ABSTRACT
In order to develop the high-efficiency and precision machining technique of titanium matrix composites, such as TiCp/Ti–6Al–4V composites, high-speed grinding experiments were conducted using the single-layer brazed cubic boron nitride (CBN) wheel and electroplated CBN wheel, respectively. The comparative grinding performance was studied in terms of grinding force, grinding temperature, grinding-induced surface features, and defects. The results display that the grinding forces and grinding temperature obtained with the brazed CBN wheel are always lower than those with the electroplated CBN wheel. Though voids and microcracks are the dominant grinding-induced surface defects, the brazed CBN wheel produces fewer surface defects compared to the electroplated wheel, according to the statistical analysis results. The maximum material removal rate with the brazed CBN wheel is much higher than that with the electroplated one. All the above indicate that the single-layer brazed CBN super-abrasive wheel is more suitable for high-speed grinding of titanium matrix composites than the electroplated CBN wheel.
