Efficient and precision grinding of small hard and brittle cylindrical parts by the centerless grinding process combined with electro-discharge truing and electrolytic in-process dressing

Many of the newer innovative structural components are made of harder and t ougher materials that provide improved resistance under severe conditions f or advanced applications. To take advantage of these materials, a new metho d of centerless grinding using electrolytic inprocess dressing (ELID) grind ing has been developed. First, the metal bonded grinding wheel was shaped t o a high precision by the electrodischarge truing technique (ED truing). In this study, small cylindrical parts from Si3N4, ZrO2, ZrO2 ferrules and st eel die parts were ground using a centerless grinder equipped with ED truin g and ELID. The results showed that with the use of this technology, the su rface roughness and precision of the workpiece improved significantly when compared to conventional grinding, i.e., without ED truing and ELID. In add ition, the grinding process was found to be stable. Thus, a highly efficien t and precision centerless grinding technology has been established for sma ll cylindrical components. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserv ed.