Grinding Parameters Research Articles

Simulation of Particle Breakage in Vibration Mill Based on Tavares Model

In this paper, discrete element simulation software EDEM and Tavares crushing model were used to carry out numerical simulation research on the motion characteristics and crushing characteristics of materials in the MZ100 vibration mill during the grinding process. The influence of material characteristics, shape characteristics and filling rate of grinding media, vibration frequency, and amplitude of vibration mill on the efficiency and effect of vibration mill was analyzed. The factors affecting the distribution characteristics of the rotary center of mass and the low-energy region of the grinding medium in the grinding cavity are discussed. The extreme inflection point of the crushing efficiency of the grinding material in the grinding cavity with respect to the increase of the excitation frequency is obtained. In order to improve the grinding efficiency and reduce the low energy zone, the optimum process parameters of eccentric vibration grinding were discussed, which provided theoretical guidance for the efficient crushing of grinding materials.

An Experimental Investigation of the Effects of Dressing and Grinding Parameters on Sustainable Grinding of Inconel 738 Used for Automated Manufacturing

The significant effect of the dressing process on the surface of the grinding wheel (GW) and the need to provide an optimal dressing condition are the requirements of reduction machining time and energy consumption in the sustainable grinding process. In this study, for the first time, the results of changes in the parameters of the dressing process and changes in the topography of the grinding surface on the surface roughness of the Inconel 738 have been presented using single-edge and four-edge diamond dressers. The use of minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) and wet condition are other variables in this study to reduce the consumption of cutting fluid and prevent its destructive effects on the environment. The results indicate that the MQL technique increases the grinding performance of Inconel 738 by reducing ground workpiece surface roughness and decreasing the coolant–lubricant consumption comparing to the conventional wet grinding process. Additionally, it has been found from the experimental results that applying a single-edge dresser generates finer topography on the grinding wheel and, consequently, has a better surface finish in the grinding process compared to the multipoint diamond dressing tool with the same dressing and grinding parameters. In other words, increasing the dressing feed rate during dressing of the grinding wheel using a multipoint dresser makes a finer wheel surface topography and as a result decreases the surface roughness of the ground workpiece compared to a single-edge dresser. With multipoint diamond tools, the grinding performance during the life of the dressing tool also tends to remain more consistent, which is a definite advantage in automated production. Therefore, application of a multipoint dresser leads to a reduction in dressing time and increased production capability.

Determination of the Optimal Jar Mill Setting for Crushed Eggshells Used in LDPE Tile Creation

In this study eggshells and low density polyethylene plastic (LDPE) wastes were reused to produce tiles. The eggshells were ground in a laboratory scale jar mill into the particle size of fine sand. The optimum grinding parameters were determined to be the setting that produced the highest mass of eggshell powder that was within the desired particle diameter size range of 0.425 mm (No. 40) and 0.075 mm (No. 200). A two to the three factorial design of experiment was used with variables of Time, Speed, and Ball Filling Ratio. The high and low values used in this study were 20 minutes and 10 minutes for the time, 250 rpm and 100 rpm for the speed, and 35% and 20% for the ball filling ratio. There were eight settings made with 3 trials per setting and one validation for the optimal setting produced. The eggshell powder produced by the optimal setting of the jar mill was used to create the LDPE-eggshell tiles. Four tiles were made for the three trials and for the validation part. The tiles were tested for its relative strength using the Compression Testing Machine. The researchers determined that eggshells and LDPE plastics may be formed into tiles and that the strength of the tiles that were produced by these materials exceeded the standard value set for this type of product.

Physical and functional properties of low temperature ground turmeric (Curcuma longa) powder

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) rhizome (var. Salem) sample was ground according to two different grinding parameters viz., four grinding methods and two feed temperatures. The effect of grinding methods and feed temperature on some functional and physical properties was evaluated. The average values of the flow property viz., bulk density (506.78 to 537.94 kg/m3), tapped density (611.35 to 635.72 kg/m3), Hausner ratio (1.150 to 1.225) and compressibility index (13.07 to 18.34%) and functional property viz., water absorption index (3.88 to 4.46), water solubility index (16.17 to 26.51%), water holding capacity (268.40% to 307.19%) and oil absorption index (210.57% to 258.04%) with respect to different grinding methods and feed temperatures varied. The ground sample with chilled water circulation method with the ambient temperature feed (L2T0) was found the most suitable for better flow parameters and functional properties.

Comparative Study on Micro-Grinding Performance of 2.5D Cf/SiCs, 2.5D SiCf/SiCs, and SiC Ceramics.

To investigate the micro-grinding process and performance of 2.5D Cf/SiC composites and 2.5D SiCf/SiC composites in depth, single-factor micro-grinding experiments were conducted by using SiC ceramics as a comparison. Differences in the material removal process, surface microstructure, surface roughness, and grinding force of the three materials under the same grinding parameters were comparatively analyzed. The results indicate that crack propagation is severe during the micro-grinding process of SiC ceramics. The ground surface is uneven, accompanied by pit defects and large surface roughness Ra. However, the presence of reinforcing fibers and interfaces in the two types of composites can inhibit crack propagation or change their extension directions. Therefore, their surfaces are smooth and flat after grinding, with small defects and low surface roughness Ra. In addition, the grinding processes of the two composites are both related to fiber orientation. There are differences in crack propagation paths and fiber fracture positions in the weft fiber layer and the radial fiber layer, which result in different forms of grinding defects. During micro-grinding, the real-time force signals of 2.5D Cf/SiC composites and 2.5D SiCf/SiC composites are relatively stable, while the signals of SiC ceramics have a large number of spikes. The average micro-grinding force of the three materials is: SiC ceramics > 2.5D SiCf/SiC composites > 2.5D Cf/SiC composites.

Experimental Study on ELID Grinding of Silicon Nitride Ceramics for G5 Class Bearing Balls

This study has focused on analyzing the impact of material characteristics and grinding conditions on the surface roughness in ELID grinding of ceramic materials intended for bearing balls. The main research objective was to examine the feasibility of achieving the required surface roughness for G5 class bearing balls through a high-efficiency and high-precision ELID grinding process. Three types of silicon nitride specimens and two types of grinding wheels with cBN and diamond abrasives were prepared for the experiments. An HP (high-pressure) specimen was fabricated through high-temperature and high-pressure sintering at 1700 °C for 2 h, containing a composition of Y2O3 and MgO in Si3N4, while GPS 1hr and GPS 6hr specimens were prepared using gas-pressure sintering for 1 h and 6 h, respectively. From the experimental results, it has been confirmed through surface morphology and surface roughness analysis that material characteristics and grinding parameters affect the surface roughness of silicon nitride ceramics during the grinding process. The surface ground with a #2000 diamond wheel is at a level that can satisfy the required surface roughness, 0.014 um or less in G5 class bearing balls. Based on the analysis of surface morphology and roughness in grinding processes, the #325 cBN wheel exhibited excellent performance in rough grinding, while the #2000 diamond wheel demonstrated highly effective surface finishing performance, indicating that the combination of these two abrasives can be effectively utilized for high-efficiency and high-precision nanosurface machining of silicon nitride ceramics.

Experimental investigation on the feasibility of high-efficiency and precision grinding of silicon carbide ceramics with monolayer brazed diamond wheel

To explore the feasibility of high efficiency and precision grinding of brittle ceramics, the experimental grinding tests were conducted on SiC ceramics with monolayer brazed diamond wheels. The monolayer diamond grinding wheel with 80/100 mesh size diamond grains was brazed using high-frequency induction techniques. The binarization method was proposed to quantitatively characterize the brittle removed areas from the whole ground surface and oblique polishing method was used to assess the subsurface damage depth of the ground SiC samples. The results show that the maximum undeformed chip thickness (agmax) plays a crucial role in the material removal mode. When agmax increases from 0.08 µm to 1 µm, the brittle-removal ratio increases rapidly from 8.20 % to 48.24 % and the subsurface damage depth increase from 3.48 µm to 9.14 µm by 162.6 %. The grinding wheel speed also has a significant influence on the brittle-removal ratio. With the gradual increase of grinding wheel speed (vs) from 20 m/s to 160 m/s, the brittle-removal ratio of the ground surface decreases from 34.24 % to 25.56 %, and the depth of subsurface damage decreases from 5.68 µm to 3.58 µm by 36.97 %. The effect of the grinding depth on the ground surface and subsurface is comparatively not remarkable. The influence of grinding parameters on the grinding process of SiC ceramics indicate that high speed, creep infeed and deep depth grinding method makes it possible to realize high efficiency and low damage machining for SiC ceramics with monolayer diamond wheel.

Energy conservation and consumption reduction in grinding operations through ceramic media stirring mill: An industrial validation test

This paper demonstrates the feasibility of using a ceramic medium stirring mill to reduce the energy consumption of grinding operations through an industrial verification experiment. Compared with the original two-stage ball milling process, the cost of grinding power consumption is significantly reduced by about 50.16%, which provides a reference for the subsequent research on energy saving and consumption reduction in ball milling operations. The optimal grinding parameters were determined to be grinding concentration of 50%, material ball ratio of 0.6, 3:2:5 media ratio (10:15:20 mm) of 3:2:5, medium filling rate of 90%, as well as stirring speed of 110 rpm. Under the optimum grinding parameters, an iron concentrate with an iron grade of 68.18% and an iron recovery rate of 94.17% were obtained by two-stage magnetic separation. The successful case of ceramic medium stirring mill replacing two-stage ball grinding provides a feasible solution for energy conservation and consumption reduction in mines in China.

CAN-Net: A Multi-hidden Layer Attention Deep Learning Method for Surface Roughness Prediction During Abrasive Belt Grinding of Superalloy with Local Weights

Nickel-based superalloys are widely employed in aerospace due to their excellent high-temperature strength, good oxidation resistance, and hot corrosion resistance. Abrasive belt grinding can effectively solve the problems of excessive residual stress and tool wear during the processing of superalloys. However, due to the grinding process being complex and changeable, and a wide range of affecting factors, the surface roughness prediction of abrasive belt grinding has become a challenging topic. In this study, a CAN-Net multi-hidden layer deep learning prediction model is established. The concatenate path is utilized to fuse local weights to optimize the intermediate weights of network training. To increase the predictability of the model, the attention mechanism is included to distribute the weights of the grinding parameters, and the impact of the attention mechanism on the prediction is then carefully analyzed. The results demonstrate that the CAN-Net network model has outstanding parameter flexibility and prediction accuracy, with accuracy reaching 0.984 and a correlation coefficient of 0.981 between the anticipated value and the true value.

Hemispherical resonator with low subsurface damage machined by small ball-end fine diamond grinding wheel: A novel grinding technique

As for the ultra-precision grinding of the hemispherical fused silica resonator, due to the hard and brittle nature of fused silica, subsurface damage (SSD) is easily generated, which enormously influences the performance of such components. Hence, ultra-precision grinding experiments are carried out to investigate the surface/subsurface quality of the hemispherical resonator machined by the small ball-end fine diamond grinding wheel. The influence of grinding parameters on the surface roughness (SR) and SSD depth of fused silica samples is then analyzed. The experimental results indicate that the SR and SSD depth decreased with the increase of grinding speed and the decrease of feed rate and grinding depth. In addition, based on the material strain rate and the maximum undeformed chip thickness, the effect of grinding parameters on the subsurface damage mechanism of fused silica samples is analyzed. Furthermore, a multi-step ultra-precision grinding technique of the hemispherical resonator is proposed based on the interaction influence between grinding depth and feed rate. Finally, the hemispherical resonator is processed by the proposed grinding technique, and the SR is improved from 454.328 nm to 110.449 nm while the SSD depth is reduced by 94 % from 40 μm to 2.379 μm. The multi-step grinding technique proposed in this paper can guide the fabrication of the hemispherical resonator.

Study on surface quality of CNTs/2009Al composites in grinding process with a volume fraction ratio of 3%

Composite materials made of aluminum-based carbon nanotubes (CNTs/Al) are often employed in industries like aerospace and national defense that place a high priority on material processing accuracy at the material’s surface. The most popular machining technique for enhancing the surface quality of materials is grinding. This paper built a prediction model for the surface roughness of CNTs/2009Al composites and identified the process of micro-grinding. Using the ABAQUS software, a non-uniform finite element simulation model of the single abrasive grain grinding process of CNTs/2009AL composites was created. An electroplated diamond grinding rod with a diameter of 2 mm was used in the micro-grinding experiment on the CNTs/2009Al composite, and the impact of the grinding parameters on the quality of the machined surface was examined. According to the findings, the feed speed has the least impact on the material’s surface roughness, whereas the spindle speed and grinding depth both have a significant impact. The measurement of the minimal roughness is 0.117 m. A shallower grinding depth, a lower feed rate, and a correspondingly higher spindle speed should be used in order to provide a superior surface quality. According to the prediction model of micro-grinding surface roughness and laser confocal microscope scanning, the primary phenomena of CNTs in the grinding process include pull-out, fracture, and elastic deformation.

Development of Magnetic Nanocomposites by Mechanical Grinding Technique

Nanocrystalline materials have different properties compared to materials with microcrystalline grains. Nanocomposites, as a subdivision of nanomaterials, have different magnetic properties for each individual constituent. In the paper, a series of nanocomposite materials from the sphere of W ferrites are developed by mechanical grinding. Mixtures of commercial BaO and α-Fe2O3 powders, in the micron range, were used. The commercial powders were mechanically ground in order to reach the nanometric range. The use of suitable grinding parameters for ceramic powders led to the discovery of the nanometric range in a not very long time. An important parameter, which was used in the current research, was wet grinding which is a more suitable method for obtaining finer powders than dry grinding. Dividing the materials as finely as possible ensures a better reactivity due to the free valences of the ions on the surface of the granules and due to the fact that the number of contact points and the contact surface are much larger than in coarse-grained materials. The powders were unilaterally compacted, using a cylindrical die with an inner diameter of 15 mm. A resistive heating device was designed and built in order to assure the sintering process of the samples. Before resistive sintering, a thermal simulation of the heating process was carried out to see the distribution of the thermal field in the samples at different temperatures. According to the simulation, the optimal heating temperature was chosen. The sintered samples were analyzed from the point of view of the magnetic properties and it was found that the samples with the granulation in the nanometric range have higher magnetic characteristics than those in the micron range.

Study on a Novel Strategy for High-Quality Grinding Surface Based on the Coefficient of Friction

Surface quality has a significant impact on the service life of machine parts. Grinding is often the last process to ensure surface quality and accuracy of material formation. In this study, a high-quality surface was developed by determining the coefficient of friction in grinding a quartz fiber-reinforced silica ceramic composite. By processing the physical signals in the grinding process, a multi-objective function was established by considering grinding parameters, i.e., surface roughness, coefficient of friction, active energy consumption, and effective grinding time. The weight vector coefficients of the sub-objective functions were optimized through a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm based on the decomposition (MOEA/D) algorithm. The genetic algorithm was used to optimize the process parameters of the multi-objective function, and the optimal range for the coefficient of friction was determined to be 0.197~0.216. The experimental results indicated that when the coefficient of friction tends to 0.197, the distribution distance of the microscopic data points on the surface profile is small and the distribution uniformity is good. When the coefficient of friction tends to 0.216, the surface profile shows a good periodic characteristic. The quality of a grinding surface depends on the uniformity and periodicity of the surface’s topography. The coefficient of friction explained the typical physical characteristics of high-quality grinding surfaces. The multi-objective optimization function was even more important for the subsequent high-quality machining of mechanical parts to provide guidance and reference significance.

Energy Prediction Models and Distributed Analysis of the Grinding Process of Sustainable Manufacturing.

Grinding is a critical surface-finishing process in the manufacturing industry. One of the challenging problems is that the specific grinding energy is greater than in ordinary procedures, while energy efficiency is lower. However, an integrated energy model and analysis of energy distribution during grinding is still lacking. To bridge this gap, the grinding time history is first built to describe the cyclic movement during air-cuttings, feedings, and cuttings. Steady and transient power features during high-speed rotations along the spindle and repeated intermittent feeding movements along the x-, y-, and z-axes are also analysed. Energy prediction models, which include specific movement stages such as cutting-in, stable cutting, and cutting-out along the spindle, as well as infeed and turning along the three infeed axes, are then established. To investigate model parameters, 10 experimental groups were analysed using the Gauss-Newton gradient method. Four testing trials demonstrate that the accuracy of the suggested model is acceptable, with errors of 5%. Energy efficiency and energy distributions for various components and motion stages are also analysed. Low-power chip design, lightweight worktable utilization, and minimal lubricant quantities are advised. Furthermore, it is an excellent choice for optimizing grinding parameters in current equipment.

Multi-dimensional ultrasonic-assisted belt grinding on the surface integrity of Inconel 718

In order to meet the requirements of the isotropic high-performance machining of complex surfaces, this paper proposed three-dimensional ultrasonic assisted belt grinding (3D-UABG) method that integrates the advantages of surface strengthening and isotropic machining, analyzed the motion characteristics and surface formation laws. Then, the influence of ultrasonic vibrations on the surface integrity of Inconel 718 was studied by a self-designed 3D-UABG device. Finally, the surface formation mechanism was revealed combined with the surface integrity and abrasive grain motion characteristic. Results showed that compared with conventional abrasive belt grinding (CABG), the abrasive grain in normal-ultrasonic assisted belt grinding (N-UABG) reduced the height of texture peak formed an intermittent texture, which makes it have smallest surface roughness. At the same time, the high-frequency impact of abrasive grains not only increased the surface plastic deformation, but also realized the impact strengthening. Planar two-dimensional ultrasonic assisted belt grinding (2D-UABG) reduced the directionality difference of surface quality. However, the deflection characteristics of abrasive grains make it have a large surface roughness. The 3D-UABG surface has good comprehensive mechanical properties. The abrasive grains have three-dimensional dynamic characteristics in space, which effectively inhibit anisotropic stress state, promote uniform deformation, and helpful to obtain approximately isotropic surface texture and small surface roughness. On the one hand, the in-plane motion characteristics of planar two-dimensional ultrasonic vibration gave grinding surface more uniform surface integrity. On the other hand, the spatial motion trajectory of abrasive grains driven by three-dimensional ultrasonic vibration made it have a slow increased cutting depth, which avoided the tear damage caused by materials plastic accumulation and the large roughness caused by abrasive deflection under large cutting depth. In 3D-UABG, lower feed speed and amplitude and linear velocity matched to grinding parameters contribute to the improved surface integrity. This study has guiding significance for the development and engineering application of ultrasonic-assisted belt grinding technology.

Crossed helical gears—simulative studies and experimental results on non-involute geometries

Crossed helical gear units generally consist of a steel worm and a plastic helical gear with an axis crossing angle. Due to the high transmission ratio in a small installation space, they are used in auxiliary and actuating gears such as in window regulators, assembly lines, household appliances and positioning tasks. This paper deals with a calculation approach for crossed helical gears to include non-involute flank geometries for new and optimized gearboxes. The geometry derivation for general flank contours based on a polynomial and extends the geometric possibilities beyond the special case of the involute form. The use of principal curvatures and principal curvature directions to describe freely curved surface geometries enables the calculation of flank pressures, efficiency and sliding paths in the entire contact area. Previous studies confirmed the advantages in the mentioned load characteristics for geometries deviating from the involute. Furthermore, parameter studies show the influences of the individual design parameters and demonstrate the effects on operating behavior, with those a design recommendation for crossed helical gear units with general flank geometries can be created. ZC and ZC‑S geometries are used as calculation examples. With regard to the use of these new geometries in applications, manufacturing is a crucial aspect. Grinding disc parameters as well as a three-roll size to control the worm manufacturing for general flank geometries are necessary and described below. In addition to the theoretical calculation, a ZC crossed helical gear geometry was designed, manufactured and compared to a ZI reference gear in test rigs. This confirmed the advantages in load-carrying capacity and efficiency increase resulting from the calculation and proved the benefits.

Modeling on the Flatness of Silicon Wafers Ground by the Grind-polishing Wheel

The grind-polishing wheel is a new non-woven structure grinding tool with low elastic modulus and ultra-fine abrasive grains, which can obtain high surface/sub-surface quality ground silicon wafers. To obtain high-shape flatness during grinding with the grind-polishing wheel, a prediction model of the ground silicon wafers’ flatness considering the elastic modulus of the wheel, processing parameters, and abrasive grain size is developed. The grinding experiments under different speed ratios were conducted to verify the prediction model accuracy. It shows that the model can successfully predict the flatness of ground silicon wafers, and the error of the prediction model is less than 13%. The proposed model has some guiding significance for choosing the appropriate character of the grind-polishing wheel and grinding parameters to achieve desirable flatness for silicon wafers.

Optimization of Grinding Parameters for the Mechanochemical Activation of Kaolin with the Addition of Trass

At present, to achieve further reductions in CO2 emissions in the cement industry, it is essential to improve the efficiency of grinding processes and reduce the energy demand. This study examined the effects of various grinding parameters (addition of trass, ball to powder mass ratio (BPR), material of grinding bodies and jars, rotational speed, and mill type) to minimize the energy consumption of the mechanochemical activation of kaolinite. X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and specific surface area measurements were used to examine the influence of grinding parameters. It was found that the addition of as little as 25% (mass percent) trass reduced the specific energy demand for the complete amorphization of kaolinite by 56%. The application of steel grinding bodies (instead of ZrO2 ones) had a slight influence on the amorphization kinetics of kaolinite, but it could mechanochemically activate 30% more samples at the same BPR and specific energy demand. The use of the four-pot milling instead of the one-pot could considerably decrease the specific energy demand of the complete and incomplete (α = 0.9) amorphization of kaolinite. Overall, a 94% reduction was achieved in specific energy demand with steel grinding material, 14:1 BPR, four-pot milling, and the incomplete amorphization of kaolinite.

Effects of mechanical grinding on the physicochemical properties of silica aerogels

Mechanical grinding is a facile method to get silica aerogels (SAs) with various particle sizes. However, the relationship between the grinding parameters and physicochemical properties is still unclear. In this study, we concentrated on the effects of grinding time and grinding speed on the physical and chemical properties of silica aerogels. The results reveal that the physicochemical properties of silica aerogels are more sensitive to the grinding speed rather than the grinding time. When the grinding speed is over 200 rpm, large particles of silica aerogels are crushed into smaller particles with obviously decreasing particle sizes and the silica skeletons of silica aerogels have collapsed. The reduction of particle sizes and the collapse of skeleton lead to an increase in both the tap density and thermal conductivity. Therein, the thermal conductivity is positively proportional to the density. Furthermore, the grinded silica aerogels powders still possess the contact angles over 135°, indicating the good hydrophobicity. All these demonstrate that the mechanical grinding has evident effects on the microstructure, density, thermal conductivity and particle sizes, which further impact the performance of silica aerogels during the practical applications. Given the expanding applications of SAs across various industries, the study serves as a valuable reference for optimizing the mechanical post-treatment of SAs, facilitating the achievement of desired particle sizes. Ultimately, this research holds great potential in diversifying the application fields of SAs in their powdered form.

Computational Fluid Dynamics of Useful Grinding Fluid Flow and Sensitivity Analysis of Grinding Parameters

In the grinding process, a high speed rotating grinding wheel develops a stiff air barrier around it. This air barrier restricts the flow of incoming grinding fluid through a nozzle jet into the grinding zone, and this leads to a considerable amount of grinding fluid being wasted. An insufficient amount of grinding fluid from the nozzle jet not reaching the grinding wheel-workpiece contact zone will result in many defects in the workpiece as well as in the grinding wheel. In this paper, a unique method of air scraper is modelled and simulated in order to impinge the grinding fluid maximum through a thick boundary layer around the periphery of the rotating grinding wheel and the effect of grinding parameters are analyzed and Ugff rate equation established using Box Behnken Design method.