Grinding Performance Evaluation of Additively Manufactured Vitrified Bond Grinding Wheel: Tool Wear, Grinding Force, Surface Roughness, and Surface Topography Analysis

Additive manufacturing processes have revolutionized the tool fabrication process by offering unique advantages, including rapid prototyping, reduced material waste, easy customization, and a wide range of materials. This study leverages vat photopolymerization (VPP) technology to fabricate a high-porosity (53%) vitrified grinding wheel with a high abrasive concentration (C200). The high porosity of the material benefits coolant flow, chip clearance, and thermal management, which are essential for reducing grinding forces, extending the tool's lifespan, and enhancing the surface quality of the material being processed. A series of comprehensive experiments have been conducted to evaluate the performance of printed grinding wheels. The results from the grinding experiments showed that the fabricated grinding wheel exhibited excellent performance, achieving ground parts with smooth surfaces (Ra = 0.45 mu m for a material removal volume of 62.5 mm3), high accuracy (tool wear of up to 40 mu m for the same volume), and stable grinding conditions (grinding force of 5 N). Additionally, the grinding wheel demonstrated reduced loading and extended tool life, particularly at lower material removal volumes. A comparison of various grinding parameters revealed that utilizing a depth of cut of 25 mu m caused more advantages for grinding performance than a lower depth of cut at the same material removal rate. This combination resulted in higher surface quality (25% less Ra value), reduced tool wear (18-50% less wear), decreased wheel loading, and a more uniform surface.