A Cryogenic Grinding System for the High Productivity Grinding of Advanced Materials

High performance metals, ceramics, and hard coatings are used in military applications to enhance the performance of key systems needed by the warfighter. One of the most prevalent operations to remove material, achieve the desired surface finish, or enhance part quality is bulk and finish grinding. For typical cutting speeds, conventional synthetic or oil-based coolants are sufficient to remove the generated heat; however, as the processing speed is increased to improve productivity, conventional coolants cease to be effective due to film boiling of the liquid coolant and the formation of an air boundary layer around the grinding wheel, preventing coolant penetration into the machining zone. As a result, the expensive workpiece may need to be scrapped or the process speed decreased, increasing overall cycle time and cost. Our approach to address this issue is to develop the novel Cryogenic Grinding System (CGS) that uses our proven approach to remove heat from the grinding zone, increase processing speed, and improve part quality. During Phase I, we will develop a proof-of-concept system, demonstrate its benefits, and plan the scale-up and insertion of the technology. During Phase II, we will develop a full-scale prototype for integration, testing, and commercialization.