COMPUTER-SIMULATION OF THE PLUNGE CENTERLESS-GRINDING PROCESS

This paper reports the kinematic analysis of the plunge centreless gri nding process considering a uniform mode of infeed. Computer simulatio n was carried out initially for an ideally round workpiece and regulat ing wheel, and the optimum set-up and process parameters such as the w orkpiece surface speed, the work-blade angle, the included tangent ang le, etc., to minimise the out-of-roundness error on the workpiece were obtained. Further using these optimum parameters, the effect of regul ating wheel and workpiece profile errors such as steps, lobes and rand omness, etc., in governing the roundness error produced on the workpie ce were studied. In addition, harmonic analysis of the profile produce d on the workpiece was carried out to study in details the profile cha racteristics such as the amplitude spectrum, the dominant harmonic and the average undulation number. The results reported herein will aid m anufacturing shop engineers to select set-up and process parameters pr operly to improve product accuracy in the plunge centreless grinding p rocess.