kalpakjian 14

CHAPTER

Abrasive Machiningand FinishingOperations

° Abrasive machining is among the final steps in the production of parts and isan important series of processes because of its capability to impart high dimen-sional accuracy and surface finish.

° A wide variety of abrasive finishing processes is available, many based on thefundamental mechanism of abrasion.

° This chapter opens with a description of the grinding process, the mechanics ofchip removal, and the roles of abrasives and bonds in grinding wheels.

° Some abrasive machining operations, including polishing, buffing, honing, andsanding, require a bonded or coated abrasive; other processes, such as ultrasonicmachining, lapping, abrasive flow machining, and electrochemical machiningand grinding, use loose abrasives that are not bonded.

° All of these processes are described in detail, and their capabilities and designconsiderations are presented.

° The chapter ends with a discussion of economic considerations for finishingoperations.

Typical parts made: Any part requiring high dimensional accuracy and surfacefinish, such as ball and roller bearings, piston rings, valves, cams, gears, and toolsand dies.

Alternative processes: Precision machining, electrical-discharge machining, elec-trochemical machining and grinding, and abrasive-jet machining.

26.l Introduction

There are many situations in manufacturing where the processes described thus farcannot produce the required dimensional accuracy or surface finish for a part, or theworkpiece material is too hard or too brittle to process. Consider, for example, theaccuracy and fine surface finish required on ball and roller bearings, pistons, valves,cylinders, cams, gears, dies, and numerous precision components used in instrumen-tation. One of the most common methods for producing such demanding character-istics on parts is abrasive machining.

An abrasive is a small, hard particle having sharp edges and an irregular shape,unlike the cutting tools described earlier. Abrasives are capable of removing smallamounts of material from a surface through a cutting process that produces tiny

26.| Introduction 7I926.2 Abrasives and Bonded

Abrasives 72|26.3 The Grinding Process 72726.4 Grinding Operations and

Machines 73626.5 Design Considerations

for Grinding 74426.6 Ultrasonic Machining 74426.7 Finishing Operations 74626.8 Deburring

Operations 75026.9 Economics of Abrasive

Machining and FinishingOperations 753

EXAMPLES:

26.1 Forces in SurfaceGrinding 729

26.2 Action ofa GrindingWheel 733

26.3 Cycle Patterns in

Cylindrical Grinding 73926.4 Grinding versus Hard

Turning 74226.5 Belt Grinding of Turbine

Nozzle Vanes 746

7| 9

720 Chapter 26 Abrasive Machining and Finishing Operations

FIGURE 26.l A variety of bonded abrasives used in abrasive-machining processes. Source: Courtesy of Norton Company.

chips. Most of us are familiar with using grindingwheels (bonded abrasives), as shown in Fig. 26.1, tosharpen knives and tools, as well as using sandpaperor emery clot/0 to smoothen surfaces and removesharp corners. As described in this chapter, abra-sives also are used to hone, lap, buff, and polishworkpieces. With the use of computer-controlledmachines, abrasive processes are now capable ofproducing (a) a wide variety of workpiece geome-tries, as can be seen in Fig. 26.2 and (b) very finedimensional accuracy and surface finishes, asshown in Figs. 23.13, 23.14, and 27.4. For example,dimensional tolerances can be less than 1 /im, andsurface roughnesses can be as fine as 0.025 /im.

Because they are hard, abrasives also are usedin finishing processes for heat-treated metals andalloys and for very hard parts in applications such as

(a) finishing of ceramics and glasses, (b) cutting offlengths of bars, structural shapes, masonry, and con-crete, (c) removing unwanted weld beads and spatter,and (d) cleaning surfaces with jets of air or watercontaining abrasive particles.

In this chapter, the characteristics of abrasivesare presented along with their use in various materi-

al-removal processes. As with cutting operations, the mechanics of abrasive-machin-ing operations are described first. This knowledge will then assist in establishing theinterrelationships between workpiece material and process variables and the dimen-sional accuracy, surface finish, and surface integrity of the parts produced.

Grinding wheel 4- __ i _ A ~ f igigiiiiiifii ---

Workpiece

(ai (D) (C) (di

Thin abrasive disks_I Workpiece

`_ W .A ,g Grinding wheel iiiiiii Workpiece

(ei (fi (Qi

FIGURE 26.2 The types of workpieces and operations typical of grinding: (a) cylindricalsurfaces, (b) conical surfaces, (c) fillets on a shaft, (d) helical profiles, (e) concave shape,if) cutting off or slotting with thin wheels, and (g) internal grinding.

Section 26.2 Abrasives and Bonded Abrasives

26.2 Abrasives and Bonded Abrasives

Abrasives that are used most commonly in abrasive-machining operations are asfollows:

Conventional abrasives° Aluminum oxide (Al2O3)° Silicon carbide (SiC)

Superabrasives° Cubic boron nitride (cBN)° Diamond.

As described in Chapter 8, these abrasives are much harder than conventionalcutting-tool materials, as may be seen by comparing Tables 22.1 and 26.1. Becausecubic boron nitride and diamond are the two hardest materials known, they arereferred to as superabrasiz/es.

In addition to hardness, an important characteristic of abrasives is friability-defined as the ability of abrasive grains to fracture (break down) into smaller pieces.This property gives abrasives their self-sharpening characteristics, which are essentialin maintaining their sharpness during use. High friability indicates low strength orlow fracture resistance of the abrasive. Thus, a highly friable abrasive grain fragmentsmore rapidly under grinding forces than one with low friability. For example, alu-minum oxide has lower friability than silicon carbide and, correspondingly, a lowertendency to fragment.

The shape and size of the abrasive grain also affect its friability. For example,blocky grains (which are analogous to a negative rake angle in single-point cuttingtools, as shown in Fig. 21.3) are less friable than less blocky or plate-like grains.Furthermore, because the probability of defects diminishes as the grain size becomessmaller (due to the size effect), smaller grains are stronger and less friable than largerones.

Abrasive Types. The abrasives commonly found in nature are emery, corundum(alumina), quartz, garnet, and diamond. Because these natural abrasives generally con-tain impurities and possess nonuniform properties, their performance is inconsistentand unreliable. Consequently, abrasives have been made synthetically for many years:

° Aluminum oxide was first made in 1893 and is produced by fusing bauxite,iron filings, and coke. Fused aluminum oxides are categorized as dark (lessfriable), u/kite (very friable), and single crystal.

° Seeded gel was first introduced in 1987 and is the purest form of unfusedaluminum oxide. It also is known as ceramic aluminum oxide. It has a grain sizeon the order of 0.2 /am, which is much smaller than other types of commonlyused abrasive grains. These grains are sintered to form larger sizes. Because they

TABLE 26.I

Ranges uf Knoup Hardness for Various Materials and Abrasives

Common glass 350-500 Titanium nitride 2000Flint, quartz 800-1 100 Titanium carbide 1 800-3200Zirconium oxide 1000 Silicon carbide 2100-3000Hardened steels 700-1300 Boron carbide 2800Tungsten carbide 1800-2400 Cubic boron nitride 4000-5000Aluminum oxide 2000-3000 Diamond 7000-8000


are harder than fused alumina and have relatively high friability, seeded gelsmaintain their sharpness and are used especially for difficult-to~grind materials.

° Silicon carbide was first discovered in 1891 and is made with silica sand andpetroleum coke. Silicon carbides are divided into black (less friable) and green(more friable) and generally have higher friability than aluminum oxides.Hence, they have a greater tendency to fracture and remain sharp.

° Cubic boron nitride was first developed in the 1970s. Its properties and char-acteristics are described in Sections 8.2.3 and 22.7.

° Diamond (also known as synthetic or industrial diamond) was first used as anabrasive in 1955. Its properties and characteristics are described in Sections 8.7and 22.9.

Abrasive Grain Size. As used in manufacturing operations, abrasives generally are

very small when compared to the size of cutting tools and inserts that weredescribed in Chapters 21 and 22. Also, abrasives have sharp edges, allowing the

removal of very small quantities of material from the workpiece surface.Consequently, a very fine surface finish and dimensional accuracy can be obtainedusing abrasives as tools.

The size of an abrasive grain is identified by a grit number, which is a function ofsieve size: the smaller the grain size, the larger the grit number. For example, grit num-ber 10 is typically regarded as very coarse, 100 as fine, and 500 as very fine. Sandpaperand emery cloth also are identified in this manner, as you can readily observe by not-

ing the grit number printed on the back of the abrasive paper or cloth.

Abrasive-workpiece-material Compatibility. As in selecting cutting-tool materi-als for machining particular workpiece materials, the affinity of an abrasive grain tothe workpiece material is an important consideration. The less the reactivity of thetwo materials, the less wear and dulling of the grains occur during grinding, eitherof which would make the operation less efficient and cause damage to the work-piece surface (see Section 26.3.1 for details). Recall that, because of its chemicalaffinity, diamond cannot be used for grinding steels, since diamond dissolves in ironat the high temperatures encountered in grinding.

Generally, the following recommendations are made with regard to selectingabrasives:

° Aluminum oxide: Carbon steels, ferrous alloys, and alloy steels.° Silicon carbide: Nonferrous metals, cast irons, carbides, ceramics, glass, and

marble.° Cubic boron nitride: Steels and cast irons above 50 HRC hardness and high~

temperature alloys.° Diamond: Ceramics, cemented carbides, and some hardened steels.

26.2.l Grinding Wheels

Because each abrasive grain typically removes only a very small amount of material ata time, high rates of material removal can be achieved only if a large number of thesegrains act together. This is done by using bonded abrasives, typically in the form of a

grinding wheel, in which the abrasive grains are distributed and oriented randomly.As shown schematically in Fig. 26.3, the abrasive grains in a grinding wheel

are held together by a bonding material (Section 26.2.2), which acts as supportingposts or braces between the grains. In bonded abrasives, porosity is essentialin order to provide clearance for the chips being produced and to provide cooling;


Bond3L'gg|'ng I Porosity

\'Bond fracture ` /

Microcracks \ ’ e / Grain"` -f" f iWorkpiece Attritious wear `_` '1 Whee| Surface rac Ure

FIGURE 26.3 Schematic illustration of a physical model of a grinding Wheel, showing itsstructure and its Wear and fracture patterns.

Grinding face (a) Type 1-straight (b) Type 2-cylinder

Grinding face Grndng face

(c) Type 6-straight cup (d) Type 11-flaring cup

`\X_____¢/ Grinding edge " Grinding edge

(e) Type 27-depressed center (f) Type 28-depressed center

(g) Mounted

FIGURE 26.4 Common types of grinding Wheels made with conventional abrasives. Notethat each wheel has a specific grinding face; grinding on other surfaces is improper and unsafe.

otherwise, the chips would severely interfere with the grinding operation. Porositycan be observed by looking closely at the surface of any grinding wheel. As you canappreciate, it is impossible to utilize a grinding wheel with no porosity-one that is

fully dense and solid; there simply is no room for any chips to form.A very Wide variety of types and sizes of abrasive Wheels is made today.

Some of the more commonly used types of grinding wheels for conventionalabrasives are shown in Fig. 26.4. Superabrasive Wheels are shown in Fig. 26.5.

Chapter 26 Abrasive Machining and Finishing Operations

Type i-1 II 1A1 M 2A2

1A1FISS

(3) (D) (C) w,ggf f.i',§T (dl (9) (fl

FIGURE 26.5 Examples of superabrasive Wheel configurations. The annular regions (rims)are superabrasive grinding surfaces, and the Wheel itself (core) generally is made of metal or

composites. The bonding materials for the superabrasives are (a), (d), and (e) resinoid, metal,or vitrified; (b) metal; (c) vitrified; and (f) resinoid.

_@Mg2=:%Naaw_e~,¢Km..sa ./,,~r.`., a Z;a=,/r.~@;<”e»X.,aa,rwr ,fr,rr '='~ fz' ff ' ~< Vlf rQ Z -== ':"', :,§ Q Example: 51 - A - 36 - L - 5 ~ V - 23 I!

,,r,,rrwrM§rrrrrrwrMMrMMtr,rrr ,r»>.r>t_,,__ri,r,rr§rrrrl_,r,rcwattrr ,_,,_, W,,r_,,,,rrrr ,i,r, r rsrr,r r _rrir, WMrr,tr,r,r,rsrr§grrrW,&§§&,rv,rm§rsr. Prefix Abrasive Abrasive Grade Structure Bond Manufacturer’s

type grain size type recordI

Manufacturer’s symbol Coarse Medium Fine Very Dense Manufacturer’s(indicating exact fine PYIVHTS markingkind of abrasive) 5 30 70 220 (to identify wheel)(use optional) 10 36 80 240 (use optional)

12 46 90 28014 54 100 32016 60 120 400

A Aluminium oxide 20 150 500C Silicon carbide 24 180 600

ResinoiclFlesinoid reinforcedShellac

1 Oxychloride0990 Rubber

Soft Medium Hard Rubber reinforcedABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ etc Smcage

Grade scale (USG GPTIONHI) _V Vitrified

FIGURE 26.6 Standard marking system for aluminum-oxide and silicon-carbide bondedabrasives.

Note that, due to their high cost, only a small volume of these wheels consists of su-perabrasives.

Bonded abrasives are marked with a standardized system of letters and num-bers indicating the type of abrasive, grain size, grade, structure, and bond type.Figure 26.6 shows the marking system for aluminum-oxide and silicon-carbidebonded abrasives, and Fig. 26.7 shows the marking system for diamond and cubicboron nitride bonded abrasives.

The cost of grinding Wheels depends on the type and size of the wheel. SmallWheels (up to about 25 mm in diameter) cost approximately $2 to $10 for conven-


Example: M D 100 - P 100 - B 1/8 f

Prefix Abrasive Grit size Grade Diamond Bond Bond Diamondtype concentration modification depth (in.)

I I I I I

Manufacturer’s B Cubic boron 20 A (soft) 25 (low) Q Hesinoid 1/16Symbol nitride 24 so M Metal 1/B

<10 iftdiwfe type Q Diamond so tl, 75 v Vitrified 1/4Of °*‘a'“°"f*) se I QQ (high) Absence of depth

46 symbol indicatesZ (hafd) all diamond54

60

gg A letter or numeral1 00 or combinationT55 (used here will indicate

a variation from150 standard bond)180

220240280320400500 Note:600 1/16in.= 1.6mm800 1/8 in.: 3.2 mm

1000 1/4 in.=6.4 mm

FIGURE 26.7 Standard marking system for cubic boron nitride and diamond bondedabrasives.

tional abrasives, $30 to $100 for diamond, and $50 to $300 for cubic boron nitridewheels, For a large wheel of about 500 mm in diameter and 250 mm in width, thewheel costs are $500 for conventional abrasives, $5,000 to $8,000 for diamond,and almost $20,000 for cubic boron nitride.

26.2.2 Bond Types

The common types of bonds used in bonded abrasives are as follows:

Vitrified. Essentially a glass, a 1/it1'i}9ed bond (also called a ceramic bond) is themost common and widely used bond material. The raw materials consist of feldspar(a crystalline mineral) and clays. They are mixed with the abrasives, moistened, andmolded under pressure into the shape of grinding wheels. These “green” wheels,which are similar to powder-metallurgy parts (Chapter 17), are fired slowly up toa temperature of about 1250°C to fuse the glass and develop structural strength.The wheels are then cooled slowly (to avoid thermal cracking), finished to size, in-spected for quality and dimensional accuracy, and tested for defects.

Wheels with vitrified bonds are strong, stiff, porous, and resistant to oils,acids, and water. However, they are brittle and lack resistance to mechanical andthermal shock. To improve their strength during use, vitrified wheels also are madewith steel-backing plates or cups for better structural support of the bonded abra-sive. The color of the grinding wheel can be modified by adding various elements


during its manufacture; in this way, wheels can be color coded for use with specificworkpiece materials, such as ferrous, nonferrous, ceramic, and so on.

Resinoid. Resinoid bonding materials are tlfermosetting resins and are available ina wide range of compositions and properties (Sections 7.4 and 7.7). Because thebond is an organic compound, wheels with resinoid bonds also are called organicWheels. The manufacturing technique for producing them consists basically of(a) mixing the abrasive with liquid or powdered phenolic resins and additives,(b) pressing the mixture into the shape of a grinding wheel, and (c) curing it at tem-peratures of about 175°C.

Because the elastic modulus of thermosetting resins is lower than that of glasses,resinoid wheels are more flexible than vitrified wheels. A more recent development is

the use of polyimide (Section 7.7) as a substitute for the phenolic in resinoid wheels;it is tougher and more resistant to higher temperatures. In addition to pressing,injection molding is another process used to manufacture grinding wheels (seeSections 17.3 and 193).

Reinforced Wheels. These wheels typically consist of one or more layers of#berglass mats of various mesh sizes. The fiberglass in this laminate structure pro-vides reinforcement in resinoid wheels by way of retarding the disintegration of thewheel should it break for some reason during use, rather than improving its strength.Large-diameter resinoid wheels can be supported additionally with one or more in-ternal rings made of round steel bars inserted during the molding of the wheel.

Thermoplastic. ln addition to thermsetting resins, thermoplastic bonds are used ingrinding wheels. Wheels are available with sol-gel abrasives bonded with thermo-plastics.

Rubber. The most flexible matrix used in abrasive wheels is rubber. The manufac-turing process consists of (a) mixing crude rubber, sulfur, and the abrasive grainstogether, (b) rolling the mixture into sheets, (c) cutting out disks of various diame-ters, and (d) heating the disks under pressure to vulcanize the rubber. Thin wheelscan be made in this manner and are used like saws for cutting-off operations (cutoffblades).

Metal. Using powder-metallurgy techniques, the abrasive grains (usually diamondor cubic boron nitride) are bonded to the periphery of a metal wheel to depths of6 mm or less, as shown in Fig. 26.5. Metal bonding is carried out under high pressureand temperature. The wheel itself (the core) may be made of aluminum, bronze, steel,ceramics, or composite materials--depending on requirements such as strength, stiff-ness, and dimensional stability. Superabrasive wheels may be layered so that a singleabrasive layer is plated or brazed to a metal wheel with a particular desired shape.Layered wheels are lower in cost and are used for small production quantities.

26.2.3 Wheel Grade and Structure

The grade of a bonded abrasive is a measure of its bond strength, including both thetype and the amount of bond in the wheel. Because strength and hardness are directlyrelated (see Section 2.6.2), the grade is also referred to as the hardness of a bondedabrasive. Thus, a hard wheel has a stronger bond and/or a larger amount of bondingmaterial between the grains than a soft wheel. The structure of a bonded abrasive is ameasure of its porosity (i.e., the spacing between the grains, as shown in Fig. 26.3).

Section 26.3 The Grinding Process 2

The structure of bonded abrasives ranges from dense to open, as shown in Fig. 26.6.As stated earlier, some porosity is essential to provide clearance for the grinding chips;otherwise, they would interfere with the grinding operation.

26.3 The Grinding Process

Grinding is a chip-removal process that uses an individual abrasive grain as the cut-ting tool (Fig. 26.8a). The major differences between the action of an abrasive grainand that of a single-point cutting tool can be summarized as follows:

° The individual abrasive grains have irregular shapes and are spaced randomlyalong the periphery of the wheel (Fig. 26.9).

° The average rake angle of the grains is highly negative, typically -60° or evenless. Consequently, grinding chips undergo much larger plastic deformationthan they do in other machining processes. (See Section 2l.2.)

° The radial positions of the grains over the peripheral surface of a wheel vary;thus, not all grains are active during grinding.

° Surface speeds (i.e., cutting speeds) in grinding are very high, typically 20 to30 m/s, and may be as high as 150 m/s in high-speed grinding using speciallydesigned and manufactured wheels.

The grinding process and its parameters can be observed best in the surface-grinding operation shown schematically in Fig. 26.10. A straight grinding wheel(Fig. 26.4a) with a diameter D removes a layer of metal at a depth d (wheel depthof cut). An individual grain on the periphery of the wheel moves at a tangentialvelocity V, while the workpiece moves at a velocity 1/. Each abrasive grain removesa small chip, which has an undeformed thickness (grain depth of cut), t, and anundeformed lengt//J, I.

From geometric relationships, it can be shown that the undeformed chiplength, I, in surface grinding (Fig. 26.10) is approximated by the equation Wear flat

ees, x<s_as, <ff>-1§°2ff *a w WOVKPIGCG _ 10 Mm " '

(H) (b)

FIGURE 26.8 (a) Grinding chip being produced by a single abrasive grain. Note the largenegative rake angle of the grain. The inscribed circle is 0.065 mm in diameter. (b) Schematicillustration of chip formation by an abrasive grain with a wear flat. Note the negative rakeangle of the grain and the small shear angle. Source: (a) After M.E. Merchant.


Grinding wheel

Grains

4AA

V’a\uia»*|~

‘ss==§;ss

. wengpieee

FIGURE 26.9 The surface of a grinding wheel FIGURE 26.|0 Schematic illustration of the surface-grinding(A46-JSV), showing abrasive grains, wheel porosity, process, showing various process variables. The figure depicts con-wear flats on grains, and metal chips from the ventional (up) grinding.workpiece adhering to the grains. Note the randomdistribution and shape of the abrasive grains.Magnification: 50><. Source: S. Kalpakjian.

and the undeformed chip thickness, t, by the equation

41/ a'= “m _ 26.2

Z \/<vCf>\/(D) l l

Where C is the number of cutting points per unit area of the periphery of the Wheel;generally, C is estimated to be in the range from 0.1 to 10 per mmf. The quantity r is

the ratio of chip width to average undeformed chip thickness and has an estimatedvalue typically between 10 and 20.

As an example, I and t can be calculated for the following process parameters:LetD = 200 mm, a' = 0.05 mm, 1/ = 30 m/min, and V = 1800 m/min. Using thepreceding formulas gives

l= \/ (200l(0.05l = 3.2 mm.

Assuming that C = 2 per mmz and that r = 15 results in

_ <4)<30) 0.05 _

t” (isoo)(2)(15> K _ 0006 mm

Because of plastic deformation, the actual chip will be shorter and thicker than thevalues calculated. (See Fig. 26.8.) It can be seen that grinding chips are much smallerthan those typically obtained in metal-cutting operations, as described in Chapter 21.

Grinding Forces. A knowledge of grinding forces is essential for

° Estimating povver requirements.° Designing grinding machines and vvork-holding fixtures and devices.° Determining the deflections that the vvorkpiece, as well as the grinding machine

itself, may undergo. Note that, unless accounted for, deflections adverselyaffect dimensional accuracy and are especially critical in precision and ultra-precision grinding.

Section 26.3

TABLE 26.2

Approximate Specifioenergy Requirements for Surface Grinding

Specific energy

Workpiece material Hardness W ~ s/mm3

Aluminum 150 HB 7-27Cast iron (class 40) 215 HB 12-60Low-carbon steel (1020) 1 1 0 HB 14-68Titanium alloy 3 00 HB 1 6-55Tool steel (T15) 67 HRC 18-82

If it is assumed that the cutting force on the grain is proportional to the cross-sectional area of the undeformed chip, it can be shown that the grain force (which is

tangential to the wheel) is proportional to the process variables:

Grain force <>< (%g>(UTS). (26.3)

Forces in grinding are usually much smaller than those in the machining oper-ations described in Chapters 23 and 24 because of the small dimensions involved.Grinding forces should be kept low in order to avoid distortion and to maintain thehigh dimensional accuracy of the workpiece.

Specific Energy. The energy dissipated in producing a grinding chip consists of theenergy required for the following actions:

° Chip formation° Plowing, as shown by the ridges formed in Fig. 26.11' Friction, caused by rubbing of the grain along the workpiece surface.

Note that after some use, the grains along the periphery of the wheel develop awear flat (Fig. 26.8b), a phenomenon that is similar to flank wear in cutting tools(Fig. 21.15). The wear flat continuously rubs along the ground surface, dissipatesenergy (because of friction), and makes the grinding operation less efficient.

Specific-energy requirements in grinding are defined as the energy per unit vol-ume of material ground from the workpiece surface and are shown in Table 26.2.Note that these specific-energy levels are much higher than those in the machining op-erations given in Table 21.2. This difference has been attributed to factors such as thepresence of a wear flat, high negative rake angles of the grains (which require moreenergy), and a possible contribution of the size effect (the smaller the chip, the higherthe energy required to produce it). Also, it has been observed that with effective lubri-

The Grinding Process 729

R.Chip idges

Workpiece

FIGURE 26.ll Chip forma-tion and plowing of the work-piece surface by an abrasivegrain.

cation, specific energies in grinding can be reduced by a factor of four or more.As shown in Example 26.1, the grinding force and the thrust force in grinding

can be calculated from the specific-energy data.

EXAMPLE 26.| Forces in Surface Grinding

A surface-grinding operation is being performedon low-carbon steel with a wheel of diameterD = 250 mm that is rotating at N = 4000 rpm and awidth of cut of 1/U = 25 mm. The depth of cut is

d = 0.05 mm and the feed rate of the workpiece, 11, is

1.5 rn/min. Calculate the cutting force (the force tan-gential to the wheel), FC, and the thrust force (theforce normal to the workpiece surface), F".

730

Solution The material-removal rate (MRR) is deter-mined as

MRR = du/v = (0.05)(25)(1500) = 1875 mm3

The power consumed is given by

Power = (u)(MRR),

where u is the specific energy, as obtained fromTable 26.2. (See also Section 21.3.) For low-carbonsteel, it is estimated to be 40 W - s/mm3. Thus,

3

Power = 40 Q 322 1875 23-mm 60 s min

By noting that IW = 1N-m/s = 60 N°m/min,

M u~,b ,,iy_i129.W<'=3f: <1-25 .X 1936925 7§=O0Q.}§iI1}}/m‘1?


Since power is defined as

Power = Tw,

where the torque T = FC D /2 and w is the rotationalspeed of the wheel in radians per minute (ru = 21rN It follows that

H175,000 = (P€)(2-3-($(21T)(4000) i-662651-H-_I

and therefore, FC = 24 N.The thrust force, F", can be calculated directly;

however, it also can be estimated by noting fromexperimental data in the technical literature that it is

about 30% higher than the cutting force, FC.

Consequently,

M Pn ~ il.-3><242.-: _.__§_1_._T.El;......r.r.._.r...._..._._.r_.

Temperature. The temperature rise in grinding is an important considerationbecause

0 It can adversely affect the surface properties of the workpiece, including metal-lurgical changes.

0 The temperature rise can cause residual stresses on the workpiece.0 Temperature gradients in the workpiece cause distortions due to thermal

expansion and contraction of the workpiece surface, thus making it difficultto control dimensional accuracy.

The surface-temperature rise (AT) in grinding is related to process variables by

the following expression:V 1/2

AT <>< D1/4d3/4<-> . (26.4)V

Thus, temperature increases with increasing depth of cut, d, wheel diameter, D, andwheel speed, V, and decreases with increasing workpiece speed, 1/. Note from thisequation that the depth of cut has the largest exponent; hence, it has the greatestinfluence on temperature.

Peak temperatures during grinding can reach 1600°C. However, the time in-volved in producing a chip is extremely short (microseconds), so the chip producedmay or may not melt. Because the chips carry away much of the heat generated (asdo chips formed in high-speed machining processes; see Section 25.5), only a frac-tion of the heat produced in grinding is conducted to the workpiece. If this was notthe case, it would be very difficult to grind workpieces with sufficient dimensionalaccuracy.

Sparks. The sparks produced when grinding metals are actually chips that glow,due to the exothermic (heat-producing) reaction of the hot chips with oxygen in theatmosphere. Sparks do not occur during grinding in an oxygen-free environment orwhen the workpiece material does not readily oxidize at elevated temperatures. The

Section 26.3

color, intensity, and shape of the sparks depend on the composition of the metalbeing ground. Charts are available that help identify the type of metal being groundfrom the appearance of its sparks. If the heat generated due to exothermic reactionis sufficiently high, chips can melt, acquire a spherical shape (because of surface ten-sion), and solidify as metal particles.

Tempering. An excessive temperature rise in grinding can cause tempering andsoftening of the workpiece surface. Process variables must be selected carefully inorder to avoid excessive temperature rise. The use of grinding fluids is an effectivemeans of controlling temperature.

Burning. Excessive temperature during grinding may burn the workpiece surface.A hurn is characterized by a bluish color on ground steel surfaces-an indicationthat high temperature caused oxidation. It can be detected by etching and metallur-gical techniques. A burn may not be objectionable in itself, unless surface layers haveundergone phase transformations (Chapter 4). For example, martensite forming inhigher carbon steels from rapid cooling is called a metallurgical hurn. This conditionwill adversely influence the surface properties of ground parts, reducing surface duc-tility and toughness.

Heat Checking. High temperatures in grinding may cause the workpiece surface todevelop cracks; this condition is known as heat checking. The cracks usually areperpendicular to the grinding direction. Under severe conditions, however, parallelcracks also may appear. As expected, such a surface lacks toughness and has lowfatigue and corrosion resistance. (Note that heat checking also occurs in dies duringdie casting, as described in Section 11.4.5.)

Residual Stresses. Temperature gradients within the workpiece during grindingare primarily responsible for residual stresses. Grinding fluids and their method ofapplication, as well as process parameters such as depth of cut and speeds, signifi-cantly influence the magnitude and type of residual stresses developed (tension orcompression). Because of the adverse effect of tensile residual stresses on fatiguestrength, process variables should be selected carefully. Residual stresses usuallycan be reduced by lowering wheel speed and increasing workpiece speed (calledlow-stress grinding or gentle grinding). Softer grade wheels (known as free-cuttingwheels) also may be used.

26.3.I Grinding-wheel WearSimilar to the wear on cutting tools, grinding-wheel wear is an important consider-ation because it adversely affects the shape and dimensional accuracy of ground sur-faces. Grinding-wheel wear is caused by three different mechanisms: attritious grainwear, grain fracture, and bond fracture.

Attritious Grain Wear. In attritious wear, which is similar to flank wear in cuttingtools (see Fig. 21.15), the cutting edges of an originally sharp grain become dull anddevelop a wear flat (Fig. 26.8b). Wear involves both physical and chemical reac-tions, and is caused by the interaction of the grain with the workpiece material. Thereactions are complex and involve diffusion, chemical degradation or decomposi-tion of the grain, fracture at a microscopic scale, plastic deformation, and melting.

Attritious wear is low when the two materials (grain and workpiece) arechemically inert with respect to each other, much like what has been observed withcutting tools. The more inert the materials, the lower the tendency for reaction and

The Grinding Process

Z Chapter 26 Abrasive Machining and Finishing Operations

adhesion to occur between the grain and the workpiece. For example, because alu-minum oxide is relatively inert with respect to iron, its rate of attritious wear whenit is used to grind steels is much lower than that of silicon carbide and diamond. By

contrast, silicon carbide can dissolve in iron, so it is not suitable for grinding steels.Cubic boron nitride has a higher inertness with respect to steels; hence, it is suitablefor use as an abrasive.

Therefore, the selection of the type of abrasive for low attritious wear is basedon the reactivity of the grain with the workpiece and on their relative mechanicalproperties, such as hardness and toughness. The environment and the type of grind-ing fluid used also have an influence on grain-workpiece interactions.

Grain Fracture. Because abrasive grains are brittle, their fracture characteristics in

grinding are important. If the wear flat caused by attritious wear is excessive, thegrain becomes dull and grinding becomes inefficient and produces undesirably hightemperatures.

Ideally, the grain should fracture or fragment at a moderate rate, so that newsharp cutting edges are produced continuously during grinding. This is equivalent tobreaking a dull piece of chalk or a stone into two or more pieces in order to exposenew sharp edges. Section 26.2 described the friability of abrasives (the extent towhich they are self-sharpening) as an important factor in effective grinding.

The selection of grain type and size for a particular application also dependson the attritious-wear rate. A grain-workpiece material combination with highattritious wear and low grain friability dulls grains and develops a large wear flat.Grinding then becomes inefficient, and surface damage (such as burning) is likely tooccur.

Bond Fracture. The strength of the bond (grade) is a significant parameter in

grinding. If the bond is too strong, dull grains cannot be dislodged. This preventsother sharp grains along the circumference of the grinding wheel from contactingthe workpiece to remove chips, and the grinding process becomes inefficient. On theother hand, if the bond is too weak, the grains are dislodged easily, and the wearrate of the wheel increases. In this case, maintaining dimensional accuracy becomesdifficult.

In general, softer bonds are recommended for harder materials and for reduc-ing residual stresses and thermal damage to the workpiece. Hard-grade wheels areused for softer materials and for removing large amounts of material at high rates.

26.3.2 Grinding Ratio

Grinding~wheel wear is generally correlated with the amount of workpiece materialground by a parameter called the grinding ratio, G, defined as

Volume of material removed

G _ Volume of wheel wear ' (265)

In practice, grinding ratios vary widely, ranging from 2 to 200 and even higher, de-pending on the type of wheel, workpiece material, grinding fluid, and processparameters (such as depth of cut and speeds of the wheel and workpiece). It has beenshown that effective grinding fluids can increase the grinding ratio by a factor of 10

or more, thus greatly improving wheel life.During grinding, a particular wheel may act soft (i.e., exhibit high wear) or act

hard (exhibit low wear), regardless of the wheel grade. Note, for example, that anordinary pencil acts soft when writing on rough paper and acts hard when writingon soft paper-even though it is the same pencil. Acting hard or soft is a function of

Section 26.3

the force on the individual grain on the periphery of the wheel. The higher the force,the greater the tendency for the grains to fracture or be dislodged from the wheelsurface, the higher the wheel wear, and the lower the grinding ratio. FromEq. (263), note that the grain force increases with the strength of the workpiecematerial, work speed, and depth of cut and decreases with increasing wheel speedand wheel diameter. Thus, a grinding wheel acts soft when v and d increase or whenV and D decrease.

Note also that attempting to obtain a high grinding ratio in practice (so as toextend wheel life) isn’t always desirable, because high ratios may indicate graindulling and thus possible surface damage of the workpiece. A lower ratio may be

The Grinding Process

acceptable when an overall technical and economic analysis justifies it.

EXAMPLE 26.2 Action of a Grinding Wheel

A surface-grinding operation is being carried out withthe wheel running at a constant spindle speed. Willthe wheel act soft or hard as the wheel wears downover time? Assume that the depth of cut, d, remainsconstant and the wheel is dressed periodically (seeSection 26.3.3).

Solution Referring to Eq. (26.3), note that theparameters which change over time in this operation

are the wheel diameter, D, and its surface speed, VAs D becomes smaller, the relative grain force in-creases; thus, the wheel acts softer. To accommodatethe changes due to the reduction of wheel diameterover time or to make provisions for using wheelsof different diameters, some grinding machines areequipped with variable-speed spindle motors.

26.3.3 Dressing, Truing, and Shaping of Grinding WheelsDressing is the process of

° Conditioning worn grains on the surface of a grinding wheel by producingsharp new edges on grains so that they cut more effectively.

° Truing, which is producing a true circle on a wheel that has become out ofround.

Dressing is necessary when excessive attritious wear dulls the wheel (calledglazing because of the shiny appearance of the wheel surface) or when the wheelbecomes loaded. For softer wheels, truing and dressing are done separately, but forharder wheels (such as CBN), both are done in one operation.

Loading of a grinding wheel occurs when the porosities on the wheel surfaces(Fig. 26.9) become filled or clogged with chips from the workpiece. Loading canoccur in grinding soft materials or from improper selection of wheels or processparameters. A loaded wheel cuts inefficiently and generates much frictional heat,which results in surface damage and loss of dimensional accuracy of the workpiece.

The techniques used to dress grinding wheels are as follows:

° A specially shaped diamond-point tool or diamond cluster is moved across thewidth of the grinding face of a rotating wheel and removes a small layer fromthe wheel surface with each pass. This method can be performed either dry orwet, depending on whether the wheel is to be used dry or wet, respectively. Inpractice, however, the wear of the diamond can be significant with harderwheels, in which case a diamond disk or cup wheel can be used.

° A set of star-shaped steel disks is pressed manually against the wheel. Materialis removed from the wheel surface by crushing the grains. As a result, this


method produces a coarse surface on the wheel and is used only for roughgrinding operations on bench or pedestal grinders.

° Abrasive sticks may be used to dress grinding wheels, particularly softerwheels. However, this technique is not appropriate for precision grindingoperations.

° Dressing techniques for metal-bonded diamond wheels involve the use ofelectrical-discharge and electrochemical machining techniques, as described in

Chapter 27. These processes erode away very thin layers of the metal bond andthus expose new diamond cutting edges.

° Dressing for form grinding involves crush dressing or crush forming. Theprocess consists of pressing a metal roll on the surface of the grinding wheel,which typically is a vitrified wheel. The roll (which usually is made of high-speedsteel, tungsten carbide, or boron carbide) has a machined or ground profile(form) on its periphery. Thus, it reproduces a replica of this profile on the surfaceof the grinding wheel being dressed. (See Section 26.4.)

Dressing techniques and their frequency are important for quality, because theyaffect grinding forces and workpiece surface finish. Modern computer~controlledgrinders are equipped with automatic dressing features, which dress the wheel continu-ally as grinding progresses. The first contact of the dressing tool with the grinding wheelis very important, as it determines the nature of the new surface produced. This actionusually is monitored precisely by using piezoelectric or acoustic-emission sensors(Section 37.7). Furthermore, features such as vibration sensors, power monitors, andstrain gages also are used in the dressing setup of high-precision grinding machines.

For a typical aluminum-oxide wheel, the depth removed during dressing is onthe order of 5 to 15 /rm, but for a CBN wheel, it would be 2 to 10 /sim. Conse-quently, modern dressing systems have a resolution as low as 0.25 to 1 /rm.

Grinding wheels can be shaped to the form to be ground on the workpiece(Section 26.4). The grinding face on the Type 1 straight wheel shown in Fig. 26.4a is

cylindrical; therefore, it produces a flat surface. However, the surface can be shapedinto various forms by dressing it (Fig. 26 .12a). Although templates have been used forthis purpose, modern grinders commonly are equipped with computer-controlledshaping features. Unless it already has the desired form, the diamond dressing tooltraverses the wheel face automatically along a certain prescribed path (Fig. 26.12b)and produces very accurate surfaces. Note in Fig. 26.12b that the axis of the diamonddressing tool remains normal to the grinding-wheel face at the point of contact.

26.3.4 Grindability of Materials and Wheel Selection

The term grindability of materials, like the terms mac/Jinability (Section 21.7) orforgeability (Section 14.5 ) is difficult to define precisely. Grindability is a generalindicator of how easy it is to grind a material and includes considerations such asthe quality of the surface produced, surface finish, surface integrity, wheel wear,cycle time, and overall economics of the operation. As in machinability, grindabilityof a material can be enhanced greatly by proper selection of process parameters(Table 26.3), grinding wheels, and grinding fluids, as well as by using the appropri-ate machine characteristics, fixturing methods, and work-holding devices.

Grinding practices are now well established for a wide variety of metallicand nonmetallic materials, including newly developed aerospace materials and com-posites. Specific recommendations for selecting wheels and appropriate processparameters for metals can be found in various handbooks, manufacturers’ litera-ture, and references in the bibliography of this chapter.

Section 26.3 The Grinding Process Single-point 'Y Fixed-angle Rotary dressing dressing diamond swivelling dresser unit for dressing for dressing forms to dress forms hard grinding up to 60° on both é upto 90° on both 0 wheels or for sides ofthe k O sides ofthe an high-volume grinding wheel gt 50 grinding wheel production

Grinding wheelrggg Dressing tool Precision Shaped diamond Silicon-carbide radius dresser roll dressing for gi or diamond dressing for single- and high-volume T wheel for dressing twin-track production ” either diamond or bearing | I CBN grinding production a w w __ wheels

qi Dressing wheel Dressing wheei

(H)

Diamonddressing tool

Grinding ~, H

aff t i< tt,tu ttt.et (D)

FIGURE 26.|2 (a) Forms of grinding-wheel dressing. (b) Shaping the grinding face of a

Wheel by dressing it by computer control. Note that the diamond dressing tool is normal tothe surface at the point of contact with the Wheel. Source: Courtesy of Okuma MachineryWorks, Ltd.

TABLE 26.3

Typicai Ranges of Speeds and Feeds for Abrasive Processes

Grinding, Grinding,Process variable conventional creep-feed Polishing Buffing

Wheel speed (m/min) 1500-3000 1500-3000 1500-2400 1800-3500Work speed (m/min) 10-60 0.1-1 - -Feed (mm/pass) 0.01-0.05 1-6 - -

Wheel selection involves not only the shape of the Wheel and the shape of thepart to be produced, but the characteristics of the workpiece material as well. Onthe basis of the discussion thus far, it can be seen that the physical and mechanicalproperties of the workpiece material are important in the selection of a type of abra-sive and a bond.


TABLE 26.4

Ductile-regime Grinding. Ceramics can be ground with relative ease using dia-mond wheels, as well as carefully selected process parameters. It has been shown,for example, that with light passes and machines with high stiffness and dampingcapacity, it is possible to produce continuous chips and good surface integrity by

grinding brittle materials (Fig. 26.11) in a process known as ductile-regime grinding.However, because ceramic chips are typically 1 to 10 /.im in size, they are more dif-

ficult to remove from grinding fluids than metal chips and require fine filters andspecial techniques.

26.4 Grinding Operations and Machines

The selection of a grinding process and machine for a particular application dependson the workpiece shape and features, size, ease of fixturing, and production rate re-

quired (Table 26.4). Modern grinding machines are computer controlled and havefeatures such as automatic workpiece loading and unloading, part clamping, dressing,and wheel shaping. Grinders also can be equipped with probes and gages for deter-

mining the relative position of the wheel and workpiece surfaces (see also Fig. 25 .6),

as well as with tactile-sensing features, whereby diamond dressing-tool breakage (for

example) can be detected readily during the dressing cycle.The relative movement of the wheel may be along the surface of the workpiece

(traverse grinding, through-feed grinding, or cross-feeding), or the wheel may moveradially into the workpiece (plunge grinding). Surface grinders make up the largestpercentage of grinders used in industry, followed by bench grinders (usually with two

wheels at each end of the spindle), cylindrical grinders, and tool and cutter grinders-the least common being internal grinders.

Surface Grinding. Surface grinding is one of the most common operations(Fig. 26.13), generally involving the grinding of flat surfaces. Typically, the

workpiece is secured on a magnetic chuck attached to the worktable of the grinder

General Characteristics of Abrasive Machining Processes and Machines

Typical maximum dimensions,Process Characteristics length and diameter (m)*

Surface Flat surfaces on most materials; production rate depends on table size Reciprocating table L: 6

grinding and level of automation; labor skill depends on part complexity; Rotary table D: 3

production rate is high on vertical-spindle rotary-table machinesCylindrical Round workpieces with stepped diameters; low production fate unless \X/orkpiece D: 0.8,

grinding automated; low to medium labor skill roll grinders D: 1.8,universal grinders D: 2.5

Centerless Round and slender workpieces; high production rate; low to medium Workpiece D: 0.8

labor skill

Internal Holes in workpiece; low production rate; low to medium labor skill Hole D: 2

Honing Holes in workpiece; low production rate; low labor skill Spindle D: 1.2

Lapping Flat, cylindrical, or curved workpieces; high production rate; low labor Table D: 3.7

skillUltrasonic Holes and cavities with various shapes; suitable for hard and brittle -

machining materials; medium labor skill

’“ Larger capacities are available for special applications.

Section 26.4 Grinding Operations and Machines 737

Workpieces

Workpiece Workpiece ROTGVY table

Horizontal-spindle surface Horizontal-spindle surfacegrinder: Traverse grinding grinder: Plunge grinding

la) lb) (C)

FIGURE 26.13 Schematic illustrations of various surface-grinding operations. (a) Traversegrinding with a horizontal-spindle surface grinder. (b) Plunge grinding with a horizontal-spindle surface grinder, producing a groove in the Workpiece. (c) A vertical-spindle rotary-table grinder (also known as the Blanchard type).

(Fig. 26.14); nonmagnetic materials are held by vises, vacu-um chucks, or some other fixture. A straight Wheel is

mounted on the horizontal spindle of the surface grinder.Traverse grinding occurs as the table reciprocates longitudi-nally and is fed laterally (in the direction of the spindleaxis) after each stroke. In plunge grinding, the wheel is

moved radially into the Workpiece, as it is when grinding agroove (Fig. 26.13b).

In addition to the surface grinder shown in Fig. 26.14,other types include vertical spindles and rotary tables(referred to as the Blanchard type, Fig. 26.13c). Theseconfigurations allow a number of pieces to be ground in

one setup. Steel balls for ball bearings, for example, areground in special setups and at high production rates(Fig. 2615).

Wheel guard ---\Worktable

Workpiece

Saddle

- Wheel head

Column

Wheel

Feed- Bed

FIGURE 26.I4 Schematic illustration of a horizontal-spindle surface grinder.

Rough-ground__ balls lo \ efser srrs °\ 0 'i" "i‘i; G' d' .ff vlliieglg °

0 G

Guide for bans i Finish-ground balls

(2) (D)

FIGURE 26.I5 (a) Rough grinding of steel balls on a vertical-sp indle grinder. The balls areguided by a special rotary fixture. (b) Finish grinding of balls in a multiple-groove fixture.The balls are ground to within 0.013 mm of their final size.

738 Chapter 26

- »

Abrasive Machining and Finishing Operations

Movements

J is_, 4- Grindingwheel

4-> ifi ' (H)

-/

(D)

FIGURE 26.l6 Examples of various cylindrical-grinding operations: (a) traverse grinding,(b) plunge grinding, and (c) profile grinding. Source: Courtesy of Okuma MachineryWorks, Ltd.

Grinding wheel

§;7§f1.; 3% ef 1 ",, gi; f_,1 {;.;s:.¢:' $;!i;|i1l1|i |L. ..q _ _

Workpiece

FIGURE 26.1 7 Plunge grinding ofa work-piece on a cylindrical grinder with thewheel dressed to a stepped shape.

heel

FIGURE 26.l8 Schematic illustration of grinding a

noncylindrical part on a cylindrical grinder with com-puter controls to produce the shape. The part rotationand the distance x between centers are varied and syn-chronized to grind the particular workpiece shape.

.T.<+

Cylindrical Grinding. In cylindrical grinding (also called center-typegrinding, Fig. 26.16; see also Fig. 26.2), the external cylindrical sur-faces and shoulders of workpieces such as crankshaft bearings, spin-dles, pins, and bearing rings are ground. The rotating cylindricalworkpiece reciprocates laterally along its axis to cover the width to beground. In roll grinders used for large and long workpieces such asrolls for rolling mills (see Fig. 13.1), the grinding wheel reciprocates.These machines are capable of grinding rolls as large as 1.8 m in

diameter.The workpiece in cylindrical grinding is held between centers or

in a chuck, or it is mounted on a faceplate in the headstock of thegrinder. For straight cylindrical surfaces, the axes of rota-tion of the wheel and workpiece are parallel. The wheeland workpiece are each driven by separate motors and atdifferent speeds. Long workpieces with two or more di-

ameters can be ground on cylindrical grinders. As formgrinding and plunge grinding, cylindrical grinding alsocan produce shapes in which the wheel is dressed to theworkpiece form to be ground (Fig. 26.17).

Cylindrical grinders are identified by the maximumdiameter and length of the workpiece that can beground-as are engine lathes. In universal grinders, boththe workpiece and the wheel axes can be moved andswiveled around a horizontal plane, thus permitting thegrinding of tapers and other shapes.

With computer control, noncylindrical parts such ascams can be ground on rotating workpieces. As illustratedin Fig. 26.18, the workpiece spindle speed is synchronized

such that the radial distance, x, between the work-piece and the wheel axes is varied continuously toproduce a particular shape, such as the one shown.

Thread grinding is done on cylindrical grindersusing specially dressed wheels matching the shapeof the threads, as shown in Fig. 26.19. (See alsocenterless grinding.) Although expensive, threadsproduced by grinding are the most accurate of anymanufacturing process and have a very fine surfacefinish; typical applications requiring such threadsinclude ballscrew mechanisms used for precise

Section 26.4 Grinding Operations and Machines 739

/Grinding whee|\

,_ giiiiiiilsra n giliiiiligia

(fi) (bl

FIGURE 26.l9 Thread grinding by (a) traverse and (b) plungegrinding.

movement of machine components. The workpiece and wheel movements aresynchronized to produce the pitch of the thread, usually in about six passes.

EXAMPLE 26.3 Cycle Patterns in Cylindrical Grinding

As in most grinding operations, the grinding wheel incylindrical grinding typically makes several passesalong a path in order to produce the final geometryon the workpiece. Figure 26.20 illustrates the cyclepatterns for producing various shapes on a multifunc-tional, computer-controlled precision grinder. Thedownward arrowheads with numbers indicate thebeginning ofthe grinding cycle.

The determination of the optimum and mosteconomical pattern for minimum cycle time dependson the amount of material to be removed, the shape ofthe part, and the process parameters chosen. Thesepatterns are generated automatically by the software inthe computer controls of the grinder.

Source: Courtesy of Toyoda Machinery

1 3 5

Relativemovement 4 6

p Grinding

‘AVV: eceT :ir VSAEVSVJ VEVES V:`VV

L 1 2

7 9 11

/ 10

FIGURE 26.20 Cycle patterns for a CNC precision grinder.

Internal Grinding. In internal grinding (Fig. 26.21), a small wheel is used to grindthe inside diameter of the part, such as in bushings and bearing races. The work-piece is held in a rotating chuck and the wheel rotates at 30,000 rpm or higher.Internal profiles also can be ground with profile-dressed wheels that move radially


Workpiece Wheel§*

F"

(a) Traverse grinding

Workpiece Ti; wnee

(b) Plunge grinding

Work iece Wheel |, ,fp

(c) Profile grinding

FIGURE 26.2l Schematic illustra-tions of internal grinding operations:(a) traverse grinding, (b) plungegrinding, and (c) profile grinding.

into the workpiece. The headstock of internal grinders can be swiveled on a

horizontal plane to grind tapered holes.

Centerless Grinding. Centerless grinding is a high-production process forcontinuously grinding cylindrical surfaces in which the workpiece is support-ed not by centers (hence the term “centerless”) or chucks, but by a blade(Figs. 26.22a and b). Typical parts made by centerless grinding are rollerbearings, piston pins, engine valves, camshafts, and similar components.Parts with diameters as small as 0.1 mm can be ground. Centerless grinders(Fig. 26.22d) are capable of wheel surface speeds on the order of 10,000m/min, typically using cubic boron nitride abrasive wheels.

In through-feed grinding, the workpiece is supported on a work-restblade and is ground between two wheels. Grinding is done by the largerwheel, while the smaller wheel regulates the axial movement of the work-piece. The regulating wheel (which is rubber bonded) is tilted and runs at a

speed of only about one-twentieth of the grinding-wheel speed.Parts with variable diameters (such as bolts, valve tappets, and multiple-

diameter shafts) can be ground by centerless grinding in a process calledinfeed or plunge grinding (Fig. 26.22b). This operation is similar to plunge or

form grinding on cylindrical grinders. Tapered pieces are centerless ground by

end-feed grinding. High-production-rate thread grinding also can be donewith centerless grinders using specially dressed wheels. In internal centerlessgrinding, the workpiece is supported between three rolls and is ground inter-nally; typical applications are sleeve-shaped parts and rings (Fig. 26.22c).

Creep-feed Grinding. Grinding traditionally has been associated with smallrates of material removal (Table 26.3) and fine finishing operations. However,grinding can also be used for large-scale metal-removal operations similar to,and competing with, milling, broaching, and planing. In creep-feed grinding,the wheel depth of cut, d, is as much as 6 mm and the workpiece speed is low(Fig. 26.23). To keep workpiece temperatures low and improve surface finish,

the wheels are softer grade resin bonded and have an open structure.The machines for creep-feed grinding have special features, such as power up to

225 kW high stiffness (because of the high forces due to the large depth of materialremoved), high damping capacity, variable spindle and worktable speeds, and amplecapacity for grinding fluids. Grinders are equipped with features for continuouslydressing the wheel, using a diamond roll as the dressing tool.

Creep-feed grinding can be competitive with other machining processes andeconomical for specific applications, such as grinding shaped punches, key seats,twist-drill flutes, the roots of turbine blades (Fig. 26.23c), and various complexsuperalloy parts. Because the wheel is dressed to the shape of the workpiece to be

produced, the workpiece does not have to be previously shaped by milling, shaping,or broaching. Near-net-shape castings and forgings are thus suitable for creep-feedgrinding. Although a single grinding pass generally is sufficient, a second pass maybe necessary for improved surface finish.

Heavy Stock Removal by Grinding. Grinding can also be used for heavy stockremoval by increasing process parameters. This operation can be economical in

specific applications and can compete favorably with machining processes, particu-larly milling, turning, and broaching. In this operation, surface finish is of secondaryimportance and the grinding wheel (or belt) is utilized to its fullest while minimizingcost per piece. The dimensional tolerances are on the same order as those obtained

Through-feed grinding Plunge grinding

Grindingwheel

FeedGrinding it /'wheel

g`A_g Stop iiie " it

Work-rest blade i diiii Regulating

Regulating wheel wheel

la) (D)

internal grinding

Pressure y ro" Regulating Wheel Grinder shaft

Workpieoe(revolves clockwise)

Support roll

(C) (U)

FIGURE 26.22 Schematic illustrations of centerless grinding operations: (a) through-feedgrinding, (b) plunge grinding, (c) and internal grinding; (d) a computer numerical-controlcylindrical-grinding machine. Source: Courtesy of Cincinnati Milacron, Inc.

Grinding wheel

Groove

d = 1 - 6 mm

Low work speed, V\ Workpiece /(fi) (D) (C)

FIGURE 26.23 (a) Schematic illustration of the creep-feed grinding process. Note the largewheel depth of cut, d. (b) A shaped groove produced on a flat surface by creep-feed grindingin one pass. Groove depth is typically on the order of a few mm. (c) An example of creep-feedgrinding with a shaped wheel. This operation also can be performed by some of the processesdescribed in Chapter 27. Source: Courtesy of Blohm, Inc.


by most machining processes. Heavy stock removal by grinding is also performed onwelds, castings, and forgings to smoothen weld beads and remove flash.

EXAMPLE 26.4 Grinding versus Hard Turning

In Section 25.6, hard turning was described. An ex-ample is the machining of heat-treated steels (usuallyabove 45 HRC) using a single-point polycrystallinecubic boron nitride cutting tool. In view of the discus-sions presented thus far, it is evident that grinding andhard turning can be competitive in specific applica-tions. Consequently, there has been considerable de-bate regarding the respective merits of the twoprocesses.

Hard turning continues to be increasingly com-petitive with grinding, and dimensional tolerancesand surface finish are beginning to approach thoseobtained with grinding. As seen by comparingTables 21.2 and 26.2, turning requires much lessenergy than grinding. Also, thermal and other typesof damage to the workpiece surface is less likely to

occur, cutting fluids may not be necessary, and themachine tools are less expensive. In addition, finish-ing the part while it is still chucked in the lathe elim-inates the need for material handling and setting thepart in the grinder.

However, work-holding devices for large andslender workpieces during hard turning can presentsignificant problems because the cutting forces usedare higher than grinding forces. Furthermore, toolWear and its control can be a significant problemcompared with the automatic dressing of grindingwheels. It is evident that the competitive position ofhard turning versus grinding has to be evaluatedindividually for each application in terms of pro-duct surface finish, integrity, quality, and overalleconomics.

Other Grinding Operations. Various operations that are carried out on specialpurpose grinders are summarized as follows:

Universal tool and cutter grinders are used for grinding single-point or multi-point tools and cutters, including drills. They are equipped with special work-holding devices for accurate positioning of the tools to be ground. A variety ofCNC tool grinders is available, making the operation simpler and faster andwith consistent results. However, the cost of these grinders ranges from about$150,000 tO $400,000.Tool-post grinders are self-contained units and usually are attached to the toolpost of a lathe (as in Fig. 23.2). The workpiece is mounted on the headstockand is ground by moving the tool post. These grinders are versatile, but thelathe components should be protected from abrasive debris.Su/ing-frame grinders are used in foundries for grinding large castings. Roughgrinding of castings is called snagging and is usually done on /‘loorstand grindersusing Wheels as large as 0.9 m in diameter.Portable grinders are driven pneumatically, electrically, or with a flexible shaftconnected to an electric motor or a gasoline engine. They are used for opera-tions such as grinding off weld beads and cutting-off operations using thinabrasive disks.Bench and pedestal grinders are used for the routine offhand grinding of toolsand small parts. They usually are equipped with two wheels mounted on thetwo ends of the shaft of an electric motor. Generally, one wheel is coarse forrough grinding and the other is fine for finish grinding.

Grinding Fluids. The functions of grinding fluids are similar to those of cuttingfluids, as described in Section 22.12. Although grinding and other abrasive-removalprocesses can be performed dry, the use of a fluid is important because it

Reduces temperature rise in the workpiece.Improves part surface finish and dimensional accuracy.

Section 26.4 Grinding Operations and Machines

TABLE 26.5

General Recommendations for Grinding Fluids

Material Grinding fluid

Aluminum E, EP

Copper CSN, E, MO + FOMagnesium D, MONickel CSN, EP

Refractory metals EP

Steels CSN, E

Titanium CSN, E

D = dry; E = emulsion; EP = extreme pressure; CSN = chemicals andsynthetics; MO = mineral oil; FO = fatty oil. (See also Section 33.7.)

° Improves the efficiency of the operation by reducing wheel wear and loadingand by lowering power consumption.

Grinding fluids are typically water-based emulsions for general grinding andoils for thread grinding (Table 26.5). They may be applied as a stream (flood) or asmist (which is a mixture of fluid and air). Because of the high surface speedsinvolved, an airstream (air blanket) around the periphery of the wheel usuallyprevents the fluid from reaching the wheel-workpiece interface. Special nozzles thatconform to the shape of the cutting surface of the grinding wheel have been designedin which the grinding fluid is applied under high pressure.

There can be a significant rise in the temperature of water-based grindingfluids as they remove heat from the grinding zone. This can cause the workpiece toexpand, making it difficult to control dimensional tolerances. To maintain a moreuniform workpiece temperature, a common method is to use refrigerating systems(Chillers) through which the grinding fluid is circulated continuously and maintainedat a roughly constant temperature. As described in Section 22.12, the biological andecological aspects of disposing of, treating, and recycling, metalworking fluids areimportant considerations in their selection and use. The practices employed mustcomply with federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

Grinding Chatter. Chatter is particularly important in grinding operations becauseit adversely affects surface finish and wheel performance. Studying chatter marks onground surfaces often can identify their source, which may include (a) the bearingsand spindles of the grinding machine, (b) nonuniformities in the grinding wheel (asmanufactured), (c) uneven wheel wear, (d) poor dressing techniques, (e) using grind-ing wheels that are not balanced properly, and (f) external sources (such as nearbymachinery). The grinding operation itself can cause regenerative chatter, as it doesin machining.

The important factors in controlling chatter are the stiffness of the grindingmachine, the stiffness of work-holding devices, and damping. General guidelineshave been established to reduce the tendency for chatter in grinding, especially(a) using soft-grade wheels, (b) dressing the wheel frequently, (c) changing dressingtechniques, (d) reducing the material-removal rate, and (e) supporting the workpiecerigidly.

Safety in Grinding Operations. Because grinding wheels are brittle and rotate athigh speeds, they can fracture and cause serious injury. Certain procedures musttherefore be followed carefully in their handling, storage, and use, and failure to


follovv these procedures and the instructions and Warnings printed on individualwheel labels may result in serious injury or fatality. Grinding Wheels should be

stored properly and protected from environmental extremes, such as high tempera-ture or humidity. They should be inspected visually for cracks and damage prior toinstalling them on grinders. Vitrified Wheels should be tested prior to use by ringingthem (i.e., supporting them at the hole, tapping them gently, and listening to thesound). A damaged Wheel will have a flat ring to it-similar to that of a crackeddinner plate.

Damage to a grinding Wheel can reduce its bursting speed severely. Defined asthe surface speed at which a freely rotating wheel bursts (explodes), the burstingspeed (expressed in rpm) depends on the type of Wheel-that is, its bond, grade, andstructure. In diamond and CBN Wheels (Fig. 26.5 ), which are operated at high sur-face speeds, the type of core material used in the Wheel affects the bursting speed.Metal cores, for example, have the highest bursting speed-on the order of about250 m/s.

26.5 Design Considerations for Grinding

Design considerations for grinding operations are similar to those for machiningthat were described in various sections in Chapters 23 and 24. In addition, specificattention should be given to the following:

° Parts to be ground should be designed so that they can be mounted securely,either in chucks, magnetic tables, or suitable fixtures and Work-holdingdevices. Thin, straight, or tubular Workpieces may distort during grinding,thus requiring special attention.

° If high dimensional accuracy is required, interrupted surfaces (such as holesand keyways) should be avoided, as they can cause vibrations and chatter.

° Parts for cylindrical grinding should be balanced, and long and slender designsshould be avoided to minimize deflections. Fillets and corner radii should be aslarge as possible, or relief should be provided for them by prior machining.

° In centerless grinding, short pieces may be difficult to grind accurately becausethe blade does not support them. In through-feed grinding, only the largestdiameter on the parts can be ground.

° Designs requiring accurate form grinding should be kept simple to avoidfrequent form dressing of the wheel.

° Deep and small holes, and blind holes requiring internal grinding, should beavoided, or they should include a relief.

In general, designs should require that a minimum amount of material beremoved by grinding-except creep-feed grinding. Moreover, in order to maintaingood dimensional accuracy, designs preferably should allow for all grinding to bedone without having to reposition the workpiece. (This guideline is applicable to allmanufacturing processes and operations.)

26.6 Ultrasonic Machining

In ultrasonic machining (UM), material is removed from a surface by microchip-ping and erosion with loose, fine abrasive grains in a Water slurry (Fig. 26.24a).The tip of the tool (called a sonotrode) vibrates at a frequency of 20 kHz and a low

Section 26.6 Ultrasonic Machining

Glass-graphitePower H Transducer epoxy CompositeSupply :lg _ _ mass 12mmi eoii 5° mm

Abrasive diameter ` Tool f slurry iii r r g Slots 0.64-1.5 mm Holes 0.4 mm

workpiece in diameter

(3) (D) (C)

FIGURE 26.24 (a) Schematic illustration of the ultrasonic machining process. (b) and(c) Types of parts made by this process. Note the small size of the holes produced.

amplitude of 0.0125 to 0.075 mm. This vibration imparts a high velocity to abra-sive grains between the tool and the workpiece. The stress produced by the impactof abrasive particles on the workpiece surface is high because (a) the time of con-tact between the particle and the surface is very short (10 to 100 /zs) and (b) thearea of contact is very small. In brittle materials, these impact stresses are suffi-ciently high to cause microchipping and erosion of the workpiece surface.

Ultrasonic machining is best suited for materials that are hard and brittle, suchas ceramics, carbides, precious stones, and hardened steels. Two applications ofultrasonic machining are shown in Figs. 26.2413 and c. A special tool is required foreach shape to be produced; hence it is also called a form tool. The tip of the tool(which is attached to a transducer through the roolholder) usually is made of mildsteel.

The abrasive grains are typically boron carbide, although aluminum oxide orsilicon carbide grains are also used, with sizes ranging from grit number 100 forroughing to grit number 1000 for finishing operations. The grains are carried in awater slurry with concentrations of 20 to 60% by volume; the slurry also carries thedebris away from the cutting zone.

Rotary Ultrasonic Machining. In this process, the abrasive slurry is replaced by atool with metal-bonded diamond abrasives either impregnated or electroplated onthe tool surface. The tool is vibrated ultrasonically and rotated at the same timewhile being pressed against the workpiece surface at a constant pressure. Theprocess is similar to a face-milling operation (Fig. 24.5 ), but with the inserts beingreplaced by abrasives. The chips produced are washed away by a coolant that is

pumped through the core of the rotating tool. Rotary ultrasonic machining (RUM)is particularly effective in producing deep holes and high material-removal rates inceramic parts.

Design Considerations for Ultrasonic Machining. The basic design guidelines forUM include the following:

° Avoid sharp profiles, corners, and radii, because these are eroded by the abra-sive slurry.

° Realize that holes produced will have some taper.° Note that, because of the tendency for the chipping of brittle materials at the

exit end of holes machined, the bottom of the parts should have a backupplate.


26.7 Finishing Operations

In addition to those described thus far, several processes that utilize fine abrasivegrains are used on workpieces as the final finishing operation. However, these oper-ations can significantly affect production time and product cost. Thus, they shouldbe specified with due consideration to their costs and benefits.

Coated Abrasives. Common examples of coated abrasives are sandpaper andemery cloth. The majority of coated abrasives are made of aluminum oxide, with sil-

icon carbide and zirconia alumina making up the rest. Coated abrasives usually havea much more open structure than the abrasives on grinding wheels, and they have

Abrasive grains

Size coat

Make coat

Backing

FIGURE 26.25 Schematic illustration of the structure of a

coated abrasive. Sandpaper (developed in the 16th century)and emery cloth are common examples of coated abrasives.

grains that are more pointed and aggressive. The grainsare deposited electrostatically on flexible backing mate-rials, such as paper, cotton, rayon polyester, polynylon,and various blends thereof. As shown in Fig. 26.25, thebonding material (matrix) typically is resin, which firstis applied to the backing (make coat); then the grainsare bonded with a second layer (size coat). The grainshave their long axes perpendicular to the plane of thebacking, thus improving their cuttting action.

Coated abrasives are available as sheets, belts, and disks. They are used exten-sively to finish flat or curved surfaces of metallic and nonmetallic parts, metallo-graphic specimens, and in Woodworking. The precision of the surface finish obtaineddepends primarily on the grain size.

Belt Grinding. Coated abrasives also are used as belts for high-rate material re-moval With good surface finish. Belt grinding has become an important productionprocess, in some cases replacing conventional grinding operations. Belts with gritnumbers ranging from 16 to 1500 are available. Belt speeds are in the range from700 to 1,800 m/min. Machines for abrasive-belt operations require proper belt sup-port and have rigid construction to minimize vibrations.

Conventional coated abrasives have randomly placed abrasives on theirsurface and may consist of single or multiple layers of abrasives. An alternativesurface is produced by microreplication, in which abrasives in the shape of tinyaluminum-oxide pyramids are placed in a predetermined orderly arrangement onthe belt surface. Used on stainless steels and superalloys, they perform more consis-tently than conventional coated abrasives and the temperatures involved are lower.Typical applications for finishing with coated abrasives include belt grinding ofsurgical implants, golf clubs, firearms, turbine blades, and medical and dentalinstruments.

EXAMPLE 26.5 Belt Grinding of Turbine Nozzle Vanes

The turbine nozzle vane shown in Fig. 26.26 wasinvestment cast (Section 11.8) from a cobalt-basedsuperalloy. To remove a thin diffusion layer from theroot skirt and tip skirt sections of the vane, it wasground on a cloth-backed abrasive belt (60-gritaluminum oxide). The varies were mounted on a

fixture and ground dry at a belt surface speed of1,800 m/min. The production rate was 93 secondsper piece. Each vane weighed 21.65 g before and20.25 g after belt grinding, a reduction in weight ofabout 6.5%. Source: Courtesy of ASM International.

Section 26.7

aa".2 _ Vane

Root skirt Vane Abrasive belt

Tip Skirt (H) (bl

FIGURE 26.26 Turbine nozzle considered in Example 26.5.

Finishing Operations 747

Wire Brushing. In this process, also called power brushing, the workpiece is heldagainst a circular wire brush that rotates at speeds ranging from 1750 rpm for largewheels to 3500 rpm for small wheels. As they rub, the tips of the wire produce lon-gitudinal scratches on the workpiece surface. Wire brushing is used to produce a fineor controlled surface texture. Performed under the proper conditions, wire brushingalso may be considered as a light material-removal process. In addition to metalwires, polymeric wires (such as nylon) embedded with abrasives can be used effec-tively. (See also diamond wire saws, Section 24.5 .)

Honing. Honing is an operation that is used prima- 3pind|e Stonerily to improve the surface finish of holes produced byprocesses such as boring, drilling, and internal grind-ing. The honing tool consists of a set of aluminum-

‘; ~-A \ ,gg m lllll if xllx ii:llllll Z“"":“““"‘"‘"l== »~=¢=,.,._ Tl? Ona ra oxide or silicon-carbide bonded abrasive sticks,usually called stones (Fig. 26.27). They are mountedon a mandrel that rotates in the hole at surface speedsof 45 to 90 m/min, applying a radial force. The toolhas a reciprocating axial motion, which produces acrosshatched pattern on the surface of the hole. Thestones can be adjusted radially for different hole sizes. Oil- or water-based honing flu-ids generally are used to help flush away the debris. Honing is also done on externalcylindrical or flat surfaces and to manually remove sharp edges on cutting tools and in-serts. (See Fig. 22.5.)

The quality of the surface finish produced by honing can be controlled by thetype and size of abrasive used, the pressure applied, and speed. A fluid is used to re-move chips and to keep temperatures low. If not performed properly, honing canproduce holes that are neither straight nor cylindrical, but rather in shapes that arebell mouthed, wavy, barrel shaped, or tapered.

Superfinishing. In this process, the pressure applied is very light and the motion ofthe honing stone has a short stroke. The motion of the stone is controlled so that thegrains do not travel along the same path on the surface of the workpiece. Examplesof external superfinishing of a round part are shown in Fig. 26.28.

Lapping. This is an operation used for finishing flat, cylindrical, or curved sur-faces. The lap (Fig. 26.29a) is relatively soft and porous and usually is made of castiron, copper, leather, or cloth. The abrasive particles either are embedded in the lapor may be carried in a slurry. Lapping of spherical objects and glass lenses is donewith specially shaped laps. Running-in of mating gears can be done by lapping, as

9" bronze guide

FIGURE 26.27 Schematic illustration of a honing tool used toimprove the surface finish of bored or ground holes.


Oscillation(traverse if stoneis shorter thanworkpiece) Motor

fétilfiféi Holder S‘°"@ 0 a 'On; ' H 1 f S*°“@ W°"“°'e°e

Workpiece RUNS

(G) (D)

FIGURE 26.28 Schematic illustrations of the superfinishing process for a cylindrical part.(a) Cylindrical microhoning. (b) Centerless microhoning.

Lap position andpressure control

- 4 %4 } Upper lap ._ P'

Lap Ab ‘ ' raS'VeS Workpiece J. Workpiece 4-> Y;

is irrr rrrcr work-ho-ding c Plate Guide ran Workpieces Machine pan Lower lap

(3) (D) (C)

FIGURE 26.29 ia) Schematic illustration of the lapping process. (b) Production lapping on

flat surfaces. (c) Production lapping on cylindrical surfaces.

on hypoid gears for rear axles. Depending on the type and hardness of the work-piece material, lapping pressures range from 7 to 140 kPa.

Dimensional tolerances on the order of ;i:0.0004 mm can be obtained in lap-ping by using fine abrasives (up to grit size 900), and the surface finish can be as

smooth as 0.025 to 0.1 um. Production lapping on flat or cylindrical pieces is doneon machines similar to those shown in Figs. 26.29b and c.

Polishing. Polishing is a process that produces a smooth, lustrous surface finish.The basic mechanism involved in the polishing process is the softening and smearingof surface layers by frictional heating developed during polishing and some very fine

scale abrasive removal from the workpiece surface. The shiny appearance of

polished surfaces results from a smearing action.Polishing is done with disks or belts made of fabric, leather, or felt that are

typically coated with fine powders of aluminum oxide or diamond. In double-sidedpolishing, pairs of pads are fixed on the faces of platens that rotate horizontally andin opposite directions. Parts with irregular shapes, sharp corners, deep recesses, andsharp projections can be difficult to polish.

Section 26.7 Finishing Operations

Abrasive slurry Workpiece (disk)workpiece Workpiece carrier

Polishing padWorkpiece Gamer » i ~ Polishing _

fable *JPolishing table

(a) Side view (b) Top view

FIGURE 26.30 Schematic illustration of the chemical-mechanical polishing process. Thisprocess is used widely in the manufacture of silicon wafers and integrated circuits and also isknown as chemical-mechanical planarization. For other materials and applications, morecarriers and more disks per carrier are possible.

Chemical-mechanical Polishing. Chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) is ex-tremely important in the semiconductor industry. The process, shown in Fig. 26.30,uses a suspension of abrasive particles in a water-based solution with a chemistryselected to give controlled corrosion. The process thus removes material from theworkpiece through combined abrasion and corrosion effects. The results are asurface of exceptionally fine finish and a workpiece that is especially flat. For thisreason, the process is often referred to as chemical-mechanical planarization (seeSection 2810).

A major application of this process is the polishing of silicon wafers(Section 28.4), in which case the primary function of CMP is to polish a wafer at themicrolevel. Therefore, to remove material evenly across the whole wafer, the waferis held face down on a rotating carrier and is pressed against a polishing padattached to a rotating disk, as shown in Fig. 26.30. The carrier and pad angularvelocities are selected so that wear is uniform across the wafer surface; the angularvelocities that achieve this surface result in a constant relative velocity between thecarrier and pad on the axis connecting their centers. The pad contains groovesintended to uniformly supply slurry to all wafers. Also, pad rotation ensures that alinear lay does not develop (see Section 33.3).

Specific abrasive and solution-chemistry combinations have been developedfor the polishing of copper, silicon, silicon dioxide, aluminum, tungsten, and othermetals. For example, for silicon dioxide or silicon polishing, an alkaline slurry ofcolloidal silica (SiO2 particles in a KGH solution or in NH4OH) is fed continuouslyto the pad-wafer interface.

Electropolishing. Mirrorlike finishes can be obtained on metal surfaces by elect-ropolishing, a process that is the reverse of electroplating (to be described in Section 34.9).Because there is no mechanical contact with the workpiece, this process is suitableparticularly for polishing irregular shapes. The electrolyte attacks projections andpeaks on the workpiece surface at a higher rate than the rest of the surface, produc-ing a smooth surface. Electropolishing is also used for deburring operations.

Polishing in Magnetic Fields. In this technique, abrasive slurries are supportedwith magnetic fields. There are two basic methods:

a. In the magnetic-float polishing of ceramic balls, illustrated schematically inFig. 26.31a, a magnetic fluid (containing abrasive grains and extremely fine


D""eSha" S'P°'@ W°"<P‘e°e ""P°'eGwde 'mg ii *Qsiffi Magnetic fluid and abrasive .Qfams if2f¥*59”i’¥ 'V' ` “

Ceramic balls V'

<W°fk@‘@°@> 6 Float m m Permanent magnets Magna” "Wd

(fi) (D)

FIGURE 26.31 Schematic illustration of polishing of balls and rollers by magnetic fields.

(a) Magnetic-float polishing of ceramic balls. (b) Magnetic-field-assisted polishing of rollers.Source: After R. Komanduri, M. Doc, and M. Fox.

ferromagnetic particles in a carrier fluid, such as water or kerosene) is filled in

the chamber within a guide ring. The ceramic balls are located between a

driveshaft and a float. The abrasive grains, the ceramic balls, and the float(which is made of a nonmagnetic material) all are suspended by magneticforces. The balls are pressed against the rotating driveshaft and are polished by

the abrasive action. The forces applied by the abrasive particles on the ballsare extremely small and controllable; hence, the polishing action is very fine.

Because polishing times are much lower than those involved in other polishingmethods, this process is highly economical and the surfaces produced havefew, if any, significant defects.

b. Magnetic-field-assisted polishing of ceramic rollers is illustrated in Fig. 26.31b.A ceramic or steel roller (as the workpiece) is clamped and rotated on a spindle.The magnetic poles are oscillated, introducing a vibratory motion to themagnetic-abrasive conglomerate. This action polishes the cylindrical roller sur-face. Bearing steels of 63 HRC have been mirror finished in 30 seconds withthis process.

Buffing. Buffing is similar to polishing (with the exception that an even finer sur-face finish is obtained) with very fine abrasives on soft disks that typically are made ofcloth or hide. The abrasive is supplied externally from a stick of abrasive compound.

26.8 Deburring Operations

Burrs are thin ridges, usually triangular in shape, that develop along the edges ofa workpiece from operations such as machining, shearing sheet metals (as in

Figs. 16.2 and 163), and trimming forgings and castings. Burrs can be detected by

simple means, such as with a finger, toothpick, or cotton swab. Visual inspection of

burrs includes the use of magnifiers and microscopes. Although efforts at definingburr are being made, there are no widely accepted standards for such a definition,partly because there a variety of burrs can develop on parts.

On the one hand, burrs have several disadvantages: (a) They may interferewith the mechanical assembly of parts and can cause jamming and misalignment of

parts, as well as short circuits in electrical components. (b) Because they are usually

Section 26.8

sharp, they can be a safety hazard to personnel. (c) Burrs may reduce the fatigue lifeof components. (d) Sheet metal may have lower bendability if the burr is on thetensile side (see Section 16.2). On the other hand, burrs on thin drilled or tappedcomponents (such as the tiny parts in mechanical watches and mechanisms) can pro-vide additional thickness and thus improve the holding torque of screws.

Several deburring processes are available. Their cost-effectiveness depends onfactors such as the extent of deburring required, part complexity and burr location,the number of parts to be deburred, floor space available, labor costs, and safetyand environmental considerations. Deburring operations include:

I. Manual deburring with files and scrapers. It is estimated that manual deburringcan contribute up to 10% of the cost of manufacturing the part.

2. Mechanical deburring by machining pieces such as cylindrical parts on arotating spindle.

3. Wire brushing or using rotary nylon brushes consisting of filaments embeddedwith abrasive grits.

4. Using abrasive belts.

5. Ultrasonic machining.

6. Electropolishing.

7. Electrochemical machining.

8. Magnetic-abrasive finishing.

9. Vibratory finishing.

|0.

| I.

Shot blasting or abrasive blasting.

Abrasive-flow machining (such as extruding a semisolid abrasive slurry overthe edges of the part).

l2. Thermal energy machining using lasers or plasma.

The last four processes are described next; other processes are covered else-where in this book.

Vibratory and Barrel Finishing. These processes are used to remove burrs fromlarge numbers of relatively small workpieces. In this batch-type operation, speciallyshaped abrasive pellets of nonmetallic or metallic media (stones or balls) are placedin a container along with the parts to be deburred. The container is either 1/ibratedor tumbled by various mechanical means. The impact of individual abrasives andmetal particles removes the burrs and sharp edges from the parts. Depending on theapplication, this can be a dry or a wet process. Liquid compounds may be added forpurposes such as decreasing and adding corrosion resistance to the part beingdeburred. When chemically active fluids and abrasives are used, this is a form ofchemical-mechanical polishing.

Shot Blasting. Also called grit blasting, this process involves abrasive particles(usually sand) that are propelled by a high-velocity jet of air, or by a rotating wheel,onto the surface of the workpiece. Shot blasting is particularly useful in deburringmetallic and nonmetallic materials, and in stripping, cleaning, and removing surfaceoxides. The surfaces produced have a matte finish, but surface damage can result if

the process parameters are not properly controlled. Microabrasive blasting consistsof small-scale polishing and etching, using very fine abrasives, on bench-type units.

Abrasive-flow Machining. This process involves the use of abrasive grains, suchas silicon carbide or diamond, that are mixed in a putty-like matrix and then forced

Deburring Operations


back and forth through the openings and passageways in the workpiece. The movementof the abrasive matrix under pressure erodes away both burrs and sharp corners andpolishes the part. Abrasive-flow machining (AFM) is particularly suitable for work-pieces with internal cavities, such as those produced by casting, that are inaccessible by

other means. Pressures applied range from 0.7 to 22 MPa. External surfaces also can be

deburred with this method by containing the workpiece within a fixture that directs the

abrasive media to the edges and the areas to be deburred. The deburring of a turbine im-peller by abrasive-flow machining is illustrated in Fig. 26.32.

In microabrasive-flow machining, a process mechanics similar to that used in

ordinary abrasive-flow machining is used, but with much smaller abrasive media

. Workpiece mlgfine '4 E plate Bottom Top Q machine t I'e e #__ te ` -~_~i` ‘

:;. ~%§;a, , I Bottom Flow of fooling

abrasivemedia

(5) (D)

FIGURE 26.32 (a) Schematic illustration of abrasive-flow machining to de-burr a turbineimpeller. The arrows indicate movement of the abrasive media. Note the special fixture,which is usually different for each part design. (b) Valve fittings treated by abrasive-flowmachining to eliminate burrs and improve surface quality. Source: Courtesy of KennametalExtrude Hone.

FIGURE 26.33 An example of thermal energy deburring. Source: Courtesy of KennametalExtrude Hone.

Section 26.9 Economics of Abrasive Machining and Finishing Operations 753

and less viscous carriers. This allows the media to flow throughvery small holes ranging from 50 /.tm to 750 /.tm diameter. Micro-AFM has been applied to the production of high-quality dieselfuel injectors and other fine nozzles, where a burr or rough sur-face finish would adversely affect flow quality.

Thermal Energy Deburring. This process consists of placing thepart in a chamber that is then injected with a mixture of naturalgas and oxygen. When the mixture is ignited, a burst of heat is

produced at a temperature of about 3300°C. The burrs are in-

stantly heated and melt (see Fig. 26.33), while the temperature ofthe part reaches only about 15O°C. However, there are draw-backs to the process: (a) Larger burrs tend to form beads aftermelting, (b) thin and slender parts may distort, and (c) thermal en-ergy deburring does not polish or buff the workpiece surfaces, asdo several other deburring processes.

Robotic Deburring. Deburring and flash removal from finishedproducts are being performed increasingly by programmablerobots (Section 37.6) using a force-feedback system for control-ling the path and rate of burr removal. This method eliminatestedious and expensive manual labor and results in more consis-tent and repeatable deburring. An example is the robotic debur-ring (see also Section 37.6.3) of a die-cast outboard motorhousing shown in Fig. 26.34. ln another application, the manualdeburring of a double-helical gear for a helicopter gearbox wasdeburred in 150 minutes, whereas robotic deburring required15 minutes.

26.9 Economics of Abrasive Machiningand Finishing Operations

ifé

Q’

FIGURE 26.34 A deburring operation on a

robot-held die-cast part for an outboard motorhousing. The operation uses a grinding wheel.Abrasive belts (Fig. 26.26) or flexible abrasiveradial-wheel brushes also can be used for suchoperations. Source: Courtesy of Acme Manu-facturing Company.

Abrasive machining and finishing operations often are necessary because forming,shaping, and machining processes alone do not achieve high enough dimensionalaccuracy or good-quality surface finishes. Abrasive processes may be used both as afinishing process and as a large-scale material-removal operation. For example,creep-feed grinding is an economical alternative to machining operations (such as

milling), even though wheel wear is high. Also, grinding and hard turning have be-come competitive for some specific applications.

Much progress has been made in automating the equipment involved in theseoperations, including the use of computer controls, process optimization, androbotic handling of parts. Consequently, labor costs and production times havebeen reduced, even though such machinery generally requires significant capitalinvestment.

Because they are additional operations, the processes described in this chaptercan significantly affect product cost, especially since these processes are relativelyslow. Furthermore, as the surface-finish requirement increases, more operations arenecessary; hence, the cost increases further, as can be seen in Fig. 26.35. Note howrapidly the cost increases as surface finish is improved by additional processes, suchas grinding and honing.

The total cost of abrasive operations dependson various factors, such as part size, shape, surfacefinish, and dimensional accuracy required, as well as

machinery, tooling, and labor involved. Whereas forgrinding, machinery costs can be high, the costs forother finishing processes are rather low. Grinding-wheel costs are generally low compared with otheraspects of the overall grinding operation. As dis-cussed previously, however, the cost of wheels canrun into hundreds or even thousands of dollars, de-pending on their composition and size. The costs offinishing tools, such as those for honing and lapping,vary widely. Labor costs and operator skill dependgreatly on how well the equipment is automated.

If finishing is likely to be an important factor in

manufacturing a particular product, the conceptualand design stages should involve an analysis of the level


400

;§ 300 -

‘<7'>

oOgv 200 -E_COcu

5 100 -

SUl'f3CB 0finish, Ffa (/rm) 0.50 10 5 1 0.4

i( 9+ Rough turn 44%, ,P +2 ,P 2 >|_cu 'E -: o

`<7>'-C; E C5 I“S GJ E 1:Ois 3 “" 5< 3 U’ ‘“

FIGURE 26.35 Increase in the cost of machining andfinishing a part as a function of the surface finish required.This is the main reason that the surface finish specified on

parts should not be any finer than is necessary for the part to

function properly.

of surface finish and the dimensional accuracy requiredand of whether they can be relaxed. Furthermore, all

processes that precede finishing operations should beanalyzed for their capability to produce more accept-able surface characteristics. As described throughoutthe book, this can be accomplished through the properselection of tools, process parameters, metalworkingfluids, and the characteristics of the machine tools andthe work-holding devices involved.

SUMMARY

° Abrasive machining often is necessary and economical when workpiece hardnessis high, the materials are brittle, and surface finish and dimensional tolerancerequirements are high.

° Conventional abrasives consist of aluminum oxide and silicon carbide.Superabrasives consist of cubic boron nitride and diamond. The friability ofabrasive grains is an important factor in their performance-as are the shape andsize of the grains.

° Grinding wheels consist of a combination of abrasive grains and bonding agents.Important characteristics of wheels are abrasive grain and bond types, grade, andhardness. Wheels also may be reinforced to maintain their integrity if and when a

crack develops during their use.

° Grinding-wheel wear is an important consideration in the surface quality andintegrity of the ground product. Dressing and truing of wheels are importantoperations and are done by various techniques.

° A variety of abrasive-machining processes and machinery is available for surface,external, and internal grinding. Abrasive machining also is used for large-scalematerial-removal processes (such as creep-feed grinding), making it competitivewith machining processes (such as milling and turning).

The selection of abrasives and process variables, including grinding fluids, is

important in obtaining the desired surface finish and dimensional accuracy.Otherwise, damage to surfaces (such as burning, heat checking, detrimental resid-ual stresses, and chatter) may develop.

Several finishing operations are available for improving surface finish. Becausethey can significantly affect product cost, however, the appropriate selection andimplementation of these operations is important.Deburring may be necessary for some finished components. Commonly usedmethods are vibratory finishing, barrel finishing, and shot blasting, althoughthermal energy and other methods are also available.

KEY TERMS

Abrasive-flow machiningAbrasivesAluminum oxideAttritious wearBarrel finishingBelt grindingBonded abrasivesBuffingBurningBurrChatter marksChemical-mechanical

polishingCoated abrasivesCreep-feed grindingCubic boron nitrideDeburring

DiamondDressingElectropolishingFinishingFree-cutting wheelsFriabilityGlazingGradeGrain depth of cut

Grain size

GrindabilityGrindingGrinding ratioGrit numberHardness of wheelHeat checkingHoning

LappingLoading

Low-stress grindingMagnetic-field-assisted

polishingMagnetic-float polishingMetallurgical burnMicroabrasive-flow

machiningMicroreplicationPolishingReinforced wheelsResinoid bondRobotic deburringRotary ultrasonic

machiningSeeded gel

Bibliography

Shot blastingSilicon nitrideSnaggingSonotrodeSparksSpecific energyStructure of wheelSuperabrasives

SuperfinishingTemperingTruingUltrasonic machiningVibratory finishingVitrified bondWear flat\Vl1eel depth of cutWire brushing

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Brown, ]., Advanced Machining Technology Handbook,McGraw-Hill, 1998.Gillespie, L.K., Deburring and Edge Finishing Handbook,

Society of Manufacturing Engineers/American Societyof Mechanical Engineers, 2000.-, Hand Deburring-Increasing Shop Productivity,Society of Manufacturing Engineers, 2003.

Hwa, L.S., Chemical Mechanical Polishing in SiliconProcessing, Academic Press, 1999.

Krar, S., Grinding Technology, 2nd ed., Delmar Publishers,1995.

Krar, S., and Ratterman, E., Superabrasives: Grinding andMachining with CBN and Diamond, McGraw-Hill,1990.

Machinery’s Handbook, Industrial Press, revised periodically.

Malkin, S., and Guo, C., Grinding Technology: Theory andApplications of Machining with Abrasives, 2nd ed.,Industrial Press, 2008.

Marinescu, I.D. (ed.), Handbook of Ceramics Grinding Sc

Polishing, Noyes, 1998.Marinescu, I.D., Hitchiner, M., Uhlmann, E., and Rowe,

WB. (eds.), Handbook of Machining with GrindingWheels, CRC Press, 2006.

Marinescu, I.D., Uhlmann, E., and Doi, T. (eds.), Handbookof Lapping and Polishing, CRC Press, 2006.

Maroney, M.L., A Guide to Metal and Plastic Finishing,Industrial Press, 1991.

Nachtman, E.S., and Kalpakjian, S., Lubricants andLubrication in Metalworking Operations, MarcelDekker, 1985.


Oliver, M.R., Chemical Mechanical Planarization of Sluhan, C. (ed.), Cutting and Grinding Fluids: Selection andSemiconductor Materials, Springer, 2004. Application, Society of Manufacturing Engineers, 1992.

Salmon, S.C., Modern Grinding Process Techn0l0gY, Slymanski, A., and Borkowski, ]., Technology of AbrasivesMcGraw-Hill, 1992. and Abrasive Tools, Ellis Horwood, 1992.

Schneider, A.F., Mechanical Deburring and Surface Finishing Tool and Manufacturing Engineers Handbook, 4th ed., Vol. 1:

Technology, Marcel Dekker, 1990. Machining, Society of Manufacturing Engineers, 1983.

Shaw, M.C., Principles of Abrasive Processing, Oxford, Webster, ].A., Marinescu, I.D., and Trevor, T.D., Abrasive1996.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

26.|. What is an abrasive? What are superabrasives?

26.2. How is the size of an abrasive grain related to its

number?26.3. Why are most abrasives made synthetically?

26.4. Describe the structure of a grinding wheel and its

features.

26.5. Explain the characteristics of each type of bond usedin bonded abrasives.

26.6. What causes grinding sparks in grinding? Is it usefulto observe them? Explain.

26.7. Define metallurgical burn.

QUALITATIVE PROBLEMS

26.13. Explain why grinding operations may be necessaryfor components that have previously been machined.

26.l4. Why is there such a wide variety of types, shapes,and sizes of grinding wheels?

26.l5. Explain the reasons for the large difference betweenthe specific energies involved in machining (Table 21.2) andin grinding (Table 26.2).

26.16. The grinding ratio, G, depends on the type of grind-ing wheel, workpiece hardness, wheel depth of cut, Wheel andworkpiece speeds, and the type of grinding fluid. Explain.

26.| 7. What are the consequences of allowing the tempera-ture to rise during grinding? Explain.

26.18. Explain why speeds are much higher in grindingthan in machining operations.

26.|9. It was stated that ultrasonic machining is best suitedfor hard and brittle materials. Explain.

26.20. Explain why parts with irregular shapes, sharp cor-ners, deep recesses, and sharp projections can be difficult topolish.

26.21. List the finishing operations commonly used in

manufacturing operations. Why are they necessary? ExplainWhy they should be minimized.

Processes, Marcel Dekker, 1999.

26.8. Define (a) friability, (b) wear flat, (c) grinding ratio,(d) truing, and (e) dressing.

26.9. What is creep-feed grinding and what are itsadvantages?

26.I0. How is centerless grinding different from cylindricalgrinding?

26.lI. What are the differences between coated andbonded abrasives?

26.|2. What is the purpose of the slurry in chemicalmechanical polishing?

26.22. Referring to the preceding chapters on processing of

materials, list the operations in which burrs can develop onworkpieces.

26.23. Explain the reasons that so many deburring opera-tions have been developed over the years.

26.24. What precautions should you take when grindingwith high precision? Comment on the machine, processparameters, grinding wheel, and grinding fluids.

26.25. Describe the factors involved in a grinding wheelacting “soft” or acting “hard.”

26.26. What factors could contribute to chatter in grind-ing? Explain.

26.27. Generally, it is recommended that, in grinding hard-ened steels, the grinding be wheel of a relatively soft grade.Explain.

26.28. In Fig. 26.4, the proper grinding faces are indicatedfor each type of wheel. Explain why the other surfaces of thewheels should not be used for grinding and what the conse-quences may be in doing so.

26.29. Describe the effects of a wear flat on the overallgrinding operation.

26.30. What difficulties, if any, could you encounter in

grinding thermoplastics? Thermosets? Ceramics?

26.3I. Observe the cycle patterns shown in Fig. 26.20 andcomment on why they follow those particular patterns.

26.32. Which of the processes described in this chapter aresuitable particularly for workpieces made of (a) ceramics,(b) thermoplastics, and (c) rhermosets? Why?

26.33. Grinding can produce a very fine surface finish ona workpiece. Is this finish necessarily an indication of thequality of a part? Explain.

QUANTITATIVE PROBLEMS

Synthesis, Design, and Projects 757

26.34. jewelry applications require the grinding of dia-monds into desired shapes. How is this done, since diamondis the hardest material known?

26.35. List and explain factors that contribute to poor sur-face finish in the processes described in this chapter.

|!26.36. Calculate the chip dimensions in surfacegrinding for the following process variables: D = 250 mm,d = 0.025 mm, 1/ = 30 mfmin, V = 1500 m/min,C = 1 per mmf, and r = 20.

|]26.37. If the strength of the workpiece material is dou-bled, what should be the percentage decrease in the wheeldepth of cut, d, in order to maintain the same grain force,with all other variables being the same?

|]26.38. Assume that a surface-grinding operation is beingcarried out under the following conditions: D = 200 mm,d = 0.1 mm, 1/ = 40 m/min, and V : 2,000 m/min. Theseconditions are then changed to the following: D = 150 mm,d = 0.1 mm, 1/ = 30 m/min, and V = 2,500 m/min. Howdifferent is the temperature rise from the rise that occurs withthe initial conditions?

26.39. Estimate the percent increase in the cost of thegrinding operation if the specification for the surface finishof a part is changed from 6.4 to 0.8 um.

u26.40. Assume that the energy cost for grinding an alu-minum part with a specific energy requirement of8 W- s/mm3 is $1.50 per piece. What would be the energycost of carrying out the same operation if the workpiecematerial were T15 tool steel?

26.4|. In describing grinding processes, we have not giventhe type of equations regarding feeds, speeds, material-removal rates, total grinding time, etc., as we did in the

turning and milling operations discussed in Chapters 23 and24. Study the quantitative relationships involved and devel-op such equations for grinding operations.

26.42. What would be the answers to Example 26.1 if theworkpiece is high-strength titanium and the width of cut is

uf = 20 mm. Give your answers in newtons.

|]26.43. It is known that, in grinding, heat checking oc-curs when grinding is done with a spindle speed of 5,000 rpm,a wheel diameter of 200 mm, and a depth of cut of 0.04 mmfor a feed rate of 15 m/min. For this reason, the standard op-erating procedure is to keep the spindle speed at 3,500 rpm.If a new, 250-mm-diameter wheel is used, what spindle speedcan be used before heat checking occurs? What spindle speedshould be used to keep the same grinding temperatures asthose encountered with the existing operating conditions?

26.44. A grinding operation takes place with a 10-in.grinding wheel with a spindle speed of 4,000 rpm. The work-piece feed rate is 15 m/min and the depth of cut is 0.05 mm.Contact thermometers record an approximate maximumtemperature of 980°C. If the workpiece is steel, what is thetemperature if the speed is increased to 5,000 rpm? What ifthe speed is 10,000 rpm?

26.45. Derive an expression for the angular velocity of thewafer shown in Fig. 26.30b as a function of the radius andangular velocity of the pad in chemical-mechanical polishing.

SYNTHESIS, DESIGN, AND PROIECTS

26.46. With appropriate sketches, describe the principlesof various fixturing methods and devices that can be used forthe processes described in this chapter.

26.47. Make a comprehensive table of the process capabili-ties of abrasive-machining operations. Using several columns,describe the features of the machines involved, the type ofabrasive tools used, the shapes of blanks and parts produced,typical maximum and minimum sizes, surface finish, toler-ances, and production rates.

26.48. Vitrified grinding wheels (also called ceramicwheels) use a glasslike bond to hold the abrasive grains to-gether. Given your understanding of ceramic-part manufac-ture (as described in Chapter 18), list methods of producingvitrified wheels.

26.49. Assume that you are an instructor covering the top-ics described in this chapter and you are giving a quiz on thenumerical aspects to test the understanding of the students.Prepare three quantitative problems and supply the answers.


26.50. Conduct a literature search, and explain how observ-ing the color, brightness, and shape of sparks produced in

grinding can be a useful guide to identifying the type of mate-rial being ground and its condition.

26.5 I. Visit a large hardware store and inspect the grindingwheels that are on display. Make a note of the markings onthe wheels and, on the basis of the marking system shown in

Fig. 26.6, comment on your observations, including the mostcommon types of wheels available in the store.

26.52. Obtain a small grinding wheel or a piece of a largewheel. (a) Using a magnifier or a microscope, observe its sur-faces and compare them with Fig. 26.9. (b) Rub the abrasivewheel by pressing it hard against a variety of flat metallic andnonmetallic materials. Describe your observations regardingthe surfaces produced.

26.53. In reviewing the abrasive machining processes in thischapter, you will note that some use bonded abrasives whileothers involve loose abrasives. Make two separate lists forthese processes and comment on your observations.

26.54. Obtain pieces of sandpaper and emery cloth of

different coarseness. Using a magnifier or a microscope,observe their surface features and compare them withFig. 26.25.

26.55. On the basis of the contents of this chapter, describeyour thoughts on whether or not it would be possible todesign and build a “grinding center.” (See Chapter 25.)Comment on any difficulties that may be encountered in suchmachines and operations.

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