Grinding efficiency and profile accuracy of diamond grinding wheels dressed with wire electrical discharge conditioning (WEDC)

Super abrasive diamond grinding wheels are the most promising tools for the precision machining of advanced ceramics and carbide materials. However, the efficiency of conventional conditioning of these tools is limited owing to high dressing tool wear, long process time, low form flexibility, and induced damage to the abrasive grains. Wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) is an alternative method for conditioning of superabrasive grinding wheels with electrically conductive bonding materials. In this study, cylindrical plunge grinding of an alumina ceramic with a resin-bonded diamond grinding wheel is investigated. The assigned type of resin bond contains copper particles and is accordingly electrically conductive for wire electrical discharge conditioning (WEDC). Conventional (mechanical) and WEDC methods are used for generating the same profile on two similar diamond grinding wheels. As a result, the specific grinding energy was reduced up to 26% and 29% during rough and finish plunge grinding, respectively. Reduced specific grinding energy and forces, along with more effective grain protrusion and sharpness by using WEDC for profiling of grinding wheels, have contributed positively to the ground surface conditions despite the relatively rougher wheel surface topography in comparison to the conventional profiling. The more considerable reduction in the mean roughness depth (Rz) than in the arithmetical mean roughness value (Ra) (11% smaller Rz values in WEDC versus mechanical conditioning) verifies that the workpiece surface underwent less surface degradation in case of WEDC because of smaller grinding forces. Furthermore, the profile wear behavior of the workpiece ground with the WED conditioned grinding wheel was superior to the conventionally conditioned one.