Optimisation of the Grinding Capability of a Developed Brazed Monolayer CBN Grinding Wheel on Bearing Steel

Grinding force is the key factor in the material removal process, which can vary the efficiency of a grinding machine, surface finish and the tool’s performance or life. This paper presents a grinding force model that accounts for the predominant ploughing force at low depths of cut, along with chip formation force and frictional forces. Computations were carried out on a developed analytical model for total tangential and total normal grinding forces. The model was validated through a surface grinding experiment conducted on IS 103 Cr1 Bearing steel, which has a carbon percentage of 0.55-0.8% and is hardened to 62 HRC, using a developed brazed monolayer Cubic Boron Nitride (CBN) grinding wheel. Experimental coefficients at ploughing, chip formation and friction stage were computed and predicted the total grinding forces. The developed mathematical model of the force demonstrates a strong correlation between predicted and experimental values. The errors of normal tangential grinding force were 10.73% and 17.4%, respectively. The contributions of each force component were extracted from the total normal and tangential force and plotted. The validated experiments confirm the proposed method, which can be effectively used to predict realistic grinding forces. The detailed analysis clarifies the effect of grinding parameters on individual force components like rubbing, ploughing and cutting forces. This method promises valuable insights and its potential into advanced grinding behaviour analysis, focusing primarily on grain scale at micro and miniaturised manufacturing. Major Findings: The study establishes that a comprehensive grinding force model integrating ploughing, chip formation, and frictional mechanisms can accurately predict both total normal and tangential grinding forces. The close agreement observed between experimentally measured forces and model predictions confirms the validity and robustness of the developed mathematical formulation. This strong correlation facilitates effective separation of the total grinding force into its constituent components and enhances understanding of grinding behavior at the grain scale when employing a brazed monolayer CBN wheel on hardened bearing steel.