A simplified methodology to determine the cutting stiffness and the contact stiffness in the plunge grinding process

This paper presents a simplified experimental technique to determine approximately the cutting stiffness and the contact stiffness in the plunge grinding process. The experimental methodology consists of a machine static stiffness test and several grinding processes. The cutting stiffness is obtained from the workpiece headstock static stiffness and from its displacement during the grinding processes, measured by a LVDT transducer. The contact stiffness is resolved from the expression that relates it with the grinding process time constant and other grinding parameters, The time constant is obtained from the exponential that characterises the machine deformation during the spark-out, measured as well by the LVDT transducer placed on the workpiece headstock. The variation of the obtained values of the contact stiffness with some of the grinding parameters is also shown. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.