Experimental investigation and numerical analysis of material removal efficiency using abrasive microaggregates in grinding processes of Ti6Al4V

Reducing plastic interactions between abrasive grains and the material being processed improves grinding efficiency and lowers energy consumption. Widening the cutting zone with abrasive grains enhances chip formation and reduces lateral material displacement. This can be achieved by using abrasive microaggregates. The paper presents an experimental analysis of grinding with modified wheels containing abrasive microaggregates. It examines how these microaggregates impact the grinding wheel’s surface microgeometry and material removal efficiency. The study measured changes in the number, surface area, volume, and spacing of active contact areas as the grinding wheel wore down. A comparative analysis using the Shos indicator showed that abrasive microaggregates promote the formation of active areas with wide cutting edges perpendicular to the cutting direction. Finite element method simulations confirmed that abrasive microaggregates enhance material removal by widening the micro-cutting zone and increasing lateral resistance, which reduces the formation of flashes along the cutting path. The study also assessed how these surface features impact the roughness of the ground surface. A comparative analysis of roughness parameters showed a statistically significant reduction in surface, volume, hybrid, and functional parameters when using grinding wheels with abrasive microaggregates. This analysis was conducted using bootstrap statistical hypothesis tests. • The addition of abrasive micro-aggregates increases the number of potential contact surfaces of the grinding wheel with the workpiece. • The wide cutting edge of the abrasive microaggregate significantly increases the length of the cutting edge along which the chip is created. • The average values of all roughness parameters differentiating surface features (statistically significant) are lower for surfaces ground with a grinding wheel with the addition of abrasive microaggregates. • The distribution of roughness parameter values of surfaces ground with a grinding wheel using abrasive microaggregates is characterized by smaller dispersion than in the case of grinding with a conventional grinding wheel.