Improving the effectiveness of combined grinding processes for processing superhard materials

Abstract

Metal bond diamond grinding wheels, which are used to process superhard materials, maintain their cutting ability through an electrochemical process that removes the bonds to reveal new grains on the working surface. The effectiveness of this method can be improved by increasing the material removal rate and decreasing the consumption of grinding grains through the introduction of a periodic impact load on the wheel. A proof-of-concept laboratory device was prepared, and experiments were carried out with the application of constant or periodic pressure. The experimental results clearly indicate up to a 1.8-fold increase in the material removal rate and up to a 1.9-fold decrease in the specific consumption of diamonds using the proposed periodic pressure method instead of the method with a constant load. By suitably altering the amplitude and frequency of the periodic load, a nearly 10-fold increase in the removal rate and decrease in the diamond consumption can be achieved. Furthermore, the study reveals the optimal conditions for practical implementation of the process. The analysis indicates that through the application of a periodic load with controlled amplitude and frequency on a wheel, better and more efficient use of a grinding wheel can be achieved, leading to a significant reduction in the specific cost of the wheel dressing procedure.