High Performance Grinding

The efficient processing of innovative materials, the further development of grinding tools and machine concepts as well as an increasing economic and environmental pressure are current challenges in grinding technology. High Performance Grinding processes offer a huge potential to overcome these challenges and increase productivity. They are characterized by a significant increase in material removal rate and component quality plus a reduced need of resources. In this paper, possibilities are presented and discussed for extending the process boundaries of conventional grinding processes in order to create High Performance Grinding processes. Based on current research, potentials to increase productivity of conventional grinding processes are described. In addition to process-specific optimization of the machine and the grinding tools, opportunities are pointed out for the numerical prediction of the process boundaries as well as methods for mathematical interpretation and analysis of grinding wheel structures and topographies. Moreover, opportunities are presented for future increases in productivity by combining High Performance Grinding processes with other manufacturing technologies.