Up/down processing modes effects on residual stress for belt grinding

Abstract

ABSTRACT Belt grinding is increasingly being used to process complex parts because of its ability to achieve flexible, form-following machining. Although the choice between down-grinding or up-grinding is one of the most common issues in process decisions, the influences of the differences in material removal mechanisms remain unclear, especially on surface residual stresses (RS). Thus, this paper focuses on the different grinding direction’s influence on residual stress distribution, followed by a causal analysis of the abrasive cutting mechanism. The results suggest that the up-grinding surface is more prone to compressive RS of σ a due to the different material flow directions close to the machined surface, and has stronger stress amplitudes of σ t due to the increased belt wear caused by the grits entering from the hardened machined surfaces. For both down- and up-grinding, σ a along the grinding trace’s cross-section is symmetrically distributed in a peaked pattern, but σ t is closer to a uniform distribution. One possible reason is that the contact wheel dissipates heat more quickly on both sides than in the center. Besides, the consistency of the RS distribution is better for up-grinding both within the same grinding trace and among different grinding traces.