Speed Stroke Grinding of γ-Titanium Aluminides

This paper describes the developments to implement the innovative technology of speed stroke grinding for machining γ-titanium aluminides. These are difficult to cut materials with high application potential in the aeronautics industry. In a first step, a holistic process model is developed, which considers the tool wear and the mechanical and thermal energy balances at high table speeds as well as the crack formation mechanisms. In a second step, the theoretical process model of speed stroke grinding is verified and extended by experimental investigations. In addition to the analysis of the tool wear mechanisms crucial points of the grinding investigations are the analysis of the grinding temperatures and the structure of the workpiece surfaces with special regard to crack and residual stress formation.     

Electrochemical oxidation analysis for dressing bronze-bonded diamond grinding wheels

Electrochemical dressing of fine-grained metal-bonded diamond grinding wheels enables to grind hard and brittle materials in the ductile mode. Optical surfaces can be manufactured by grinding, which reduces the need for subsequent, time-consuming polishing work. When using metal-bonded grinding wheels, the emerging oxides regulate the electrochemical dissolution. Bronze-bonded grinding wheels are more suitable for grinding cemented carbides and ceramics than iron-bonded grinding wheels, as it is easier to modify their chemical composition to suit a specific grinding task. They can also be sintered at lower temperatures, which reduces the risk of thermal damage to the diamond. In this paper, the dissolution and the oxidation of different bronze alloys are characterized for the electrochemical dressing process. The relevant evaluation criteria are the oxide layer thickness, the electrical behavior and the different emerging bronze alloy oxides. This work is funded by the German Research Association DFG within the Transregional Collaborative Research Center SFB/TR4 “Process Chains for the Replication of Complex Optical Elements”.     

FORCES AND TEMPERATURES IN HARD TURNING

In precision machining, due to the recent developments in cutting tools, machine tool structural rigidity and improved CNC controllers, hard turning is an emerging process as an alternative to some of the grinding processes by providing reductions in costs and cycle-times. In industrial environments, hard turning is established for geometry features of parts with low to medium requirements on part quality. Better understanding of cutting forces, stresses and temperature fields, temperature gradients created during the machining are very critical for achieving highest quality products and high productivity in feasible cycle times. To enlarge the capability profile of the hard turning process, this paper introduces prediction models of mechanical and thermal loads during turning of 51CrV4 with hardness of 68 HRC by a CBN tool. The shear flow stress, shear and friction angles are determined from the orthogonal cutting tests. Cutting force coefficients are determined from orthogonal to oblique transformations. Cutting forces, temperature field for the chip and tool are predicted and compared with experimental measurements. The experimental temperature measurements are conducted by the advanced hardware device FIRE-1 (Fiberoptic Ratio Pyrometer).     

Numerical shape optimization of cold forging tools by means of FEM/BEM simulation

The procedure of a numerical shape optimization of the cold forging tool geometry allows for a reduction and a homogenization of tool load stresses. This procedure considers the workpiece-tool-machine interaction by means of the FEM/BEM coupling. The coupling requires modifications to insure accurate integration in TOSCA software for further shape optimization. The resulting distribution of the nodal displacements and changes of tool geometry are discussed and analyzed. Additionally, the numerical validation of the results by means of mechanical simulation of the optimized geometry with the extended FEM/BEM model is given. The equivalent stresses distribution at the end of lateral extrusion in the tool and in workpiece is presented. The numerical shape optimization leads to the maximum equivalent stress value reduction on the press shoulder on 856 MPa, corresponding to a percentage decrease of 24.3 % in comparison with the initial geometry. The approach for the compensation of load induced workpiece deviations, involving the described optimization procedure, is presented as well.     

Aufbau und Validierung eines Prozesskraftmodells für das kontinuierliche Wälzschleifen von Stirnradverzahnungen

Case hardened gears usually are hard finished to improve the load carrying capacity and the noise behavior. Generating gear grinding is one possible process for the hard finishing of gears and has replaced other grinding processes in batch production of small and middle size gears due to the high process efficiency. Despite the wide industrial application of this process only a few scientific analysis exist. The science-based analysis of generating gear grinding needs a high amount of time and effort. One reason are the complex contact conditions between tool and gear flank, which change continuously during the grinding process. This complicates the application of the existing knowledge of other grinding processes on generating gear grinding. The complex contact conditions lead to a high process dynamic which is a challenge for the design of machine tools, the control engineering and the process design. The knowledge of the cutting forces and their time dependent behaviour is necessary to describe and optimize the process dynamic. But the determination of the cutting forces in generating gear grinding process is not facilely possible at this time.     

Engineering in the nanocosmos: Nanorobotics moves kilograms of mass

In recent years Klocke Nanotechnik and partners have developed a new Nanorobotics system that builds a bridge between nanotechnology and classical mechanical engineering. These products combine the advantages of the two technologies: the backlash-free movement of up to 2 kg of load over a stroke of up to 70 mm with a resolution of a few nanometers. This series of positioning modules offers numerous degrees of freedom in the smallest volume for microassembly, interconnection technology, analysis, and reliability testing. Integrated position sensors allow automatic usage, also in rough production technology applications. The repeatability of classical assembly lines is limited to a few microns. Nanorobotics modules allow absolute positioning within 50 nm.     

Integrated Simulation of Machine Tool and Process Interaction for Turning

The interaction between process and machine tool behaviour can lead to process instabilities in terms of self‐excited vibrations where the energy of the machine tool oscillation is generated by process excitation. The regenerative chatter effects lead to wavy surfaces on the work‐piece. This effect has been simulated for turning processes with an integrated simulation approach, which couples a time domain simulation model for the machine tool and the workpiece with an analytical turning model. In this paper a procedure is illustrated for coupling an FEA‐based 3‐dimensional turning model with the time domain model for the machine tool under consideration of the resulting workpiece surface. In comparison to an analytical approach for calculating the mechanical tool load, the 3D‐FEA‐model has the potential to determine the resulting cutting forces for even complex‐shaped tool geometries, e.g. a complicated chip breaker or a varying cutting edge radius on the main or minor cutting edge. As a matter of the huge model size the calculation time in particular for 3‐dimensional problems is comparatively long to analytical cutting force models. Therefore, in this paper an approach to reduce the calculation time by using characteristic diagrams for the calculated process forces in the FEA‐model is presented. The research has also been focused on the current major problem in the FEA‐based modelling that the thrust and feed forces are generally underestimated in the simulation.     

Development of a reliable grinding procedure for ceramic medical instruments

Surgical instruments have to meet strict requirements on functionality and stable performance. The functional properties of scalpels, for example, are mainly dependent on a precise cutting edge geometry and high blade sharpness. To achieve a reliable production of scalpels, it is necessary to establish a holistic understanding of the process chain as well as the interactions of all machining processes. An innovative zirconium oxide offers high toughness and high wear resistance, leading to its use in ophthalmic scalpels. A cooperative project has been conducted by two universities and two industrial partners, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi).The project focuses particularly on the grinding process as a controlling factor for the scalpel’s functionality and sharpness. The complex process chain with various interactions of kinematics, vibrations and tool micro-topography was developed for high reliability and efficiency. The performance of in-machine dressing of diamond wheels with diamond form rollers was decisive for scalpel quality.