Design aspects of an additively manufactured reconfigurable grinding wheel with in-situ coolant generation and self-adaptable lubrication capability

Abstract

The detailed design aspects of an additively manufactured, reconfigurable grinding wheel are presented in this paper. The wheel incorporates several unique features, such as in-situ generation and delivery of cold air for thermal management and a self-adaptable lubrication mechanism inspired by the sweating action of the human body. The discussions are mainly oriented to the geometry and design architecture of these features, including the custom design of an in-built vortex flow cooling system within the wheel, and a temperature-governed lubricant discharge system. Leveraging the capabilities of three-dimensional printing, the proposed design introduces several additional advantages to the grinding wheel, including modularity, reconfigurability, segmentation, and a custom-designed abrasive architecture. This design innovation has resulted in significant reductions in grinding temperature, grinding forces, and surface roughness, as demonstrated through experimental validation.