Experimentally validated finite element model of the rubbing and ploughing phases in scratch tests

During single-grain grinding material is removed in three phases, namely the rubbing, ploughing and chip formation phases. The rubbing and ploughing phases are important phases to be considered as they are precursors to chip formation, where material is first removed, and represent process inefficiencies. Investigation of these phases is considerably difficult given the irregular shape of the abrasive grains and as a result these phases are often simulated by scratch tests using spherical indenters. The current work presents a finite element (FE) model of the rubbing and ploughing phases in single-grain grinding. Significant emphasis is placed on the experimental validation of the model, with a view towards its future use as an investigative tool. Single-grain grinding was simulated via a scratch test setup which produced similar surface features and the measured forces were compared against the FE predicted results with good agreement. The model developed here represents an incremental advancement of grinding FE models of the rubbing and ploughing phases by using advanced constitutive models as well as simulating the formation of a scratch.