3-BODY ABRASION - INFLUENCE OF APPLIED LOAD ON BED THICKNESS AND PARTICLE-SIZE DISTRIBUTION IN ABRASIVE PROCESSES

Lapping experiments at various loads showed a decreasing bed thickness with increasing applied loads. Comparison of these results with the p article size distribution, measured before and after abrasion, reveale d that at higher applied loads more particles will fracture during abr asion. This also may be the cause of the slightly decreasing bed thick ness in rime. A quantitative interpretation of the particle size distr ibutions was not possible, since there was a significant amount of gla ss present in the slurry. Nevertheless, it was clear that the actual p article size distribution unclear the workpiece is different from the original particle size distribution. (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Limited .