Title: The electrical behaviour of the dressing process in ELID-grinding

Authors: Bruno Kersschot; Jun Qian; Dominiek Reynaerts

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, KULeuven, Celestijnenlaan, 300B b2420 3001 Leuven, Belgium ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, KULeuven, Celestijnenlaan, 300B b2420 3001 Leuven, Belgium ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, KULeuven, Celestijnenlaan, 300B b2420 3001 Leuven, Belgium

Abstract: During ELID-grinding, the metallic wheel is kept sharp through an electrolytic dressing process in which a layer is grown on top of the wheels surface. The electrolysis process can be modelled electrically using the Helmholtz representation of a boundary layer. Measurements show that at the start of the (pre-)dressing the capacitance of the system is at its highest value, above 10 µF. After a while, it drops significantly to a level below 1 µF. This signifies a change in the metal-electrolyte interface and the grinding wheel is covered with a layer of (hydr-)oxides. The model is refined in two ways. Firstly, the capacitance between the two metallic electrodes is added. Secondly, the self-inductance of the power cables is included. With the proposed model it is possible to properly simulate the electrical behaviour of the growth of the layer. It also provides a fundamental insight into the electrolytic dressing process.

Keywords: electrolytic in-process dressing; ELID grinding; passivation; electrical modelling; dressing process; oxide layer; grinding wheels; electrolysis; metal-electrolyte interface; simulation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNM.2013.055144

International Journal of Nanomanufacturing, 2013 Vol.9 No.2, pp.137 - 147

Received: 03 Nov 2012
Accepted: 13 Jan 2013
Published online: 31 Mar 2014 *

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