit
According to the selection of productivity and surface roughness required, 80#-180# is generally used for rough honing, 180#-280# is used for semi-finish honing(or for rough and finish combination), and less than W40 is used for finish honing. Details can be seen Figure 2.2.1
2.2.1 Selection of Honing stick (stone) Abrasive Grit
|
Abrasive |
Grit |
Required Surface Roughness，Ra/μm | ||||
| Hardened Steel | Unhardened Steel | Cast Iron | Nonferrous Metal | Notes | ||
| Fused alumina
Silicon carbide |
100#-180# | —
— |
1.25-1.0
— |
—
1.0 |
—
1.6-1.25 |
|
| Fused alumina Silicon carbide | 240# | 0.63
— |
1.0-0.8
— |
—
0.63 |
—-
1.25-1.0 |
|
| Fused alumina Silicon carbide | W50 | 0.4-0.32
— |
1.0-0.63
—- |
—–
0.5-0.4 |
—-
0.8 |
|
| Fused alumina Silicon carbide | W40 | —-
0.32-0.25 |
—-
0.63-0.5 |
—-
0.5-0.4 |
—-
0.8-0.63 |
Green silicon carbide used for steel parts |
| Fused alumina Silicon carbide | W28 | —-
0.2-0.16 |
—-
0.32-0.50 |
—-
0.32-0.25 |
—-
0.5-0.4 |
Green silicon carbide used for steel parts |
| Fused alumina Silicon carbide | W20 | —-
0.16-0.10 |
—-
0.25-0.20 |
—–
0.16-0.125 |
—-
0.4-0.32 |
Green silicon carbide used for steel parts |
2.2.2 Selection of super-abrasive stick (stone) grit
Under the same roughness requirement, the grain size of super-abrasive used in finish honing is 1# or 2# finer than that of ordinary abrasive, and the grain size of ordinary honing stone used for honing non-chilled steel is 1# or 2# finer than that of chilled steel. Details can be seen Figure 2.2.2
2.2.2 Selection of Super-Abrasive Honing stick (stone) Grit
Super-abrasive is suitable for all kinds of materials rough honing and finish honing. But the honing efficiency is not as good as that of ordinary abrasives when honing the roughness less 1.0 micron. As shown in the following figure.2.2.3
Selection of ordinary abrasive and super-abrasive stick (stone)
3 Selection of bond, concentration, and hardness
3.1 Selection of ordinary abrasive bond
Usually vitrified and resin bond is used. Vitrified bond honing stone is used for all kinds of materials for rough honing or finish honing with stable performance. Rein bond honing stone features elasticity, anti-vibration, can be used for low roughness honing under high honing pressure.
3.2 Selection of ordinary abrasive hardness
Ordinary abrasive honing stone has high durability on the good self-sharpening condition. Choose soft honing sticks (stone) for large hole honing and strong honing in mass production to process workpieces with high hardness and large honing margin. When the workpiece material is soft and surface roughness is low or honing small holes and discontinuous holes, the hard honing stone should be chosen. See the following figure.
Selection of Honing stick (stone) Hardness
|
Grain Size of Stone |
Honing Margin (Diameter Direction/mm） |
Stone Hardness |
|
| Steel Parts | Cast Iron | ||
| 100#-150# | 0.05-0.5
0.01-0.1 |
L-Q
N-T |
N-T
Q-Y |
| 180#-280# | 0.05-0.5
0.01-0.1 |
J-P
L-S |
L-R
Q-T |
| W40-W20 | 0.05-0.15
0.01-0.05 |
E-M
M-R |
K-Q
M-T |
3.2 Selection of bond and concentration of super-abrasive stone
Fine-grained powder and low concentration of resin bond honing stick (stone) are used for finish honing. Vitrified bond honing stone can be used for semi-finish honing. Generally, high concentration bronze bond honing stick (stone) is used for rough honing. High concentration is applied to electroplated diamond and CBN honing stones.
Selection of Bond and Concentration of Super-abrasive stick (stone)
4 Selection of honing speed
4.1 Selection of honing speed of ordinary abrasive
| Material | HardnessHRC | PeripheralSpeedv1
/(m/min) |
Reciprocating Speed v2
/(m/min) |
θ /(°) | V1/va | Applications |
| Cast Iron | 15-50
50-65 |
33-60
20-33 |
15-35 | 15
20 |
7.6
5.67 |
Polish honing
Polish and finish honing |
| Steel Parts | 15-35
35-50 60-60 |
25-30
18-25 15-18 |
10-25 | 30
45 60 |
3.7
2.4 1.73 |
Finish honing
Rough,rough-finish honing Rough, plateau honing |
| Nonferrous Metal | 50-70 | 10-20 | 75
90 |
1.3
1 |
Rough, heavy honing
Rough, heavy honing |
4.2 Selection of super-abrasive honing speed
The peripheral speed is a max value when rough honing according to specific conditions. Its speed can be selected according to ordinary stone.
Super-abrasive Honing Speed (Unit: m/min)
| Superhard Material | Honing Speed | Material | Honing Process | Peripheral Speed | Reciprocating Speed |
| Diamond Honing Stone
CBN Honing Stone |
40-80
35-60 |
Steel | Rough Honing
Finish Honing |
24-36
36-60 |
12-18
3-9 |
| Cast Iron | Rough Honing
Finish Honing |
36-60
48-78 |
15-30
6-12 |
4.2 Selection of honing pressure
Honing pressure refers to the pressure exerted on the unit area of the workpiece surface by the feed mechanism. The grinding particle size on the workpiece is used to cut into the metal and fall off and sharpen itself.
5 Selection of Honing Pressure
| Ultimate Pressure of Stone/10⁵Pa | Honing Process | Material | Honing Pressure/10⁵Pa |
| Vitrified Stone≤25
Resin Stone 15-25 Diamond Honing stick (stone) 30-50 CBN Honing stick (stone)20-25 |
Rough Honing | Cast Iron
Steel |
5-15
8-20 |
| Finish Honing | Cast Iron
Steel |
2-5
4-8 |
|
| Polish Honing | Cast Iron
Steel |
0.5-1
0.5-1.5 |