LAUSR

Abstract The non-uniform grinding conditions due to the tool and workpiece geometries lead to the complexities of the chip geometry and topography characteristic in gear profile grinding. As a result, the previous surface prediction models that have been extensively studied for surface grinding are not able to reveal the surface generation mechanism of gear profile grinding. In this work, a comprehensive model is presented to calculate the surface topography and the chip geometry considering the non-uniformity of geometric contact and grain-workpiece interaction along the tooth profile. In this process, the geometric conditions are characterized by the radius of local tool circumference and the included angle between the plane of grain rotation and the surface normal. Experimental results show reasonable consistency with numerical simulations that validate the proposed model. Based on the model, the effect of geometric conditions on the texture pattern and roughness distribution is studied to give an in-depth analysis of the process characteristics by comparing the simulated results under actual and ideal conditions. Besides, the optimization method is proposed to obtain a more uniform tooth surface. This work provides new insight into the fundamental understanding of profile grinding of gears and can be utilized to guide the machining process for higher tooth surface integrity.