Monitoring force in precision cylindrical grinding

Aerostatic spindles are used in precision grinding applications requiring high stiffness and very low error motions (5–25 nm). Forces generated during precision grinding are small and present challenges for accurate and reliable process monitoring. These challenges are met by incorporating non-contact displacement sensors into an aerostatic spindle that are calibrated to measure grinding forces from changes in the gap between the rotor and stator. Four experiments demonstrate the results of the force-sensing approach in detecting workpiece contact, process monitoring with small depths of cut, detecting workpiece defects, and evaluating abrasive wheel wear/loading. Results indicate that force measurements are capable of providing useful feedback in precision grinding with excellent contact sensitivity, resolution, and detection of events occurring within a single revolution of the grinding wheel.