TECHNOLOGICAL POSSIBILITIES OF LOW-TEMPERATURE PRECISION GRINDING PROCESS WHEN MACHINING HARD AND BRITTLE MATERIALS

A comparatively new method of abrasive machining of flat surfaces using a bonded abrasive wheel is described. This method combines such features of abrasive machining as high productivity of conventional grinding and high surface quality of the lapping process. Under optimal machining conditions, the mean temperature of the interface does not exceed 70-130 C. The method was, therefore, termed Low Temperature Precision Grinding (LPG). The method and the corresponding grinding machine are dedicated for precision grinding of flat surfaces of various components from hard, super-hard and brittle non-metallic materials. Among them are ceramics, diamond and CBN-based composites, single crystals, semiconductors, optical glass, ceramic and cemented carbide cutting tips and other materials of high interest in various industrial sectors. The rates of material removal, surface quality and other output parameters of the LPG method are presented and compared with other grinding methods. Financial support was provided by the INTAS 96-2226 grant of the European Union. 7 refs.