Effect of parameters on grinding forces and energy while grinding Al (A356)/SiC composites

Abstract

Grinding processes require a high energy input per unit volume of material removed, which is converted to heat at the grinding zone, resulting in increased force and wear. In the present study, the influence of grinding parameters like work speed and depth of cut on grinding forces and energy was studied. An attempt has been made to study the forces and energy involved while grinding aluminium alloy (A356)/silicon carbide (SiC) composite material with different grinding wheels. Experiments were carried out on a surface grinding machine. Three different types of wheels like SiC, cubic boron nitride (CBN) and diamond wheels were used. The grinding forces increased with increase in depth of cut and work speed. SiC exhibited high grinding force compared to the CBN wheel. In the case of the diamond wheel, it was even less. The specific grinding energy was highest for the diamond wheel followed by CBN and SiC wheels. The specific grinding energy decreased with increase in depth of cut and work speed.