Laser-structured grinding tools – Generation of prototype patterns and performance evaluation

•Laser structuring as a method for grinding tool conditioning is proposed.•A picosecond laser is used for structuring the tool surface.•Tools with several micro scale patterns are generated and tested.•The influence of the pattern geometry on the grinding behaviour is analysed.

Laser ablation with ultrashort pulsed lasers enables high geometrical flexibility and allows for fabrication of micro scale structures in e.g. ultrahard materials that are hardly possible with any other process. In this work a novel laser structuring method employing picosecond lasers is proposed and applied to produce various micro patterns on the surface of hybrid bonded (metal-vitrified) CBN grinding tools. Grinding performance and wear behaviour of the structured tools are tested and compared to the results of a non-structured tool.It is found that the type of surface pattern has a strong influence on the grinding results. The laser structured tools generally allow for a reduction of grinding forces by up to 54%. However, depending on the pattern geometry, a significant increase in workpiece surface roughness and elevated wear rates (in terms of surface roughness) have to be taken into consideration. Despite this fact, the study does not reveal a significant increase in radial profile wear of the structured tools.