Predictive modeling of force and power based on a new analytical undeformed chip thickness model in ceramic grinding

The grinding force and power play an important role in ceramic grinding process as they not only have the direct influence on the wheel wear, grinding accuracy, grinding temperature and surface integrity but also have strong influence on local contact deflection and the nature of the contact deflection that has an important effect on the mechanism of material removal. In addition, they are also important to many aspects of ceramic grinding process optimization, monitoring, and control. So the prediction of grinding force and power in ceramic grinding is essential. But, the force and power is governed by many factors and its experimental determination is laborious and time consuming. So the establishment of a model for the reliable prediction of grinding force and power is still a key issue for ceramic grinding. In this study, a new grinding force and power model is developed, for the reliable prediction of grinding force and power in ceramic grinding, based on a new analytical undeformed chip thickness model. This new analytical undeformed chip thickness model is developed on the basis of stochastic nature of the grinding process, governed mainly by the random geometry and the random distribution of cutting edges. The model includes the real contact length that results from combined contact length, due to wheel-workpiece contact zone deflection and the local deflection due to the microscopic contact at the grain level and contact length due to geometry of depth of cut. The proposed model is used to predict the total grinding forces and power in surface grinding. The new model has been validated by conducting experiments on a horizontal surface grinding machine by grinding silicon carbide with diamond grinding wheel. Results indicate that the proposed model shows a good agreement with the experimental data obtained from different kinematic conditions. It also results in a significant reduction in the grinding forces, as compared with that obtained by the force model developed based on the existing undeformed chip thickness model, under the same operating conditions, in silicon carbide grinding. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.