Abstract
Surface and subsurface damage in hardened and tempered En 31 steel has been examined after grinding under various conditions. The effects of downfeed, wheel speed, wheel hardness, and dressing speed are first studied separately. Three combinations of parameters are then selected to represent abusive, conventional, and gentle grinding conditions. Mechanical and metallurgical damage is revealed in three forms: a network of practically invisible cracks, microstructural modifications, and hardness changes beneath the ground surface. The last is the direct result of the considerable heat generated during the grinding process, which is responsible for the occurrence of high residual tensile stress. The observed effects can be explained in terms of a simple heat-flow model and the tempering characteristics of this steel.
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