In-process Topographical Evaluation of CBN wheel surface

In surface grinding, the conditions of the grinding wheel has much more significant effect on the machined workpiece as compared to other metal removal processes. The contact between the grinding wheel and the workpiece introduce heat and resistance, which restrict the self-dressing of the grits and result in burrs cracks on the workpiece. Therefore, before or during the grinding operation, it is necessary to self-dressing the grinding wheel for more accurate performance. In general, however, the choice of the dressing time has made by the operator's own decision or the condition of the workpiece. In this paper, a new method for finding the optimal dressing time of the grinding wheel is proposed. In order to develop a more sophisticated methodology, a non-contacting in-process optical measurement method using a laser beam has been introduced to find the glazing, loading, and spilling of the grinding wheel Simultaneously, a three-dimensional computer simulation of the grinding operation has been attempted based on the contact mechanism between the grinding wheel and the workpiece. The grains of the grinding wheel are simulated and the optimal dressing time is determined based on the amount of grain wear and work surface roughness.