Convex diamond patterns by grinding with a wheel which is dressed by a rounded tool

Patterned surfaces such as longitudinal micro-grooves, micro-dimples, and micro-convex shapes have great potential for improving tribological properties by reducing wear, friction, drag and lubrication consumption. Convex diamond patterns can be generated by a special grinding operation in which the wheel has a single helical groove on its circumference. To obtain such patterns, the same wheel needs two-way feed motion on the workpiece. The grooved wheel geometry determines the final patterns on the workpiece, so the development of a precise groove shape on the wheel surface is very important. The aim of this study was to generate convex diamond patterns by grinding with a specially grooved wheel and dressing. To make a precise groove on the wheel surface, a rounded-tip dressing tool was used in the dressing process. The resulting convex diamond patterns can be displayed by entering the input parameters into a simulation program developed using Matlab. The simulation result is compared with experimental results for verification. The simulation model could be used to control an actual grinding process or to predict the convex patterns on a flat surface.