Abstract
Abstract
The spatial distribution of sharp cutting edges around the active periphery of a grinding wheel has an important effect on the surface finish of ground components. In addition, random protrusion of sharp edges can result in a random distribution of grinding forces acting on the ground surface. A uniformly dressed and accurately trued wheel is essential for successful grinding. Since these conditions will alter during use, monitoring of them during grinding must be a requirement for critical grinding operations. This paper describes a new system for achieving on-line detection of the grinding wheel condition. The system uses a small air flapper nozzle-transducer arrangement which detects in-process changes of the grinding wheel surface topography, where external triggering of the data-acquisition system ensures a highly accurate identification of the wheel's surface topography irrespective of wheel speed. The benefits of this system are illustrated by experimental results that correlate the measurement of wheel topography by two means: flapper nozzle and stylus.