A simplified methodology to determine the cutting stiffness and the contact stiffness in the plunge grinding process

This paper presents a simplified experimental technique to determine approx imately the cutting stiffness and the contact stiffness in the plunge grind ing process. The experimental methodology consists of a machine static stif fness test and several grinding processes. The cutting stiffness is obtaine d from the workpiece headstock static stiffness and from its displacement d uring the grinding processes, measured by a LVDT transducer. The contact st iffness is resolved from the expression that relates it with the grinding p rocess time constant and other grinding parameters, The time constant is ob tained from the exponential that characterises the machine deformation duri ng the spark-out, measured as well by the LVDT transducer placed on the wor kpiece headstock. The variation of the obtained values of the contact stiff ness with some of the grinding parameters is also shown. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.