Tech Talk
What causes "Glazing of a Grinding Wheel"?
The small in-feed, depth of cut and the fast feed rate associated with reciprocating grinding inherently causes the grinding wheel to glaze. Glazing is a term given to the attritious wear on an abrasive grain due to excessive rubbing. Machining with a grinding wheel in a glazed condition may result in thermal damage to the workpiece surface and induce tensile stresses which could lead to cracking. The dull nature of a glazed grinding wheel in the reciprocating grinding process exerts a high normal force on the workpiece and opposing forces on the machine spindle. During the machining cycle the forces are periodic on the spindle and may initiate chatter, further degrading surface integrity of the workpiece.
This is yet another reason why the process must be closely monitored. Both the feeds and speeds of the machine, along with the wheel dressing and wheel selection are most important and critical to the success of the process.
