Comparative performance evaluation of additively manufactured and conventional resin-bonded diamond grinding wheels

In this study, resin-bonded superabrasive diamond grinding wheels (C75 concentration, D64 grain size), both uncoated and coated, were successfully fabricated using a stereolithography-based additive manufacturing process. The high design freedom of 3D printing enabled the production of both standard ring-shaped wheels and functionalized geometries with integrated coolant-lubricant channels, which are hardly achievable with conventional methods. Comparative investigations were systematically conducted on additively manufactured and conventionally pressed diamond grinding wheels to analyze their performance in deep grinding of solid carbide under industrially realistic conditions (up to 500 μm depth of cut and 2.5 mm³/mm·s removal rate). The results showed that additively manufactured grinding wheels with uncoated diamond grains achieved a higher real depth of removed material than conventional wheels, while coated variants reached 96–98% of the reference performance. Compared to pressed wheels, 3D-printed wheels exhibited a more pronounced self-sharpening effect during deep grinding, resulting in lower spindle power (correlating with lower grinding forces) and higher surface roughness of the carbide workpiece (Ra 1–3 μm). The micro-topography of the grinding wheel revealed firmly embedded grains in the matrix, indicating high retention strength of the photopolymer. The results demonstrated that these new 3D-printed, resin-bonded diamond grinding wheels were generally suitable for carbide machining, depending on the application and requirements. The integrated coolant channels had a significantly positive effect on the real depth of removed material, surface roughness, spindle power, and reduction of chip loading. The printing parameters strongly influenced grinding performance and must therefore be tailored to the material composition, especially regarding grain size and concentration.