Simulation of ultrasonic-assisted grinding for improved efficiency in hard-to-machine materials: A direct approach to analyze material removal mechanisms

The application of ultrasonic superposition is utilized in industrial manufacturing to enhance the chip formation mechanisms, particularly when machining hard-to-machine materials. The Institute for Machine Tools and Factory Management (IWF) systematically investigates the interactions between tool and workpiece during ultrasonic-assisted grinding of high-performance ceramics. To gain an in-depth understanding of the microscopic engagement conditions, these conditions are analyzed by simulation. For this purpose, a Python simulation tool based on a geometrical-kinematic modeling approach was developed to analyze the ultrasonic-assisted circumferential longitudinal grinding process. It was demonstrated that ultrasonic assistance leads to smaller and more uniform chip thicknesses which reduce grinding forces and minimizes tool wear. Also, it promotes brittle chip formation mechanisms and improves the efficiency of the grinding process compared to conventional machining. For further investigation, the simulation model was adapted to the transverse face grinding process. In this context, not only the circumferential surface but also the face surface of the grinding tool is engaged with the workpiece. Additionally, the penetration of the workpiece is no longer tangential with the rotational movement but perpendicular to the tool movement. Analogous to the results of the analysis of the circumferential longitudinal grinding process, the influences of ultrasonic excitation on the engagement conditions, particularly the resulting chip thickness and surface topography for the adapted process kinematics were determined and are presented in this paper.