Model Based on an Effective Material-Removal Rate to Evaluate Specific Energy Consumption in Grinding

Abstract

Grinding energy efficiency depends on the appropriate selection of cutting conditions, grinding wheel, and workpiece material. Additionally, the estimation of specific energy consumption is a good indicator to control the consumed energy during the grinding process. Consequently, this study develops a model of material-removal rate to estimate specific energy consumption based on the measurement of active power consumed in a plane surface grinding of C45K with different thermal treatments and AISI 304. This model identifies and evaluates the dissipated power by sliding, ploughing, and chip formation in an industrial-scale grinding process. Furthermore, the instantaneous positions of abrasive grains during cutting are described to study the material-removal rate. The estimation of specific chip-formation energy is similar to that described by other authors on a laboratory scale, which allows to validate the model and experiments. Finally, the results show that the energy consumed by sliding is the main mechanism of energy dissipation in an industrial-scale grinding process, where it is denoted that sliding energy by volume unity decreases as the depth of cut and the speed of the workpiece increase.