Considerations for Smooth Mounted Point Operation

Proper Mounted Point Operations

Proper mounted point operation starts with choosing the right shape and size for the application. Falcon Tool offers a wide variety of standard shapes and sizes to meet the needs of most applications with custom products available by request.

The shape of the mounted point should match surface contact to contour. This will avoid putting operators in poor ergonomic positions. There are 178 industry standard mounted point shapes to choose from. Falcon Tool stocks many of these shapes, but not all of them. Don’t see the shape/size you need in our catalog? Contact customer service for special order quote!

The largest sized mounted point possible for the surface area you are working on should be used to provide more surface area contact, increase the amount of grain used before changing out points, and to improve operator efficiency.

Wheel Speed is very important in obtaining the desired finish. An operator should not exceed the speed standards given by the American National Standards Institute’s current safety requirement of maximum speeds. This information is provided with every Falcon Tool package of mounted points.

Grinder and Collet Run-Out is the number one cause for poor abrasive performance. It causes vibration in the tool leading to reduced operator efficiency. Worn chucks and lack of properly maintained grinders can result in spindle failure, wheel breakage, and unsafe conditions for operators. A well-maintained grinder will give you better ROI and increase efficiency.

Dressing your mounted point is important to maintain the integrity of the wheel shape, cutting quality, and to minimize loading problems. We recommend our truing stones to quickly reshape and resurface mounted points to like-new condition.

Eagle-Clawing occurs when the mounted point shank isn’t fully inserted into the collet of the grinder. Operators do this to extend the point length to reach deeper into a part, but it is unsafe and not recommended. When not fully inserted, the max operating speed of the mounted point is lowered which creates the safety concern of over speeding. We recommend using longer shank, high strength mandrels of reach-in devices. Contact our sales team to discuss these options.

Hour-Glassing occurs when an operator finishes edges by cutting directly into the middle of the mounted point. This is the weakest part of the point and should be avoided when possible. To avoid hour-glassing and to extend the life of the mounted point, operators should use as much contact area as possible by turning the point sideways for more surface contact.