Effect of Coolant of Water-solution in Superfinishing. Application of Electrolytic In-process Dressing

In order to simplify the treatment of coolant in production systems, the superfinishing characteristics under the condition of water-solution type coolant are investigated experimentally. This type of coolant is inferior to an oil type coolant in removing chips from the stone because of its poor permeability. Electrolytic in-process dressing is applied to promote the self-dressing of diamond stone. As work materials, alumina which is sintered under atmospheric pressure and soft steel (equivalent to 0.15% carbon steel) are used. The results obtained are as follows. Electrolytic in-process dressing makes it possible to use the coolant of water-solution in superfinishing. The suitable conditions in electrolytic in-process dressing depend on the machinability of work materials. The soft steel whose chips are easy to make a loading on the working surface of stone needs the stronger dressing. A concentration of some percent is sufficient for a coolant to maintain its essential properties. The electrolytic in-process dressing is more effective for harder or finer stone, because it can control the cutting ability of the stone.