Manufacturing Engineering Technology in SI Units,

6th Edition

Chapter 26:
Abrasive Machining and Finishing
Operations
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Chapter Outline

Introduction
Abrasives and Bonded Abrasives
The Grinding Process
Grinding Operations and Machines
Design Considerations for Grinding
Ultrasonic Machining
Finishing Operations
Deburring Operations
Economics of Abrasive Machining and Finishing O
perations
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Introduction

Some manufacturing processes cannot produce the

required dimensional accuracy or surface finish
An abrasive is a small, hard particle having sharp
edges and an irregular shape
Abrasives is removing of small amounts of material
from a surface through a cutting process that produces
tiny chips
Grinding wheels can sharpen
knives and tools
Sandpaper or emery cloth can
smoothen surfaces and remove
sharp corners
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Introduction

1.
2.

3.
4.

Abrasives are hard and used in finishing processes for

heat-treated metals and alloys
Applications include:
Finishing of ceramics and glasses
Cutting off lengths of bars, structural shapes, masonry
and concrete
Removing unwanted weld beads and spatter
Cleaning surfaces with jets of air or water containing
abrasive particles.

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education South Asia Pte Ltd

Introduction

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Abrasives and Bonded

Abrasives

1.
2.

Abrasives that are commonly used:

Conventional abrasives
Superabrasives
Above abrasives are harder than conventional cuttingtool materials
Cubic boron nitride and diamond are the two hardest
materials known; referred to as superabrasives
Friability defined as the ability of abrasive grains to
fracture into smaller pieces

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education South Asia Pte Ltd

Abrasives and Bonded

Abrasives
Abrasive Types

Commonly found in nature are emery, corundum

(alumina), quartz, garnet and diamond

Abrasives that have been made synthetically:

1.
Aluminum oxide
2.
Seeded gel
3.
Silicon carbide
4.
Cubic boron nitride
5.
Diamond

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education South Asia Pte Ltd

Abrasives and Bonded

Abrasives
Abrasive Grain Size

Abrasives are very small when compared to the size of

cutting tools and inserts

Abrasives have sharp edges and allow removal of

small quantities of material

Very fine surface finish and dimensional accuracy can

be obtained using abrasives as tools

Size of an abrasive grain is identified by a grit number

Smaller the grain size, larger the grit number

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education South Asia Pte Ltd

Abrasives and Bonded

Abrasives
Abrasiveworkpiece-material Compatibility

Affinity of an abrasive grain to the workpiece material is

important

The less the reactivity of the two materials, the less

wear and dulling of the grains occur during grinding

Recommendations when selecting abrasives:

1.
Aluminum oxide: Carbon steels, ferrous alloys, and
alloy steels.
2.
Silicon carbide: Nonferrous metals, cast irons
3.
Cubic boron nitride: Steels and cast irons
4.
Diamond: Ceramics, cemented carbides, hardened
steels
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Abrasives and Bonded

Abrasives:
Each abrasive grain
removes only a very small amount
Grinding
Wheels

of material at a time
High rates of material removal can be achieved when
large number of these grains act together
Done by using bonded abrasives

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Abrasives and Bonded

Abrasives:
In bonded abrasives,
porosity is essential to provide
Grinding
Wheels

clearance for produced chips and cooling

Porosity can be observed by the surface of grinding
wheel
For non-porosity, it is fully dense and solid

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education South Asia Pte Ltd

Abrasives and Bonded

Abrasives:
Due to their highWheels
cost, only a small volume wheels
Grinding

consists of superabrasives
Bonded abrasives are indicated by the type of abrasive,
grain size, grade, structure, and bond type

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Abrasives and Bonded

Abrasives:
Cost of grinding Wheels
wheels depends on the type and size
Grinding

of the wheel

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education South Asia Pte Ltd

Abrasives and Bonded

Abrasives:
CommonTypes
types of bonds:
Bond

1.

2.

Vitrified:

Consist of feldspar and clays

Strong, stiff, porous, and resistant to oils acids, and

water
Resinoid:

Bonding materials are thermosetting resins

Resinoid wheels are more flexible than vitrified

wheels

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Abrasives and Bonded

Abrasives:
Reinforced
Wheels:
Bond
Types
3.

Consist of layers of fiberglass mats of various mesh

sizes
Thermoplastic:

Used in grinding wheels

With sol-gel abrasives bonded with thermoplastics

Rubber:

Using powder-metallurgy techniques

Lower in cost and are used for small production

quantities

4.

5.

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