Ductile-mode High Smoothness Grinding of Fine Ceramics by Diamond Wheel of Coarse Grain Size (2nd Report)

Influence of Wheel Speed on Ductile-mode Grinding of Fine Ceramics

Abstract

This report aims to clear the influence of wheel speed on the ductile_mode grinding of hot pressed silicon carbide ceramic with the metal bond diamond wheel of mesh #140 grain size. The experiments are executed by plunge grinding method with surface grinder. The wheel speeds used are 20, 50 and 85m/s. The ground workpiece surface is observed with a differencial interference microscope and SEM, and its roughness is measured with a ordinary stylus profilometer, a interferometric surface profiler (WYKO) and AFM. The ductile_mode grinding without brittle fracture is possible at higher table speed or larger speed ratio (table speed/wheel speed) for higher wheel speed. The surface roughness parallel to grinding direction attains to below 10nm (Ry) or below 2nm (Ra) with decreasing the table speed or the speed ratio. The surface roughness normal to grinding direction, on the other hand, is saturated to about 200nm (Ry). The wheel speed has little influence on the surface roughness normal to grinding direction.