Simulation of diamond-ground surfaces

State-of-the-art models available for predicting the characteristics of dia mond-ground surfaces entail digitization of wheel topography which limits t heir practical utility. This paper presents a geometric simulation of surfa ce generation in diamond grinding, that utilizes wheel topography data obta ined from simulated three-dimensional structure of the diamond grinding whe el. Simulation results are validated by surface grinding experiments on a v ariety of materials that exhibit different material removal mechanisms, wit h the roughness parameters R-a and R-t, the autocorrelation function and th e fractal dimension as the comparison indices. A parametric study on the ef fect of various grinding parameters on surface finish is also reported, wit h particular emphasis on identifying and minimizing process-inherent variab ility. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.