Numerical and experimental studies on grind-hardening cylindrical surface

This study focused on the rules and effects of grind hardening a cylindrical surface. A compound heat transfer model of grinding, appropriate for cylindrical surfaces, was established to study the grinding mechanism, and the temperature distribution of grind-hardening cylindrical surfaces was analysed. Experiments were conducted to validate the theoretical model and study the effect of different materials, grinding depths, workpiece rotational speeds and wheel characteristics on grind hardening. The results indicated that the transition layer and strengthened layer of steel 41Cr4 were thicker than those of steel C45E4 and that there were more explicit boundaries between the steel 41Cr4’s matrix, transition layer and strengthened layer. The surface hardness and thickness of the hardened layer were affected primarily by grinding depth. The greatest surface hardness and hardened layer thickness were obtained at a grinding depth of 0.4 mm and a workpiece rotational speed of 0.2 m/min with grinding wheel model PA46L8V for both steel 41Cr4 and C45E4.