Nano-surface Finish Using Electrolytic In-process Dressing (ELID) Grinding

摘要

Finishing of hard and brittle materials with nano-surface finish, high tolerance and accuracy has become possible by grinding in the recent years. Grinding with superabrasive wheels is an excellent way to produce ultraprecision surface finish. However, superabrasive diamond grits need higher bonding strength while grinding, which the metal bonded grinding wheels can offer. But truing and dressing of the wheels are the major problems and they tend to glaze because of wheel loading. When grinding with superabrasive wheels, they need to be dressed periodically to perform continuous grinding. Electrolytic in-process dressing (ELID) is the most suitable process for dressing metal bonded grinding wheels during the grinding process.Nano-surface finish can be achieved only when the chip removal is done in the atomic level. Recent developments of ductile mode machining of hard and brittle materials show that the plastically deformed chip removal minimizes the subsurface damage of the workpiece. When the chip deformation takes place in ductile regime, the defect free nano-surface is possible and it completely eliminates the polishing process. But still the process is not robust because of practical difficulties. In this study, the authors discuss chorological development of the ELID process and explain the recent developments, principle, mechanism, advantages and difficulties of this nano-precis ion grinding process.