Study on the helical scan grinding method

1st report: Effect of helical scan surface grinding on surface finish of Si₃N₄ workpieces

Abstract

The helical scan grinding method has been developed to improve a finishing surface with highly efficient grinding. A straight or mounted wheel is fed at an angle (helix angle) related to the direction of grinding velocity that can be realized easily on an NC grinding machine. This method has a feature that provides the use of a wheel with coarse grains in finish grinding, leading to highly efficient finishing. In this study, the better ground surface of silicon nitride ceramics (Si₃N₄) was observed using the straight diamond wheel (SD170) feeding at an angle compared with conventional grinding. This surface roughness was similar to that in the case of conventional grinding using fine diamond grains (SD600). Moreover, the beneficial effects of this method were seen under various grinding conditions, such as feed rate or depth of cut.