MQL technique is considered as a cleaner machining compared to the conventional coolant delivery one, thereby ensuring environmental sustainability and economic benefits. However, one of problems commonly reported when using the MQL technique is the wheel clogging phenomenon as a result of the inefficient chip removal from the cutting zone, then the chips lodge inside the pores of the grinding wheel, adversely affecting the quality and the finishing of the final product. In this context, this study was carried out to evaluate the performance of the minimum quantity lubrication coolant technique assisted with a wheel cleaning jet (MQL + WCJ) in plunge grinding of hardened steel. This cooling-lubrication technique was tested using the following flow rates: 30, 60, and 120 ml/h. Comparative tests were also carried out with the conventional coolant technique, as well as with the traditional MQL technique (without the wheel cleaning jet). The output variables used to assess the efficiency of the MQL + WCJ technique are roughness, roundness, workpiece microhardness, grinding wheel wear, and power consumption. The results showed that the machining with the MQL + WCJ technique outperformed the traditional MQL technique in all the output parameters investigated. Also, the efficiency of the MQL + WCJ technique increased with flow rate, thereby being an alternative coolant delivery technique in grinding due to cleaner environment, more sustainable and lower consumption of fluid compared to conventional coolant one. No thermal damages and cracks on the machined surface and sub-surfaces were observed after grinding AISI 4340 steel, irrespective of the technique.
Minimum Quantity Lubrication is an alternative technique to conventional techniques that are related to environmental sustainability and economic benefits. This technique promotes the substantial reduction of the amount of coolant employed in machining processes, representing a mitigation of risks to people’s health that are involved with the process. On the other hand, it has been reported in the literature that some problems of using the Minimum Quantity Lubrication technique can impair the grinding efficiency. One of these problems is associated with wheel clogging phenomenon, which is caused by inefficient chip removal from the cutting zone as well as from mixture of metal dust and oil accumulated on the wheel surface during grinding. If chips lodge inside the pores of the grinding wheel as machining progresses, they will adversely affect dimensional and geometric quality of final product. Also, this will require more frequent dressing. A solution for this problem can be an effective cleaning system of the abrasive wheel during grinding with the traditional Minimum Quantity Lubrication technique Assisted with Wheel Cleaning Jet. In this context and aiming to explore the various potential health, environmental and economic benefits that have been widely reported in the literature about the use of Minimum Quantity Lubrication technique in grinding, this study presents an application of the Minimum Quantity Lubrication technique at flow rates (30, 60 and 120 mL/h) and assisted with wheel cleaning jet (Minimum Quantity Lubrication + Assisted with Wheel Cleaning Jet) in plunge grinding of a hardened steel with an aluminum oxide wheel. Experiments were also carried out with traditional Minimum Quantity Lubrication (without wheel cleaning) and with the conventional coolant techniques for comparison. The output variables were geometrical errors (surface roughness and roundness) of the workpiece, diametric wheel wear, acoustic emission, vibration and tangential cutting force. Results showed that Minimum Quantity Lubrication + Assisted with Wheel Cleaning Jet (with wheel cleaning jet) not only outperformed the traditional Minimum Quantity Lubrication technique in all the parameters analyzed, but in some cases it proved to be compatible with the conventional coolant technique under the conditions investigated. Also, most of values of the output parameters tested decreased with increase in flow rate.
The coolant delivery technique known as Minimal Quantity Lubrication (MQL) has been employed in machining since the end of the 20th Century and has gained considerable evidence in the last years as a viable alternative to the use of the conventional coolant technique (flood). Due to the low oil flow rate delivered by the MQL technique in grinding operations, that generally varies from 20 to 240 ml / h in relation to near 600,000 ml / h flow rate of the conventional coolant technique, the MQL technique provides a reduced risk for human health and environmental damage associated with the use, maintenance and disposal of cutting fluids. In this context, this study was carried out to evaluate the application viability of the minimum quantity lubrication coolant technique under different flow rates in the plunge cylindrical grinding of ABNT 4340 steel with an aluminum oxide wheel. Three flow rates were tested: 30, 60 and 120 ml/h. Grinding trials with the conventional coolant delivery method were also tested for comparative purposes. The output variables used to assess the efficiency of the MQL technique in this work are: roughness, roundness and hardness of the workpiece. Grinding wheel wear and power consumption were also monitored. The results showed that, despite the higher values of roughness and roundness of the workpiece, as well as the grinding wheel wear, the values of these same parameters obtained after machining with the MQL technique were close to those obtained after machining with the conventional technique. No thermal damages and cracks on the machined surface, or even below the machined surface, were observed after grinding ABNT 4340 steel irrespective of the coolant-lubrication condition investigated. The results showed that the MQL with 120 ml/h can be an alternative coolant technique due to cleaner environment and lower consumption of fluid in grinding under the conditions investigated in this work.
Grinding is generally the first choice to provide combination of both superior surface finish and closer dimensional tolerances in a machined component. This process can be employed in manufacturing of continuous and interrupted surfaces. Crankshafts and engine piston rings are examples of ground precision mechanical components having interrupted surfaces. However, the specific literature about grinding of interrupted surfaces is still scarce. In this context, aiming to further contribute to the understanding of the behavior of surface integrity of interrupted surfaces during grinding, this paper presents an experimental investigation of interrupted surfaces ground with white aluminum oxide grinding wheel. Discs of AISI 4340 hardened steel with different number of grooves (2, 6, and 12) on the external surface were tested. Experiments with discs without interrupted surface were also carried out for comparisons. In addition to the number of grooves, three values of infeed rate (0.25, 0.50, and 0.75 mm/min) were used as input parameters. The output parameters investigated were the geometric errors (surface roughness and roundness) of the workpiece material as well as the diametric wheel wear. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was performed to verify any statistical difference among the output variables. Results showed that both surface finish and roundness of workpieces with interrupted surfaces were higher than those obtained for continuous surface. These parameters also increased with infeed rate up to 0.50 mm/min, whereas the grinding wheel wear was more sensitive to number of grooves and infeed rate. No thermal damages were observed on the machined workpieces under the conditions investigated.
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