Modelling of the cooling effect in tool grinding under consideration of process-related uncertainties

• Applicants: Dr.-Ing. Benjamin Bergmann; Professor Andreas Rademacher, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Metal-Cutting and Abrasive Manufacturing Engineering
• Term: since 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 439916647

The grinding process plays a central role in the process chain for the production of solid carbide tools for geometrically determined machining. It defines the geometric shape of the workpiece, influences the substrate properties and causes up to 60 % of the costs in tool production. The influence of the cutting conditions on the resulting workpiece quality has already been investigated in numerous research projects, while fluid dynamic processes of the cooling lubricant in the contact zone and their effects on the thermal load of the workpiece are still largely unknown. In order to close this knowledge gap, the aim of the project is to investigate a multi-scale material removal fluid simulation for tool grinding, taking into account process-related uncertainties. It is known that the microscopic (e.g. grinding wheel topography, properties of the cooling lubricant) and macroscopic (e.g. control variables) influences during grinding have a significant impact on the effectiveness of cooling and lubrication. A fundamental understanding of these interactions during the grinding process forms an essential basis for damage-free machining with increased productivity. The underlying hypothesis is that effective conditions such as surface wetting, heat propagation and flow rates can be predicted by simulating the microscopic and macroscopic influences. By coupling the different scales and simulation methods, this is also possible with low computational intensity, so that a simulation-based analysis can be carried out shortly before the start of the production process. Furthermore, it is assumed that the microscopic processes are subject to random fluctuations that cannot be fully simulated. These uncertainties must be considered in the simulation in order to ensure a precise representation of real processes. With this objective, the project addresses questions concerning the simulation of multi-scale problems, the modelling of the heat transfer into the cooling lubricant and the corresponding heat transport. In addition, the consideration of uncertainties in production processes is addressed. The methods to be researched have a fundamental character and can therefore be transferred to other applications in cooperation with other projects of the priority program 2231.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 2231: Efficient cooling, lubrication and transportation – coupled mechanical and fluid-dynamical simulation methods for efficient production processes (FLUSIMPRO)
• International Connection: Sweden
• Co-Investigator: Professor Dr. Alfred Schmidt
• Cooperation Partner: Dr. Michael Eden