Design of assembled substrate of electroplated diamond grinding wheel for disassembly of abrasive layer

Expensive diamond grains remaining within waste diamond grinding wheels and wheel substrate need to be recycled. Electroplated diamond grinding wheel was taken as an example. An idea of “substrate structure-induced cracks (SSIC)” was proposed to solve the disassembly problem of waste electroplated diamond wheels. An assembled substrate for electroplated diamond grinding wheel was designed. Fabrication and disassembly experiments of electroplated diamond wheel with assembled substrate were carried out. Also, finite element analysis was used to investigate the mechanism of disassembly processes. Recycling experiments of electroplated diamond wheels were carried out in three ways, namely acid corrosion method, electrolysis method and SSIC method. The experimental results show that cracks generate in the diamond abrasive layer of the assembled wheel. The simulated maximum principal stress occurs on diamond abrasive layer near the mating surface between cylindrical pins and substrate, which is consistent with the location where the crack is created. The abrasive layer can be easily peeled off from substrate after the cracks occur on abrasive layer. Compared with electrolysis and acid corrosion methods, the SSIC method has the shortest disassembly time and the lowest disassembly costs. The assembled substrate provides possibility to exert cracking forces from substrate to diamond abrasive layer. With assembled substrate, the nondestructive disassembly of electroplated diamond wheel can be fulfilled. Assembled substrate can meet the need of DFD for electroplated diamond grinding wheel.