Speed-stroke grinding is surface pendulum grinding with increased table speeds up to vw = 200 m/min. Advantages arise from the changing active chip formation mechanisms [INAS88, ZEPP05]. Chips gets shorter and thicker, which accounts for a more effective chip formation. The specific material removal rate, Qw, results from depth of cut, ae, and workpiece speed, vw (Eq. 8.1). Increasing the material removal rate by the workpiece speed vw affects the the maximum undeformed chip thickness stronger than the depth of cut ae [DUSC12].
Qw = ae ‘ vw (8.1)
ae depth of cut vw workspiece speed
The total power consumed by a machine tool sums up from idle power of spindles, axes, and periphery, and the processing power to accomplish the chip formation. As the specific grinding energy accounts for a minor part of the total energy consumed by the machine tool, the grinding time reduction by a higher table speed facilitates higher energy efficiency [DUSC12].
CBN grinding tools have higher wear resistance than conventional grinding tools resulting in reduced waste. However, due to the higher thermal conductivity, positive compressive stresses can be added to the workpiece surface. Because of the higher price and the needed high spindle power finding the proper process window is crucial for a sustainable usage of CBN tools [LINK11, DUSC12].
Speed stroke grinding of bearing steel with CBN grinding wheels can produce lower tensile stresses than other grinding variants [DUSC12]. These surface conditions are favorable for low crack propagation in rolling contacts. The product life for rolling contact or cyclic load applications can be prolonged through speed-stroke grinding, which would result in products with lower overall environmental impact [DUSC12].