MECHANICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF RUBBER-BONDED ELASTIC GRINDING WHEELS BY BENDING TESTS

The elastic modulus of a grinding wheel is one of the most representative properties when it comes to the study of its in process behavior, which makes it a parameter of great interest for both researchers and manufacturers of grinding wheels. Rubber-bonded grinding wheels are characterized by their high elasticity, which makes them stand out in superfinishing applications, achieving surface roughness of Rz < 1 µm and mitigating the risk of burning the ground parts. Despite the good performance of this type of grinding wheel, they are not as popular as conventional rigid wheels, and their mechanical characteristics are still unknown. Moreover, while a few investigations have focused on determining the mechanical properties and their relationship with the in-process performance of vitrified or resinoid bonded grinding wheels, there are not investigations that have studied the mechanical properties of elastic grinding wheels. In this work, the elastic modulus, flexural strength and deformation of rubber-bonded elastic grinding wheels have been studied by means of three-point bending tests. Different compositions of the different materials that make up this type of grinding wheel have been analyzed, as well as the strength of the bond between the abrasive compound and the grinding wheel core. This study is intended to help to better understand the behavior of elastic grinding wheels and to develop more efficient grinding processes. In addition, it allows manufacturers to increase their knowledge of the properties of this type of grinding wheel and offers an effective method for its mechanical characterization. Keywords: Grinding, elastic grinding wheels, rubber bond, wheel characterization, elastic modulus, flexural strength, bending