Relations Between Abrasive Processes

Many workpiece materials can be finished to a high surface quality and shape accuracy by grinding, honing and lapping. Important relations between these precision-machining processes can be made evident by considering of individual active abrasive grains. The load acting on the grains is among others dependent on the cutting speed, the grain normal force and the grain contact time. Grain load results in grain wear which may lead to an instationary development of the roughness on the workpiece surface. Modelling the production of roughness explains how typical surface textures are formed. The ranges of specific cutting energies, average cross-sectional areas of cut per grain and grain normal forces have been provided. For describing the machinability, a characteristic value is introduced taking into account the conditions at the cutting grain.