Effects of abrasive type cooling mode and peripheral grinding wheel speed on the AISI D2 steel ground surface integrity

In this work the AISI D2 steel ground surface integrity was evaluated at different grinding conditions. Two sets of experiments were conducted. The first and the second sets are referred to as conventional grinding tests (CGTs) and high-speed grinding tests (HSGTs), respectively. For the CGTs two different types of abrasives (aluminium oxide and sol–gel alumina) and two cooling modes (oil-based grinding fluid and cryogenic cooling) were tested at a peripheral wheel speed vs=22 m/s. For the HSGTs, an electroplated cBN grinding wheel was used at a peripheral wheel speed ranging from 60 to 260 m/s. Experimental results show that the grindability and the surface integrity of the AISI D2 steel could be substantially improved by using the sol–gel grinding wheel and cooling by liquid nitrogen comparatively with conditions using aluminium oxide and cooling with oil-based grinding fluid. These conditions reduce the grinding force components, lower the level of tensile residual stresses and expand the range of stock removals rate for which compressive residual stresses can be obtained. In this case the stock removal rate could be increased 7 times and still having compressive residual stresses. These experimental results were further explored and it was possible to establish linear relationships between the specific energy and the amplitudes of the surface residual stresses when grinding under the CGTs conditions. This relationship is very useful for process control and optimization. Results of the HSGTs show that the highest levels of the compressive surface residual stresses were obtained at a peripheral wheel speed vs=120 m/s (σ∥=−520 MPa, σ⊥=−770 MPa). These values are much higher than those measured at the ground surface generated using the sol–gel grinding wheel and cooling by liquid nitrogen (σ∥=−295 MPa, σ⊥=−250 MPa). Further, the CGTs and HSGTs results were used to establish the burn-free and burn conditions in relation with the specific grinding energy. It was shown that condition using the sol–gel grinding wheel and cooling with liquid nitrogen and condition using cBN grinding wheel at peripheral wheel speed up to 180 m/s generate specific grinding energy that are significantly lower than the burning threshold energy.