Predictive modeling of surface roughness in grinding

The surface roughness is a variable often used to describe the quality of ground surfaces as well as to evaluate the competitiveness of the overall grinding system. This paper presents the prediction of the arithmetic mean surface roughness based on a probabilistic undeformed chip thickness model. The model expresses the ground finish as a function of the wheel microstructure, the process kinematic conditions, and the material properties. The analysis includes a geometrical analysis of the grooves left on the surface by ideal conic grains. The material properties and the wheel microstructure are considered in the surface roughness prediction through the chip thickness model. A simple expression that relates the surface roughness with the chip thickness was found, which was verified using experimental data from cylindrical grinding.