Intermittent cutting behavior and grinding force model in ultrasonic vibration-assisted grinding K4002 nickel-based superalloy

The intermittent cutting behavior, performing as periodic contact phase and separation phase between abrasive grit and workpiece, is an important characteristic in the ultrasonic vibration-assisted grinding (UVAG). This study investigated the effect of intermittent cutting behavior on the grinding force in UVAG. At first, a grinding force model was established by determining the quantity of effective grits and the grinding force of a single grit. Then, the influences of ultrasonic vibration phase on the intermittent cutting behavior and grinding force were discussed. Finally, the prediction accuracy of the model was tested through experiments. Results indicated that the intermittent cutting behavior was divided into the contact phase and separation phase. A large unchanged chip thickness of 1.05 μm was generated at the start of contact phase. The quantity of effective grits firstly increased to maximum 232 at the vibration phase of 0.5 π and then gradually decreased to zero when entering the separation phase. The maximum error of the grinding force model was 15%, indicating that the model was of high accuracy for the force prediction in UVAG.