Designing and manufacturing of desktop type 5-axis NC precision grinder and its fundamental grinding characteristics

This study was performed to manufacture a new desktop type 5-axis NC precision grinder for bioceramics artificial knee joint. A table-on-table type 5-axis grinder with three linear axes on the tool side and two axes on the workpiece side was designed and manufactured. Designing and manufacturing of the grinder based on finite element method analysis and theory of generating motion were carried out. The static compliance, straightness motion error, and the positioning accuracy of the prototype grinder were evaluated. Grinding experiments using carbon steel indicated machining errors < 5 μm. Grinding marks due to plastic deformation were found on the machined surface of zirconia. These results indicated that motion accuracy and grinding characteristics of the prototype desktop type 5-axis NC precision grinder were sufficient for machining of bioceramics artificial knee joints.