Hard gear finishing viewed as a process of abrasive wear

The present study is aimed at a deeper understanding of differences in the process behaviour of various grinding wheels. For this purpose, the grinding process has been analysed as a process of abrasive wear. The chosen research approach implied a combination of grinding experiments and analytical calculations. To characterise the process quantities and work results in grinding, an abrasive wear map was used. Furthermore, calculations of the maximum single grain chip thickness, the mean single grain normal forces and X-ray measurements of residual subsurface stresses were made. Results of the investigations show that at constant grinding conditions, the maximum single grain chip thickness determines the tool performance. Additionally, the essential work results in grinding have been observed to correlate with the overall friction coefficient in the contact area regardless of the used tool. These results can be advantageously used for both industrial development of new abrasive tools and further fundamental research.