CBN Grinding Performance Improvement in Aircraft Engine Components Manufacture

Cubic Boron Nitride (CBN) grinding is extensively employed in the aerospace industry as it allows to effectively grind high performance aerospace metal alloys such as nickel base superalloys. With reference to a real industrial case of CBN grinding for the manufacture of aircraft engine components, the aim of this paper is to improve the CBN wheel tool life and optimize the grinding process while taking into account economic, environmental and social sustainability issues. Different types of CBN grinding wheels fabricated using diverse deposition procedures are tested to compare their behavior during grinding of Ni base superalloys and assess their tool life in terms of number of parts successfully ground by a single wheel. Tests are also performed to investigate alternative coolant type applicability as well as grain size influence on surface integrity as these factors can significantly affect process performance, final workpiece quality and grinding wheel life.