"Cutting Edge" Technology
What good is a grinder if the performance deteriorates over time? When using traditional metal cutting components in a grinder, this is just what happens in some situations. Depending on the environment, the particular item being ground, and the intensity of use, the metal edges can wear, erode and/or corrode over time. Such wear and tear and degradation ends up dulling the "cutting" edges of the metal components, making it increasingly more difficult to grind effectively or uniformly. Moreover, the eroding metal can result in unwanted contamination of the product being ground.
In the case of grinding pepper, salt and other spices, William Bounds - a manufacturer of spice grinders for consumer and commercial use - became increasingly aware of the fact that some of their customers required a higher-performance product than the metal components were able to provide, for the reasons noted.
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Ceramic rotors and blades for a consumer spice grinder are said to last four times longer than their metal counterparts. Advanced Cerametrics, Lambertville, NJ, produces the parts with a proprietary injection-molding technique. |
In the "ideal" world, William Bounds wanted a grinding component that did not wear, erode, corrode or dull and was cost-effective. Presuming some compromise would be necessary, they were pleasantly surprised to find just what they were looking for with the help of ceramic manufacturer Advanced Cerametrics. Through the iterative and cooperative efforts of these two firms, various ceramics and manufacturing technologies were considered and evaluated. The final solution was based on injection molding technology fine-tuned for ceramic processing of alumina.
Injection molding was chosen because it provides complex ceramic shapes at reasonable cost, which is important when talking about hundreds of thousands of parts. Some novel technologies were utilized to aid the product's development, since cross sections of up to 1/2" were required. The end result was a series of grinding components (rotors and blades) that would maintain their integrity and grinding performance over time, grinding at a rate 400% better than the prior components, with no dulling and no metal contamination.
An additional benefit was also uncovered. When using the ceramic components, the grinder generates a narrower particle size distribution than is normally possible with metal components, giving the discerning user a consistency in particle size that is truly appreciated.
By manufacturing spice grinders with essentially a lifetime of effective grinding, William Bounds has effectively leveraged the marketing benefits of this product in both the consumer and commercial marketplaces around the globe. In fact, this product received notoriety by being highlighted on the Good Morning America television show!
