A comparison of conventional and high-speed grinding of AISI 52100 steel

The objective of this dissertation is to identify ways to improve material removal rate without impairing the workplace surface during plunge cylindrical grinding of AISI 52100 steel. To accomplish this objective, the use of high speed grinding was explored, and the effects of various grinding parameters, wheel type, and sparkout were investigated in detail to determine a means for optimizing material removal rate. In parallel, thermal modeling of the process has been undertaken to underpin the experimentation. One of the models assumed that film boiling of the grinding fluid limits the material removal rate.^ High speed grinding experiments yielded parametric relationships involving grinding variables, surface topography, and subsurface damage. It has been shown theoretically that the material removal rate can indeed be increased considerably while maintaining the required surface integrity by using high speed grinding. Experimental tests showed that the sparkout at the end of a grinding cycle can dramatically improve surface topography and eliminate subsurface damage.^ Finally, a new method to determine the amounts of various metallurgical phases in a material is proposed. Tests showed that any subsurface damage involving phase transformation could be quantitatively determined by using the proposed method.