Laser-assisted CBN Belt Grinding of TC4 Titanium Alloy for Material Removal Behavior and Surface Integrity Study

doi:10.3901/JME.2024.09.241

Abstract

Abstract: The laser-assisted CBN belt grinding process combines the softening modification of the material by the laser with the efficient material removal and high surface integrity of belt grinding to achieve high-performance machining of high-tenacity TC4 titanium alloys with low damage. Laser-assisted CBN belt grinding of TC4 titanium alloy is investigated to determine the effect of laser power on grinding force, material removal behavior, and surface integrity. The results show that increasing the laser power can increase the degree of material softening modification and reduce the grinding force and its fluctuation amplitude, with a 57.2% reduction in normal grinding force and a 68.7% reduction in tangential grinding force at the maximum laser power. As the degree of material softening increases, the material removal behavior changes from ductile removal to plastic removal, the ductile tearing and grinding damage on the surface is reduced, and the surface quality, surface consistency, and residual compressive stress on the surface are improved. The surface roughness reached Ra 1.23 μm at maximum laser power, and the surface residual compressive stress reached 94.6 MPa. The laser-assisted CBN abrasive belt grinding surface was infiltrated with a large amount of N and O elements, and the Ti elements on the surface existed in three states: TiN, TiO₂, and metallic Ti. The introduced N and O elements may improve the wear and corrosion resistance of the surface. It is hoped that this study will provide input to the study of the removal behavior and surface integrity of difficult-to-machine materials such as titanium alloys by laser-assisted machining.

Key words: laser-assisted belt grinding, CBN belt grinding, TC4 titanium alloy, material removal behavior, surface integrity

CLC Number:

TG178

XIAO Guijian, LIU Zhenyang, HE Yi, LIU Gang, DENG Zhongcai. Laser-assisted CBN Belt Grinding of TC4 Titanium Alloy for Material Removal Behavior and Surface Integrity Study[J]. Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 2024, 60(9): 241-253.

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