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Elastic abrasive cutting is a new high-performance method to produce workpieces made of materials of different hardness, which ensures lower wear of cut-off wheels and higher quality machined surfaces. However, the literature referring to elastic abrasive cutting is scarce; additional studies are thus needed. This paper proposes a new approach for modelling and optimizing the elastic abrasive cutting process, reflecting the specifics of its particular implementation. A generalized utility function has been chosen as an optimization parameter. It appears as a complex indicator characterizing the response variables of the elastic abrasive cutting process. The proposed approach has been applied to determine the optimum conditions of elastic abrasive cutting of C45 and 42Cr4 steels. To solve the optimization problem, a model of the generalized utility function reflecting the complex influence of the elastic abrasive cutting conditions has been developed. It is based on the findings of the complex study and modelling of the response variables of the elastic abrasive cutting process (cut-off wheel wear, time per cut, cut piece temperature, cut off wheel temperature and workpiece temperature) depending on the conditions of its implementation (compression force F exerted by the cut-off wheel on the workpiece, workpiece rotational frequency nw, cut off wheel diameter ds). By applying a genetic algorithm, the optimal conditions of elastic abrasive cutting of C45 and 42Cr4 steels: ds = 120 mm; F = 1 daN; nw = 63.7 min--1 and nw = 49.9 min--1, respectively for C45 and 42Cr4 steels, have been determined. They provide the best match between the response variables of the elastic abrasive cutting process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optimum conditions for dressing grinding wheels determined and recommended in the literature are valid only for particular types and tools of dressing and grinding. In this paper, an attempt has been made to optimize the dressing process parameters in fine cylindrical grinding. To define the optimum values of the dressing process variables (radial feed rate of diamond roller dresser frd , dressing speed ratio qd , dress-out time td , diamond roller dresser grit size/grinding wheel grit size ratio qg , type of synthetic diamonds and direction of dressing), a multi-objective optimization has been performed based on a genetic algorithm. In the capacity of the optimization parameter, a generalized geometric-mean utility function has been chosen, which appears to be a complex indicator characterizing the roughness and accuracy of the ground surface, the grinding wheel lifetime and the manufacturing net costs of the grinding operation. The optimization problem has been solved in the following sequence: 1) a model of the generalized utility function has been created reflecting the complex effect of the dressing system parameters; 2) the optimum conditions of uni-directional and counter-directional dressing of aluminium oxide grinding wheels by experimental diamond roller dressers of synthetic diamonds of АС32 and АС80 types and different grit size at which the generalized utility function has a maximum have been determined; 3) a Pareto optimum solution has been found (frd = 0.2 mm/min; qd = 0.8; td = 4.65 s; qg = 2.56), which guarantees the best combination between the roughness and the deviation from cylindricity of the ground surface, the grinding wheel lifetime and the manufacturing net costs of the grinding operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]