The enhancement of cutting capacity of a grinding wheel when processing ductile steel blank parts by ultrasonic activation

The study aimed to identify the relations between the sticking intensity and ultrasonic vibrations (UV) used for processing and evaluate the wheels’ performance when grinding ductile materials blank parts. The authors carried out the numerical simulation of local temperatures and the 3H3M3F steel workpiece temperature when grinding by ultrasonic activation. The study determined that the application of ultrasonic vibrations with the amplitude of 3 µm causes the decrease in local temperatures by 13…40 %, and in blank part temperature – up to 20 %. The calculation identified that the activation of ultrasonic vibrations with the amplitude of 3 µm causes the decrease in the glazing coefficient by 33 % for cutting grain and by 7 % for deforming grain. When increasing the longitudinal feed rate or the grinding depth, the glazing coefficient increases to a lesser degree when using the ultrasonic vibration than in the case without ultrasonic activation. The authors carried out the numerical simulation of local temperatures when scratching the 3H3M3F steel specimens by single abrasive grains with ultrasonic activation. The sticking deformation and the stresses resulted from this deformation and affecting the junction points of sticking with grains with and without ultrasonic vibrations application are calculated. The experimental research included the micro-cutting of specimens with single abrasive grains. The experiments identified that the abrasive grains wear out and glaze to a lesser degree when micro-cutting a workpiece with ultrasonic vibrations activation. The lowering of the intensity of sticking of the workpiece material particles to the abrasive grains due to the adhesion causes the decrease in the glazing coefficient when using ultrasonic activation. The study considered the possibility to enhance the efficiency of flat grinding through the use of the energy of ultrasonic vibrations applied to a blank part in the direction with the grinding wheel axis. A workpiece fixed in the device between the vibration transducer and the support is one of the components of a vibration system. The authors performed the experiment when grinding 3H3M3F and 12H18N10T steel workpieces with the wheel face. When grinding with ultrasonic vibrations, the grinding coefficient increases up to 70 %, and the redress life increases twice or thrice.