Deep Profiled Slot Grinding on a Nickel-Based Alloy with Electroplated CBN Wheels

A process for grinding deep profiled slots in a nickel-based alloy with electroplated cubic boron nitride (CBN) wheels and straight oil is presented. These slots were prepared by this process for further grinding with electroplated CBN quills to generate the final fir-tree slots in gas turbine disks. Fir-tree slots are usually machined using broaching. The application of broaching, however, is limited in the case of nickel-based powder metal alloys due to short life of broaching tools and the effect on machined surface integrity. Grinding tests were first conducted on rectangular blocks to grind slots without inclinations at a fixed wheel speed vs = 60 m/s to identify the combinations of depths of cut, workspeed, and up/down grinding satisfying the requirements of ground surface quality and material removal rate. Inclined slots were then ground with the identified condition on a block representing a segment of an actual turbine disk to validate the condition. The wheel life was finally tested by grinding all the slots on the actual disk. Grinding power was measured, and the ground surfaces were inspected for any sign of burning. Preset target material removal rate and wheel life were obtained. It was found that electroplated CBN wheels are capable of grinding deep profiled slots on the difficult-to-cut nickel-based alloy.