Experimental investigations on a high-efficiency grinding technology for HIPSN ceramic bearing race

Producing high-precision silicon nitride bearing races is a critical technology for the success of ceramic bearings. This paper deals with the experimental investigations of a high-efficiency grinding technology for producing ceramic bearing races. A new high-speed CNC grinding machine has been developed, which is equipped with a high-speed ceramic spindle with a built-in motor. The machine also has a high-speed feed unit with a linear motor capable of producing non-circular parts. Extensive experiments have been performed with this new machine to investigate the influence of various process parameters such as wheel speed, depth of cut, and wheel grit size on material removal rate, surface finish, grinding ratio, and grinding energy. It has been found that the effects of depth of cut and wheel speed in the machining of ceramic races are very significant on the quality and efficiency of the grinding process. The performances of the CNC grinding machine tool have been evaluated using the grinding of ceramic races. It has been shown that this grinding machine is very stable and capable of realizing the high-efficiency grinding of ceramic races with average surface roughness less than 100 nanometers.