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

• Applicants: Dr.-Ing. Benjamin Bergmann; Professor Dr. Alfred Schmidt
• 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. The objective is based on the hypothesis that the combination of micro- (e.g. grinding wheel topography, physical properties of the cooling lubricant) and macroscopic (e.g. cutting conditions) effects during grinding significantly influence the effectiveness of cooling and lubrication in the process. The general knowledge of the interactions and their simulation form the basis for damage-free processing at higher productivity. At the same time, it is assumed that the microscopic processes are subject to unpredictable deviations, which must be taken into account in form of uncertainties in the simulation. A special focus is on the fuzzy calculation of the cooling lubricant distribution and the resulting thermal load on the workpiece. 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)