CH 2

University of Al_Qadisiyah.
College of Engineering.
Mechanical Engineering Dept.
Manufacturing Processes
Lecture no:10 ME 124
4.2.5: Abrasive Machining.

Abrasive machining involves material removal by the action of hard, abrasive
particles that are usually in the form of a bonded wheel. Grinding is the most
important abrasive process. The abrasive machining processes are generally used as
finishing operations, although some abrasive processes are capable of high material
removal rates rivaling those of conventional machining operations, and they are
important commercially and technologically for the following reasons:
1. They can be used on all types of materials ranging from soft metals to
hardened steels and hard nonmetallic materials such as ceramics and silicon.
2. Some of these processes can produce extremely fine surface finishes, to 0.025
mm.
3. For certain abrasive processes, dimensions can be held to extremely close
tolerances.
Grinding.
Grinding is a material removal process accomplished by abrasive particles that are
contained in a bonded grinding wheel rotating at very high surface speeds. Cutting
occurs on either the periphery or the face of the grinding wheel, similar to peripheral
and face milling. Peripheral grinding is much more common than face grinding. The
rotating grinding wheel consists of many cutting teeth (the abrasive particles).
Despite these similarities, there are significant differences between grinding and
milling:
1) The abrasive grains in the wheel are much smaller and more numerous than
the teeth on a milling cutter;
2) Cutting speeds in grinding are much higher than in milling;
3) The abrasive grits in a grinding wheel are randomly oriented and possess on
average a very high negative rake angle; and
4) A grinding wheel is self-sharpening - as the wheel wears, the abrasive
particles become dull and either fracture to create fresh cutting edges or are
pulled out of the surface of the wheel to expose new grains.
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 Grinding Wheels.
A grinding wheel consists of abrasive particles and bonding material. The bonding
material holds the particles in place and establishes the shape and structure of the
wheel. These two ingredients and the way they are fabricated determine the five
basic parameters of a grinding wheel:
1. Abrasive material,
2. Grain size,
3. Bonding material,
4. Grade of bond, and
5. Wheel structure. To achieve the desired performance in a given application,
each of the parameters must be carefully selected.
Abrasive Material: Different abrasive materials are appropriate for grinding

different work materials. General properties of an abrasive material used in grinding
wheels include high hardness, wear resistance and toughness. The abrasive materials
of greatest commercial importance are aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, cubic boron
nitride, and diamond. They are briefly described in the Table below, together with
their relative hardness values.
Abrasive Description Knoop
hardness
Aluminum Most common abrasive material, used to grind steel and
2100
oxide (Al2O3) other ferrous, high-strength alloys.
Harder than Al2O3, but not as tough. Applications include
ductile metals such as aluminum, brass, and stainless steel,
Silicon as well as brittle materials such as some cast irons and
2500
carbide (SiC) certain ceramics. Cannot be used effectively for grinding
steel because of the strong chemical affinity between the
carbon in SiC and the iron in steel.
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When used as an abrasive, cBN is produced under the trade

Cubic boron name Borazon by the General Electric Company. cBN
5000
nitride (cBN) grinding wheels are used for hard materials such as hardened
tool steels and aerospace alloys.
Diamond abrasives occur naturally and are also made
synthetically. Diamond wheels are generally used in
Diamond 7000
grinding applications on hard, abrasive materials such as
ceramics, cemented carbides, and glass.
Grain Size: The grain size of the abrasive particle is important in determining
surface finish and material removal rate. Small grit sizes produce better finishes,
whereas larger grain sizes permit larger material removal rates. Thus, a choice must
be made between these two objectives when selecting abrasive grain size. The
selection of grit size also depends to some extent on the hardness of the work
material. Harder work materials require smaller grain sizes to cut effectively,
whereas softer materials require larger grit sizes. Grain sizes used in grinding wheels
typically range between 8 and 250. Grit size 8 is very coarse and size 250 is very
fine.
Bonding Materials: The bonding material holds the abrasive grains and establishes
the shape and structural integrity of the grinding wheel. Desirable properties of the
bond material include strength, toughness, hardness, and temperature resistance. The
bonding material must be able to withstand the centrifugal forces and high
temperatures experienced by the grinding wheel, resist shattering in shock loading
of the wheel, and hold the abrasive grains rigidly in place to accomplish the cutting
action while allowing those grains that are worn to be dislodged so that new grains
can be exposed. Bonding materials commonly used in grinding wheels are identified
and briefly described in Table below.
Bond Mat. Description
Consists chiefly of baked clay and ceramic materials. Most grinding wheels in
common use are vitrified bonded wheels. They are strong and rigid, resistant to
Vitrified bond
elevated temperatures, and relatively unaffected by water and oil that might be
used in grinding fluids.
Consists of sodium silicate (Na2SO3). Applications are generally limited to

Silicate bond situations in which heat generation must be minimized, such as grinding cutting
tools.
Most flexible of the bonding materials and used as a bonding material in cutoff
Rubber bond
wheels.
Consists of various thermosetting resin materials, such as phenol-formaldehyde

Resinoid bond (C7H8O2). It has very high strength and is used for rough grinding and cutoff
operations.
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Relatively strong but not rigid; often used in applications requiring a good
Shellac bond
finish.
Metal, usually bronze, is the common bond material for diamond and cBN
grinding wheels. Particulate processing is used to bond the metal matrix and
Metallic bond
abrasive grains to the outside periphery of the wheel, thus conserving the costly
abrasive materials.
Wheel Structure: refers to the relative spacing of the abrasive grains in the wheel.
In addition to the abrasive grains and bond material, grinding wheels contain air gaps
or pores, as illustrated in Figure (23). The volumetric proportions of grains, bond
material, and pores can be expressed as:
Pg +Pb +Pp = 1:0
Where
Pg = proportion of abrasive grains in the total wheel volume,
Pb = proportion of bond material, and
Pp = proportion of pores (air gaps).
Wheel structure is measured on a scale that ranges between ‘‘open’’ and ‘‘dense.’’
An open structure is one in which Pp is relatively large, and Pg is relatively small.
That is, there are more pores and fewer grains per unit volume in a wheel of open
structure. By contrast, a dense structure is one in which Pp is relatively small, and
Pg is larger. Generally, open structures are recommended in situations in which
clearance for chips must be provided. Dense structures are used to obtain better
surface finish and dimensional control.
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Figure (23)
Bonding Grade: indicates the grinding wheel’s bond strength in retaining the
abrasive grits during cutting. This is largely dependent on the amount of bonding
material present in the wheel structure—Pb in Eq above.
Grade is measured on a scale that ranges between soft and hard. ‘‘Soft’’ wheels lose
grains readily, whereas ‘‘hard’’ wheels retain their abrasive grains. Soft wheels are
generally used for applications requiring low material removal rates and grinding of
hard work materials. Hard wheels are typically used to achieve high stock removal
rates and for grinding of relative soft work materials.
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University of Al_Qadisiyah.

4.2.5: Abrasive Machining.

Abrasive Material: Different abrasive materials are appropriate for grinding

When used as an abrasive, cBN is produced under the trade

Consists of sodium silicate (Na2SO3). Applications are generally limited to

Consists of various thermosetting resin materials, such as phenol-formaldehyde

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