Stochastic simulation approach to modelling diamond wheel topography

The paper presents a stochastic simulation of the structure of metal/resin bonded diamond grinding wheels. Various topographic indices, i.e. the protrusion height distribution, the static planar grain density, the distribution of inter-grain spacing and the percentage projected area due to exposed abrasives, are derived therefrom with reference to abrasive grit size and concentration. The simulation indicates that: (i) the protrusion height distribution of a freshly dressed wheel is uniform, and is independent of abrasive concentration, (ii) the inter-grain sparing conforms to a gamma distribution, and (iii) the percentage projected area due to exposed abrasives is independent of abrasive grit size. The results are validated by experimental data available in the literature. (C) 1997 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.