<p>Grinding with abrasive wheels is a material removal process which is characterized by very high specific energies and requires the use of&nbsp;lubricants. Although, there are some resin-bonded grinding wheels that can be used without any lubrication, majority of the abrasive grinding wheels and the associated processes require the use of an effective lubricant typically applied in flood form. Lubricants have an influence&nbsp;on&nbsp;the wheel life, reduction of work piece damage, chip-evacuation, and part surface finish. When faced with the problem of selecting the optimal grinding fluid type for grinding a specific work material, it is often very difficult to find quantifiable data on wheel performance and wheel life as a function of type of grinding fluid used. There are many types of grinding fluids available for selection. Chief among these are straight oils and water soluble oils. Straight oils can be a blend of one or more of the different base oils (paraffinic, napthenic, synthetic and vegetable) and may contain boundary and/or extreme-pressure additives such as sulfur, phosphorous or chlorine compounds. While these oils provide good lubricity and rust prevention and are easy to maintain, they are also combustible and components are left with an oily film that might need to be removed before use. In the case of water soluble oils, the concentrates sold by coolant suppliers contain 40 percent or more oil and are mixed with water at a ratio of about 5% to 15% to create the metalworking fluid. These fluids provide good cooling but due to bacterial growth are not as easy to maintain as straight oils. The selection of an optimal grinding fluid type for any operation will vary based on a number of parameters, including the material to be ground, abrasive type used, wheel wear, maintenance, disposal and associated costs. This presentation will cover a range of grinding applications in aerospace, automotive and other markets with the typical lubricants utilized for them and the rationale for their selection. The presentation will also show the results of studies done at the Higgins Grinding Technology Center (HGTC) to compare the application of different lubricants in the grinding process and the impact it has on wheel performance and wheel life. This presentation will help the audience to understand the challenges involved in grinding as a material removal process and how innovations in product technology can be applied to aid better choices in grinding process lubrication.</p>

On Lubrication and the Grinding Process

Paper Proceedings: https://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/IMECE/IMECE2021/volume/85543

ASME 2021 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (IMECE2021)

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