Comparative investigation on grindability of K4125 and Inconel718 nickel-based superalloys

Nickel-based superalloy is a typical hard-to-machining material in the aero-engine manufacturing industry. The grindability difference of two kinds of nickel-based superalloys, i.e., equiaxed cast nickel-based superalloy K4125 and wrought nickel-based superalloy Inconel718, are discussed in this article. The influence of grinding parameters (e.g., grinding speed, workpiece speed, and depth of cut) on the grinding force, grinding temperature, and ground surface quality are explored. The results illustrate that under the given grinding conditions, grinding K4125 generates higher forces than Inconel718. The temperature from the K4125 grinding process is beyond 400 °C, while the temperature from grinding on Inconel718 is below 200 °C. Moreover, because of the chip adhesion on the wheel surface when grinding K4125, not only the wheel wear is more severe but also the ground surface of K4125 is worse than that of Inconel718. Accordingly, it could be inferred that the grindability of K4125 is worse than that of Inconel718.