This paper presents the results of electrolytic in-process dressing (ELID) grinding experiments performed on TiAlN film and characterization of the tribological characteristics of the produced films. In advanced films coated by physical vapor deposition, such as CrN and TiAlN, the low surface roughness required for attaining superior tribological characteristics is difficult to attain by use of only a coating process. ELID of grinding wheels improves wheel performance, enabling the attainment of specular finishes on brittle materials, with surface roughness on the nanometer scale (4 to 6 nm). In the present study, high-quality TiAlN film surfaces were fabricated by the ELID technique, typically achieving a surface roughness of around Ra 0.0024 μm by employment of a SD#30,000 wheel. Scanning electron microscopy reveals that ELID improved the finish, as indicated by the shape of grinding marks. Chemical element analysis by an energy-dispersed x-ray diffraction system suggests that ELID grinding formed an oxide layer in the machined surface of TiAlN film. Therefore, in addition to the highly smooth surface, an oxide layer formed by ELID grinding imparts superior tribological properties to ELID-ground TiAlN film.

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