Impact of grinding wheel specification on surface integrity and residual stress when grinding Inconel 718

The grinding process is often maligned by grinding burn; which refers to many unwanted effects, including residual stress formation. This paper presents an overview of the role of grinding wheel technologies in the surface response and residual stress formation of thin section Inconel 718. Using production standard equipment, conventional abrasive vitrified, and super abrasive electroplated wheel technologies were evaluated in initial comparative trials. Results revealed the dominant residual stress profiles, which manifested as measurable distortion and the thermo-mechanical impact of grinding, such as softening. Following this, a parametric study was carried out using cubic boron nitride super abrasive electroplated wheels to investigate the interaction of grinding parameters on the generated output. It was shown that at increased grinding aggressions, tensile stress regimes increased resulting in increased distortion magnitudes. The study highlights the importance of assessing residual stress formation when manipulating both wheel technologies and grinding parameters. It is envisaged that with additional assessment, a route to an engineered residual stress profile might be achieved.