A thermal model of the wet grinding process

A thermal model of the wet grinding process is presented. The thermal effect of the grain–workpiece interface and the shear plane between the workpiece and the chip is taken into account. By taking all of the parameters needed in the model from the experimental results, the temperature of the workpiece surface in the grinding zone can be predicted. It is shown that the flow rate of the grinding fluid under general grinding conditions is sufficient to cover the thermal boundary layer of the coolant in the grinding zone. The predicted workpiece surface temperatures have been compared to experimental data for some grinding conditions. Good agreement is obtained except for the creep-feed grinding process, when water-based grinding fluid is used. The differences between the theoretical values and experimental results are attributed to constant thermal properties, and neglect of transverse conduction in the development of the thermal model.