TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION DURING ELECTRO-DISCHARGE ABRASIVE GRINDING

Abstract

The objective of this work is to develop a finite element method (FEM) based mathematical model to simulate the hybrid machining process of grinding and electric discharge machining (EDM), named as Electro-discharge abrasive grinding (EDAG), for temperature distribution in the workpiece. Two different finite element codes have been developed to calculate the temperature distribution due to grinding heat source and EDM heat source separately. The transient temperature field within workpiece due to cut-off grinding is determined due to moving rectangular heat source. Gaussian heat distribution of power within a spark has been considered in the calculation of temperature distribution due to EDM. Temperature distribution in the workpiece due to combined process is obtained by using superposition. The simulation shows a sudden rise in temperature at the spark location. The predicted results can be used for calculation of thermal stresses, which play a major role as far as high-quality product requirements are concerned.

Keywords:

• Electro-Discharge Abrasive Grinding (EDAG)
• EDM
• FEM
• Temperature distribution
• Simulation

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Financial assistance for this work granted by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Government of India, through the project no. CSIR/ME/1999/0186 entitled “Abrasive Electro-discharge Grinding of Advanced Engineering Materials” is acknowledged.