Experimental study of grinding with a new body-armor-like abrasive disc for Ti-6Al-4V alloy

Titanium alloys are employed extensively in some vital areas like aerospace, biomedical, and automotive due to their exceptional properties. Nevertheless, conventional grinding to process high-strength titanium alloys can be problematic and lead to burns and wheel clogging. As a new grinding method, high-shear and low-pressure grinding can effectively avoid these problems. In this study, a body-armor-like abrasive disc based on the principle of liquid body armor was developed to achieve high-shear and low-pressure grinding. The material removal mechanism of high-shear and low-pressure grinding with body-armor-like abrasive disc was revealed. The effect of some grinding parameters, such as spindle rotational speed, rotary table speed, and tool offset, on surface roughness, material removal depth, and material removal rate of Ti-6Al-4V alloy was discussed. The surface roughness (Ra) was reduced by approximately 85.3% from 313.8 to 46 nm under the optimal grinding parameters. A material removal rate of 2.648 µm/min was achieved. The surface morphology of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy before and after grinding indicated that the surface defects were substantially removed, with a concomitant improvement in surface quality. The results showed that the body-armor-like abrasive disc can achieve high-quality and high-efficiency grinding for Ti-6Al-4V alloy.