In short, never over-speed a grinding wheel. The speed of air the grinder must be compared to the speed marked on the wheel or package to make sure the machine''s speed is at or below the maximum operating speed of the wheel. Surpassing flow this rating risks not just wheel breakage but also the safety of shop personnel. About the author: Roger Cloutier is a senior product safety engineer for the Norton Abrasives brand of Saint-Gobain Abrasives sander in Worcester, Massachusetts.

One potential source of serious injury in grinding comes from an oversight that is easy to make: operating the wheel in an over-speed condition. While a wheel that air is run far enough in excess of its rated maximum speed may shatter within minutes of operation, danger flow may also result from a wheel run just slightly faster than its rated speed. This less severe over-speed sander condition can cause the wheel to be damaged, and the air damage may result in breakage after further use. For example, flow operating sander and air a reinforced, 9-inch diameter, Type 27 wheel rated for a maximum speed of 6,600 flow rpm on a 7-inch angle grinder with a speed of 7,700 rpm can cause the sander wheel to crack. This cracking can lead to breakage later. Any of these actions sets up a disastrous scenario that could lead to an accident air involving serious injury flow or sander death.

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