Abstract
Zirconia has some excellent characteristics as a dental material. For practical use, precise processing of the Zirconia is necessary. However, since grinding wheel and workpiece are both small and thin in dental applications, to prevent any damage it is essential to reduce the grinding force. In this study, ultrasonic-assisted grinding, as a machining method, is used to reduce grinding force and it is applied to micro-grinding of Zirconia. An ultrasonic-assisted grinding model is proposed and decreasing mechanism of the grinding force is clarified. Authenticity of the model is then verified experimentally. Moreover, the model of surface roughness improvement of this technique is discussed.
